महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-284, verse-3

किं नु तद्विदुषां श्रेष्ठ कर्णं प्रति महद्भयम् ।
आसीन्न च स धर्मात्मा कथयामास कस्यचित् ॥३॥

3. kiṁ nu tadviduṣāṁ śreṣṭha karṇaṁ prati mahadbhayam ,
āsīnna ca sa dharmātmā kathayāmāsa kasyacit.

3. kim nu tat viduṣām śreṣṭha karṇam prati mahat bhayam
āsīt na ca saḥ dharmātmā kathayām āsa kasyacit

3. O best among the learned, what indeed was that great fear regarding Karna? And that righteous soul (dharma) did not speak of it to anyone.

Words meanings summery:

• किम् (kim) - what, indeed (what, why, indeed)

• नु (nu) - indeed (indeed, now, then)

• तत् (tat) - that (that, it)

• विदुषाम् (viduṣām) - of the learned, among the learned (of the learned, of the wise)

• श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - O best (best, excellent)

• कर्णम् (karṇam) - Karna (Karna (proper name))

• प्रति (prati) - concerning, regarding (towards, against, concerning, in regard to)

• महत् (mahat) - great (great, large)

• भयम् (bhayam) - fear

• आसीत् (āsīt) - was (was, existed)

• न (na) - not

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• सः (saḥ) - that (Karna) (he, that)

• धर्मात्मा (dharmātmā) - that righteous soul (dharma) (Karna) (righteous soul, one whose nature (ātman) is righteousness (dharma))

• कथयाम् (kathayām) - telling (telling, speaking)

• आस (āsa) - he did (auxiliary verb for periphrastic perfect) (he was, he did)

• कस्यचित् (kasyacit) - to anyone (of someone, to anyone)

Words meanings and morphology

किम् (kim) - what, indeed (what, why, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here as an interrogative particle and adverbially for emphasis.

नु (nu) - indeed (indeed, now, then)

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

विदुषाम् (viduṣām) - of the learned, among the learned (of the learned, of the wise)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of vidvas

vidvas - learned, wise, knowing

Perfect Active Participle

Derived from √vid (to know).

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Often used in a 'genitive of category' construction with 'śreṣṭha'.

श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭha) - O best (best, excellent)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, excellent, most excellent

Superlative of praśasya (praiseworthy).

Note: Refers to the person being addressed by Vaiśampāyana (Janamejaya).

कर्णम् (karṇam) - Karna (Karna (proper name))

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of karṇa

karṇa - Karna (name of a famous warrior)

Note: Object of 'prati'.

प्रति (prati) - concerning, regarding (towards, against, concerning, in regard to)

(indeclinable)

Note: Governs accusative 'Karṇam'.

महत् (mahat) - great (great, large)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, vast, noble

Derived from √mah (to be great).

Root: mah (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'bhayam'.

भयम् (bhayam) - fear

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhaya

bhaya - fear, dread

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Subject of 'āsīt'.

आसीत् (āsīt) - was (was, existed)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

सः (saḥ) - that (Karna) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

धर्मात्मा (dharmātmā) - that righteous soul (dharma) (Karna) (righteous soul, one whose nature (ātman) is righteousness (dharma))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmātman

dharmātman - one whose soul (ātman) is righteousness (dharma), righteous-souled, virtuous

Compound: dharma (righteousness) + ātman (soul, self).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (dharma+ātman)

• dharma – righteousness, duty, law, constitution, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to Karna.

कथयाम् (kathayām) - telling (telling, speaking)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of katha

katha - story, tale, speech

Accusative singular of a noun 'kathā' or the prefix of periphrastic perfect 'kathayāmāsa'. Here, it's the latter.

Note: This form 'kathayām' is an old accusative form used in the periphrastic perfect construction with the auxiliary verb 'ās'.

आस (āsa) - he did (auxiliary verb for periphrastic perfect) (he was, he did)

(verb)

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

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Auxiliary verb for periphrastic perfect 'kathayām āsa'.

कस्यचित् (kasyacit) - to anyone (of someone, to anyone)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kimcid

kimcid - anyone, someone, anything, something

Compound: kim (what) + cid (particle for indefiniteness).

Note: Genitive singular, acting as dative 'to anyone'.