महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-177, verse-25

सर्प उवाच ।
यदि ते वृत्ततो राजन्ब्राह्मणः प्रसमीक्षितः ।
व्यर्था जातिस्तदायुष्मन्कृतिर्यावन्न दृश्यते ॥२५॥

25. sarpa uvāca ,
yadi te vṛttato rājanbrāhmaṇaḥ prasamīkṣitaḥ ,
vyarthā jātistadāyuṣmankṛtiryāvanna dṛśyate.

25. sarpa uvāca | yadi te vṛttataḥ rājan brāhmaṇaḥ prasamīkṣitaḥ
| vyarthā jātiḥ tadā āyuṣman kṛtiḥ yāvat na dṛśyate

25. The serpent said: 'O King, if you consider a brahmin to be defined by his conduct, then, O long-lived one, lineage (jāti) is meaningless as long as his actual deeds (kṛti) are not seen.'

25. הנחש אמר, הו מלך, אם לפי אורח החיים נקבע מי הוא בְּרַהְמִין, אז הלידה חסרת ערך, הו בעל חיים ארוכים, כל עוד המעשה אינו נראה.

Words meanings summery:

• सर्प (sarpa) - the serpent (Nahusha) (serpent, snake)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case)

• ते (te) - by you (acting as agent with passive verb) (by you (dative/genitive singular of 'tvam'))

• वृत्ततः (vṛttataḥ) - through his conduct (from conduct, by means of conduct)

• राजन् (rājan) - O King (addressing Yudhiṣṭhira) (O king)

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brahmin (a Brahmin, one belonging to the brahmin varna)

• प्रसमीक्षितः (prasamīkṣitaḥ) - considered, identified (observed, seen, considered, correctly discerned)

• व्यर्था (vyarthā) - useless, meaningless (useless, meaningless, in vain)

• जातिः (jātiḥ) - lineage (jāti) (birth, lineage, caste, species)

• तदा (tadā) - then (then, at that time)

• आयुष्मन् (āyuṣman) - O long-lived one (vocative, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira) (O long-lived one, possessing longevity)

• कृतिः (kṛtiḥ) - deeds (kṛti) (deed, action, work, creation)

• यावत् (yāvat) - as long as (as long as, until, as much as)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - are observed, are seen (is seen, appears)

Words meanings and morphology

सर्प (sarpa) - the serpent (Nahusha) (serpent, snake)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarpa

sarpa - serpent, snake

Root: sṛp (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case)

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a conditional clause.

ते (te) - by you (acting as agent with passive verb) (by you (dative/genitive singular of 'tvam'))

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of tvam

tvam - you

Note: Used here in an instrumental sense with the passive participle 'prasamīkṣitaḥ'.

वृत्ततः (vṛttataḥ) - through his conduct (from conduct, by means of conduct)

(indeclinable)

From vṛtta (conduct) + tas (ablative suffix)

Note: Expresses source or means.

राजन् (rājan) - O King (addressing Yudhiṣṭhira) (O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Root: rāj (class 1)

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brahmin (a Brahmin, one belonging to the brahmin varna)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a brahmin, related to brahman, divine, priestly

Note: Subject of the passive participle 'prasamīkṣitaḥ'.

प्रसमीक्षितः (prasamīkṣitaḥ) - considered, identified (observed, seen, considered, correctly discerned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prasamīkṣita

prasamīkṣita - well-examined, correctly seen, observed, considered

Past Passive Participle

From pra + sam + īkṣ (to see) + kta suffix

Prefixes: pra+sam

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'brāhmaṇaḥ'.

व्यर्था (vyarthā) - useless, meaningless (useless, meaningless, in vain)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vyartha

vyartha - useless, meaningless, in vain, without purpose

Compound type : prādi-samāsa (vi+artha)

• vi – apart, away, without
  indeclinable
• artha – purpose, meaning, wealth, object
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'jātiḥ'.

जातिः (jātiḥ) - lineage (jāti) (birth, lineage, caste, species)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of jāti

jāti - birth, lineage, caste, genus, species, kind

From root jan (to be born) + ti suffix

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject.

तदा (tadā) - then (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the consequence of the 'yadi' clause.

आयुष्मन् (āyuṣman) - O long-lived one (vocative, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira) (O long-lived one, possessing longevity)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of āyuṣmat

āyuṣmat - long-lived, possessing vitality, venerable

From āyus (life) + matup suffix (possessing)

Note: Vocative addressing Yudhiṣṭhira.

कृतिः (kṛtiḥ) - deeds (kṛti) (deed, action, work, creation)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kṛti

kṛti - action, deed, work, performance, creation, composition

From root kṛ (to do, make) + ti suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of 'dṛśyate'.

यावत् (yāvat) - as long as (as long as, until, as much as)

(indeclinable)

Note: Expresses duration/limit.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - are observed, are seen (is seen, appears)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of dṛś

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: From root dṛś, passive form.

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