महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-218, verse-8

स्कन्द उवाच ।
किमिन्द्रः सर्वलोकानां करोतीह तपोधनाः ।
कथं देवगणांश्चैव पाति नित्यं सुरेश्वरः ॥८॥

8. skanda uvāca ,
kimindraḥ sarvalokānāṁ karotīha tapodhanāḥ ,
kathaṁ devagaṇāṁścaiva pāti nityaṁ sureśvaraḥ.

8. skanda uvāca kim indraḥ sarva-lokānām karoti iha tapodhanāḥ
katham deva-gaṇān ca eva pāti nityam sura-īśvaraḥ

8. Skanda said: "O ascetics (tapas), what does Indra do here for all beings? How does the lord of gods constantly protect the hosts of deities?"

Words meanings summery:

• स्कन्द (skanda) - Skanda, Kartikeya

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• किम् (kim) - what, why

• इन्द्रः (indraḥ) - Indra

• सर्व-लोकानाम् (sarva-lokānām) - of all worlds, of all beings

• करोति (karoti) - does, performs, makes

• इह (iha) - here, in this world, now

• तपोधनाः (tapodhanāḥ) - O ascetics whose wealth is (tapas) penance

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• देव-गणान् (deva-gaṇān) - the hosts of gods, groups of deities

• च (ca) - and, also

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

• पाति (pāti) - protects, guards, rules

• नित्यम् (nityam) - always, constantly, eternally

• सुर-ईश्वरः (sura-īśvaraḥ) - the lord of gods

Words meanings and morphology

स्कन्द (skanda) - Skanda, Kartikeya

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of skanda

skanda - Skanda, Kartikeya (son of Shiva, god of war)

Root: skand (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect tense

perfect active, 3rd person singular of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what, why

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

Note: Used here as an interrogative adverb meaning 'what'.

इन्द्रः (indraḥ) - Indra

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of indra

indra - Indra (name of the chief Vedic deity, king of gods)

सर्व-लोकानाम् (sarva-lokānām) - of all worlds, of all beings

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sarva-loka

sarva-loka - all worlds, all people/beings

compound of sarva (all) and loka (world/people)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (sarva+loka)

• sarva – all, every, whole
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
• loka – world, realm, people, being
  noun (masculine)
  Root: lok (class 1)

Note: Here meaning 'for all beings'.

करोति (karoti) - does, performs, makes

(verb)

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

Root: kṛ (class 8)

इह (iha) - here, in this world, now

(indeclinable)

तपोधनाः (tapodhanāḥ) - O ascetics whose wealth is (tapas) penance

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, plural of tapodhana

tapodhana - one whose wealth is asceticism/penance (tapas)

compound of tapas (penance) and dhana (wealth)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tapas+dhana)

• tapas – asceticism, penance (tapas), heat, spiritual fervor
  noun (neuter)
  from root √tap (to heat, to perform austerities)
  Root: tap (class 1)
• dhana – wealth, riches, property
  noun (neuter)
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Used as an address to ascetics.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

देव-गणान् (deva-gaṇān) - the hosts of gods, groups of deities

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of deva-gaṇa

deva-gaṇa - group of gods, host of deities

compound of deva (god) and gaṇa (group)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (deva+gaṇa)

• deva – god, deity
  noun (masculine)
  Root: div (class 4)
• gaṇa – group, host, multitude
  noun (masculine)
  Root: gaṇ (class 10)

Note: Direct object of `pāti`.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

(indeclinable)

पाति (pāti) - protects, guards, rules

(verb)

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

Root: pā (class 2)

नित्यम् (nityam) - always, constantly, eternally

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an adverb here.

सुर-ईश्वरः (sura-īśvaraḥ) - the lord of gods

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sura-īśvara

sura-īśvara - lord of gods

compound of sura (god) and īśvara (lord)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sura+īśvara)

• sura – god, deity
  noun (masculine)
• īśvara – lord, master, controller
  noun (masculine)
  from root √īś (to rule, to be master of)
  Root: īś (class 2)

Note: Subject of `pāti`.