महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-191, verse-1

वैशंपायन उवाच ।
मार्कण्डेयमृषयः पाण्डवाश्च पर्यपृच्छन् ।
अस्ति कश्चिद्भवतश्चिरजाततर इति ॥१॥

1. vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca ,
mārkaṇḍeyamṛṣayaḥ pāṇḍavāśca paryapṛcchan ,
asti kaścidbhavataścirajātatara iti.

1. vaiśaṃpāyanaḥ uvāca mārkaṇḍeyam ṛṣayaḥ pāṇḍavāḥ ca
paryapṛcchan asti kaścit bhavataḥ cirajātataraḥ iti

1. Vaiśampāyana said: 'The sages and the Pāṇḍavas questioned Mārkaṇḍeya, asking, "Is there anyone older than you?"'

Words meanings summery:

• वैशंपायनः (vaiśaṁpāyanaḥ) - Vaiśampāyana

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• मार्कण्डेयम् (mārkaṇḍeyam) - Mārkaṇḍeya (accusative)

• ऋषयः (ṛṣayaḥ) - sages, seers

• पाण्डवाः (pāṇḍavāḥ) - the Pāṇḍavas

• च (ca) - and

• पर्यपृच्छन् (paryapṛcchan) - they questioned, they asked

• अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

• कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone, anyone

• भवतः (bhavataḥ) - than you, of you (respectful 'you')

• चिरजाततरः (cirajātataraḥ) - older, born longer ago (comparative)

• इति (iti) - thus, so saying

Words meanings and morphology

वैशंपायनः (vaiśaṁpāyanaḥ) - Vaiśampāyana

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vaiśaṃpāyana

vaiśaṁpāyana - Vaiśampāyana (name of a sage, Vyāsa's disciple)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (Lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

मार्कण्डेयम् (mārkaṇḍeyam) - Mārkaṇḍeya (accusative)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mārkaṇḍeya

mārkaṇḍeya - Mārkaṇḍeya (name of a sage)

ऋषयः (ṛṣayaḥ) - sages, seers

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ṛṣi

ṛṣi - sage, seer, ascetic

पाण्डवाः (pāṇḍavāḥ) - the Pāṇḍavas

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pāṇḍava

pāṇḍava - descendant of Pāṇḍu, a Pāṇḍava

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

पर्यपृच्छन् (paryapṛcchan) - they questioned, they asked

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (Laṅ) of pracch

Prefix: pari

Root: pracch (class 6)

अस्ति (asti) - is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (Laṭ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone, anyone

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kaścid

kaścid - someone, anyone, a certain person

भवतः (bhavataḥ) - than you, of you (respectful 'you')

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - you (respectful), being, existing

Present Active Participle

Derived from root bhū with -at suffix.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Used here in a comparative sense with 'older'.

चिरजाततरः (cirajātataraḥ) - older, born longer ago (comparative)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cirajātatara

cirajātatara - older, born earlier (comparative of cirajāta)

Comparative degree formed with -tara suffix.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (cira+jāta+tara)

• cira – long time, ancient
  indeclinable
• jāta – born, produced, arisen
  participle (masculine/neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Root: jan (class 4)
• tara – more, further, comparative suffix
  suffix

इति (iti) - thus, so saying

(indeclinable)