महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-211, verse-28

मृतः श्रूयेत यो जीवन्परेयुः पशवो यथा ।
इष्टिरष्टाकपालेन कर्तव्याभिमतेऽग्नये ॥२८॥

28. mṛtaḥ śrūyeta yo jīvanpareyuḥ paśavo yathā ,
iṣṭiraṣṭākapālena kartavyābhimate'gnaye.

28. mṛtaḥ śrūyeta yaḥ jīvan pareyuḥ paśavaḥ yathā
iṣṭiḥ aṣṭākapālena kartavyā abhimate agnaye

28. If a living person is reported as dead, just as cattle perish, then an offering (iṣṭi) with an eight-potsherd cake should be performed for Agni, specifically for Abhimata (the desired one).

Words meanings summery:

• मृतः (mṛtaḥ) - dead, deceased

• श्रूयेत (śrūyeta) - should be reported (as) (should be heard, should be known)

• यः (yaḥ) - the one who (who, which)

• जीवन् (jīvan) - living, being alive

• परेयुः (pareyuḥ) - should go away, should perish, should be lost

• पशवः (paśavaḥ) - animals, cattle

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as

• इष्टिः (iṣṭiḥ) - a specific ritual offering, typically a cake baked on potsherds (offering, sacrifice, desire)

• अष्टाकपालेन (aṣṭākapālena) - by a puroḍāśa (cake) baked on eight potsherds (by an eight-potsherd (cake))

• कर्तव्या (kartavyā) - should be done, to be performed

• अभिमते (abhimate) - for Agni in the form of Abhimata, an epithet of Agni (for the desired one, for Abhimata)

• अग्नये (agnaye) - for the deity Agni (for fire, for Agni)

Words meanings and morphology

मृतः (mṛtaḥ) - dead, deceased

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛta

mṛta - dead, deceased, passed away

Past Passive Participle

From root mṛ (to die)

Root: mṛ (class 6)

श्रूयेत (śrūyeta) - should be reported (as) (should be heard, should be known)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, optative (vidhiliṅ) of śru

Root: śru (class 5)

यः (yaḥ) - the one who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

जीवन् (jīvan) - living, being alive

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīvat

jīvat - living, alive

Present Active Participle

From root jīv (to live)

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Agrees with implied subject of 'śrūyeta' and 'yaḥ'.

परेयुः (pareyuḥ) - should go away, should perish, should be lost

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of pari-i

Prefix: pari

Root: i (class 2)

पशवः (paśavaḥ) - animals, cattle

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of paśu

paśu - animal, cattle, beast

यथा (yathā) - as, just as

(indeclinable)

इष्टिः (iṣṭiḥ) - a specific ritual offering, typically a cake baked on potsherds (offering, sacrifice, desire)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of iṣṭi

iṣṭi - offering, sacrifice, ritual, desire

Root: yaj (class 1)

अष्टाकपालेन (aṣṭākapālena) - by a puroḍāśa (cake) baked on eight potsherds (by an eight-potsherd (cake))

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of aṣṭākapāla

aṣṭākapāla - having eight potsherds; an offering cake (puroḍāśa) baked on eight potsherds

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (aṣṭan+kapāla)

• aṣṭan – eight
  numeral
• kapāla – potsherd, skull, bowl
  noun (neuter)

Note: Refers to a specific type of sacrificial cake (puroḍāśa).

कर्तव्या (kartavyā) - should be done, to be performed

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kartavya

kartavya - to be done, to be performed, duty

Gerundive

Suffix -tavya added to root kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Agrees with 'iṣṭiḥ' (feminine).

अभिमते (abhimate) - for Agni in the form of Abhimata, an epithet of Agni (for the desired one, for Abhimata)

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of abhimata

abhimata - desired, longed for, beloved; an epithet/form of Agni

Past Passive Participle

From root man (to think) with prefix abhi

Prefix: abhi

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Used as an epithet for Agni.

अग्नये (agnaye) - for the deity Agni (for fire, for Agni)

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, the deity Agni