महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-135, verse-35

किमिदं वर्तते ब्रह्मन्किं च ते ह चिकीर्षितम् ।
अतीव हि महान्यत्नः क्रियतेऽयं निरर्थकः ॥३५॥

35. kimidaṁ vartate brahmankiṁ ca te ha cikīrṣitam ,
atīva hi mahānyatnaḥ kriyate'yaṁ nirarthakaḥ.

35. kim idam vartate brahman kim ca te ha cikīrṣitam
atīva hi mahān yatnaḥ kriyate ayam nirarthakaḥ

35. O Brahmin, what is this going on, and what exactly do you intend to do? Indeed, this immense effort is being undertaken without any purpose.

Words meanings summery:

• किम् (kim) - what

• इदम् (idam) - this

• वर्तते (vartate) - is, exists, is happening, goes on

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahmin

• किम् (kim) - what, and what

• च (ca) - and

• ते (te) - by you

• ह (ha) - indeed, certainly

• चिकीर्षितम् (cikīrṣitam) - intended to be done, desired to be made

• अतीव (atīva) - exceedingly, very much

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• महान् (mahān) - great, immense

• यत्नः (yatnaḥ) - effort, exertion

• क्रियते (kriyate) - is being done, is made

• अयम् (ayam) - this (masculine)

• निरर्थकः (nirarthakaḥ) - useless, purposeless, in vain

Words meanings and morphology

किम् (kim) - what

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, why, whether

इदम् (idam) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this

वर्तते (vartate) - is, exists, is happening, goes on

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of √vṛt

Present Middle

3rd person singular, present indicative, middle voice.

Root: √vṛt (class 1)

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahmin

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmin, Vedic knowledge, the Absolute (brahman), the creator god (Brahmā)

किम् (kim) - what, and what

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - by you

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Dative singular, functioning as the agent in the passive construction ('by you').

ह (ha) - indeed, certainly

(indeclinable)

चिकीर्षितम् (cikīrṣitam) - intended to be done, desired to be made

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cikīrṣita

cikīrṣita - desired to be done, intended, purposed

Past Passive Participle (of desiderative stem)

Derived from the desiderative stem of √kṛ (to do, to make).

Root: √kṛ (class 8)

अतीव (atīva) - exceedingly, very much

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

महान् (mahān) - great, immense

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, vast, important

Note: Masculine nominative singular, agreeing with 'yatnaḥ'.

यत्नः (yatnaḥ) - effort, exertion

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yatna

yatna - effort, exertion, endeavour, striving

क्रियते (kriyate) - is being done, is made

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present indicative (laṭ) of √kṛ

Present Passive

3rd person singular, present indicative, passive voice.

Root: √kṛ (class 8)

अयम् (ayam) - this (masculine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Note: Masculine nominative singular, referring to 'yatnaḥ'.

निरर्थकः (nirarthakaḥ) - useless, purposeless, in vain

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirarthaka

nirarthaka - useless, meaningless, vain, without purpose

Compound of nis- + artha + -ka.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nis+artha)

• nis – without, out, away
  indeclinable
  negative or privative prefix
• artha – purpose, meaning, wealth, object
  noun (masculine)