महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-199, verse-23

सर्वं व्याप्तमिदं ब्रह्मन्प्राणिभिः प्राणिजीवनैः ।
मत्स्या ग्रसन्ते मत्स्यांश्च तत्र किं प्रतिभाति ते ॥२३॥

23. sarvaṁ vyāptamidaṁ brahmanprāṇibhiḥ prāṇijīvanaiḥ ,
matsyā grasante matsyāṁśca tatra kiṁ pratibhāti te.

23. sarvam vyāptam idam brahman prāṇibhiḥ prāṇijīvanaiḥ
matsyāḥ grasante matsyān ca tatra kim pratibhāti te

23. O Brahmin, this entire world is filled with creatures, whose very existence relies on consuming other creatures. Fish, for example, devour other fish. What does this fact indicate to you?

Words meanings summery:

• सर्वम् (sarvam) - all, whole, entire

• व्याप्तम् (vyāptam) - pervaded, filled, occupied

• इदम् (idam) - this world, this cosmos (this)

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - Addressed to a Brahmin (religious scholar/priest) (O Brahmin, O priest)

• प्राणिभिः (prāṇibhiḥ) - by living beings, by creatures

• प्राणिजीवनैः (prāṇijīvanaiḥ) - by those whose life is living beings, by those living on living beings

• मत्स्याः (matsyāḥ) - fish

• ग्रसन्ते (grasante) - they devour, they swallow

• मत्स्यान् (matsyān) - other fish (as objects of devouring) (fish)

• च (ca) - and, also

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that matter

• किम् (kim) - what

• प्रतिभाति (pratibhāti) - it appears, it seems, it occurs to

• ते (te) - to you, of you

Words meanings and morphology

सर्वम् (sarvam) - all, whole, entire

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, entire

Note: Adjectival use, modifying an implied 'world' (jagat/loka) as the object.

व्याप्तम् (vyāptam) - pervaded, filled, occupied

(adjective)

neuter, singular of vyāpta

vyāpta - pervaded, filled, occupied, encompassed

Past Passive Participle

From √āp (to obtain, reach) with upasarga vi- (pervade)

Prefix: vi

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Qualifies 'idam' (this world).

इदम् (idam) - this world, this cosmos (this)

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this here

Note: Refers to the world/universe. Functions as a noun here.

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - Addressed to a Brahmin (religious scholar/priest) (O Brahmin, O priest)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmin, priest, the Absolute (brahman)

Note: Vocative case, addressing the interlocutor.

प्राणिभिः (prāṇibhiḥ) - by living beings, by creatures

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of prāṇin

prāṇin - living being, creature, animate being

From prāṇa (life-breath) + -in (possessive suffix)

Note: Agent of 'vyāptam' (filled).

प्राणिजीवनैः (prāṇijīvanaiḥ) - by those whose life is living beings, by those living on living beings

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of prāṇijīvana

prāṇijīvana - whose life is living beings, living on living beings, creature-eating

Compound type : bahuvrihi (prāṇin+jīvana)

• prāṇin – living being, creature
  noun (masculine)
  From prāṇa (life-breath) + -in (possessive suffix)
• jīvana – life, living, means of livelihood
  noun (neuter)
  From √jīv (to live)
  Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Adjective agreeing with 'prāṇibhiḥ'.

मत्स्याः (matsyāḥ) - fish

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of matsya

matsya - fish

Note: Subject of 'grasante'.

ग्रसन्ते (grasante) - they devour, they swallow

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of gras

Root: gras (class 1)

मत्स्यान् (matsyān) - other fish (as objects of devouring) (fish)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of matsya

matsya - fish

Note: Object of 'grasante'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction, connecting 'matsyān' as a further example.

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that matter

(indeclinable)

From tad (that) + -tra (locative suffix)

Note: Refers to the situation described.

किम् (kim) - what

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Subject of 'pratibhāti'.

प्रतिभाति (pratibhāti) - it appears, it seems, it occurs to

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of bhā

Prefix: prati

Root: bhā (class 2)

Note: Verb with prefix 'prati-' meaning 'to appear to'.

ते (te) - to you, of you

(pronoun)

singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Dative case, 'to you'.