महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-200, verse-29

ब्राह्मण उवाच ।
कथं संभवते योनौ कथं वा पुण्यपापयोः ।
जातीः पुण्या ह्यपुण्याश्च कथं गच्छति सत्तम ॥२९॥

29. brāhmaṇa uvāca ,
kathaṁ saṁbhavate yonau kathaṁ vā puṇyapāpayoḥ ,
jātīḥ puṇyā hyapuṇyāśca kathaṁ gacchati sattama.

29. brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca | katham saṃbhavate yonau katham vā puṇya-pāpayoḥ
| jātīḥ puṇyāḥ hi apuṇyāḥ ca katham gacchati sattama

29. The Brahmin asked: O excellent one (sattama), how does one come to be born in a particular womb? How does one accumulate merit (puṇya) and demerit (pāpa)? And how do beings attain pure and impure births?

Words meanings summery:

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - Brahmin, a member of the priestly class

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• संभवते (saṁbhavate) - is born, originates, happens

• योनौ (yonau) - in the womb, in the origin, in the source

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• वा (vā) - or, and

• पुण्य-पापयोः (puṇya-pāpayoḥ) - of merit and demerit

• जातीः (jātīḥ) - births, species, types

• पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - pure, meritorious, virtuous (feminine plural)

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

• अपुण्याः (apuṇyāḥ) - impure, demeritorious, unvirtuous (feminine plural)

• च (ca) - and

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• गच्छति (gacchati) - goes, attains, reaches

• सत्तम (sattama) - O excellent one, addressing the Vyadha. (O best one, O excellent one)

Words meanings and morphology

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - Brahmin, a member of the priestly class

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin, one belonging to the priestly class, related to Brahman

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect active indicative

3rd singular perfect of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

संभवते (saṁbhavate) - is born, originates, happens

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (lat) of saṃ-bhū

present middle indicative

3rd singular present middle of √bhū with prefix sam-

Prefix: sam

Root: bhū (class 1)

योनौ (yonau) - in the womb, in the origin, in the source

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of yoni

yoni - womb, origin, source, place of birth, species

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, and

(indeclinable)

पुण्य-पापयोः (puṇya-pāpayoḥ) - of merit and demerit

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, dual of puṇya-pāpa

puṇya-pāpa - merit and demerit, good and evil

Compound type : dvandva (puṇya+pāpa)

• puṇya – merit, virtue, good deed
  noun (neuter)
• pāpa – demerit, sin, evil deed
  noun (neuter)

जातीः (jātīḥ) - births, species, types

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of jāti

jāti - birth, species, class, type, lineage

पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - pure, meritorious, virtuous (feminine plural)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, plural of puṇya

puṇya - pure, meritorious, virtuous, sacred; merit

Note: Adjective agreeing with `jātīḥ` in accusative plural.

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

(indeclinable)

particle

अपुण्याः (apuṇyāḥ) - impure, demeritorious, unvirtuous (feminine plural)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, plural of apuṇya

apuṇya - impure, demeritorious, unvirtuous; demerit

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+puṇya)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• puṇya – merit, virtue, good deed
  noun (neuter)

Note: Adjective agreeing with `jātīḥ` in accusative plural.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

particle

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

गच्छति (gacchati) - goes, attains, reaches

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of gam

present active indicative

3rd singular present active of √gam

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: The implied subject is 'one' or 'beings'.

सत्तम (sattama) - O excellent one, addressing the Vyadha. (O best one, O excellent one)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of sattama

sattama - best, excellent, noblest

superlative of sat (from √as)

'sat' meaning 'good, real, existing', superlative form.

Root: as (class 2)