महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-297, verse-11

यक्ष उवाच ।
अहं बकः शैवलमत्स्यभक्षो मया नीताः प्रेतवशं तवानुजाः ।
त्वं पञ्चमो भविता राजपुत्र न चेत्प्रश्नान्पृच्छतो व्याकरोषि ॥११॥

11. yakṣa uvāca ,
ahaṁ bakaḥ śaivalamatsyabhakṣo; mayā nītāḥ pretavaśaṁ tavānujāḥ ,
tvaṁ pañcamo bhavitā rājaputra; na cetpraśnānpṛcchato vyākaroṣi.

11. yakṣaḥ uvāca | aham bakaḥ śaivalamatsyabhakṣaḥ
mayā nītāḥ pretavaśam tava
anujāḥ | tvam pañcamaḥ bhavitā rājaputra
na cet praśnān pṛcchataḥ vyākaroṣi

11. The Yakṣa said: "I am a crane (baka), an eater of algae and fish. Your younger brothers were brought under the sway of death by me. O Prince (rājaputra), you will be the fifth, if you do not answer the questions of the one who asks."

Words meanings summery:

• यक्षः (yakṣaḥ) - The Yakṣa (the speaker) (a class of semi-divine beings, a nature spirit)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

• अहम् (aham) - I (the Yakṣa) (I)

• बकः (bakaḥ) - a crane (the form the Yakṣa has assumed) (crane)

• शैवलमत्स्यभक्षः (śaivalamatsyabhakṣaḥ) - one who feeds on algae and fish (eater of moss and fish)

• मया (mayā) - by me (the Yakṣa) (by me)

• नीताः (nītāḥ) - brought, led (to death) (led, carried, brought)

• प्रेतवशम् (pretavaśam) - under the sway of death, to the realm of the dead (to the power of ghosts/dead, to death)

• तव (tava) - your (younger brothers) (your, of you)

• अनुजाः (anujāḥ) - younger brothers (younger brothers, followers)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (Yudhiṣṭhira) (you)

• पञ्चमः (pañcamaḥ) - the fifth (to die) (fifth)

• भविता (bhavitā) - will be (will be, shall be)

• राजपुत्र (rājaputra) - O Prince (Yudhiṣṭhira) (O prince, son of a king)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• चेत् (cet) - if

• प्रश्नान् (praśnān) - questions

• पृच्छतः (pṛcchataḥ) - of me, the one asking (the Yakṣa) (of the one asking, of the questioner)

• व्याकरोषि (vyākaroṣi) - you answer (my questions) (you answer, you explain)

Words meanings and morphology

यक्षः (yakṣaḥ) - The Yakṣa (the speaker) (a class of semi-divine beings, a nature spirit)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yakṣa

yakṣa - a class of semi-divine beings, a nature spirit, guardian of treasures

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (he said, he spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, 3rd singular of root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

अहम् (aham) - I (the Yakṣa) (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'am'.

बकः (bakaḥ) - a crane (the form the Yakṣa has assumed) (crane)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of baka

baka - crane, heron

Note: Predicate nominative to 'aham'.

शैवलमत्स्यभक्षः (śaivalamatsyabhakṣaḥ) - one who feeds on algae and fish (eater of moss and fish)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śaivalamatsyabhakṣa

śaivalamatsyabhakṣa - eater of moss and fish

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śaivalamatsya+bhakṣa)

• śaivalamatsya – algae and fish
  noun (neuter)
• bhakṣa – eater, consumer
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from root bhakṣ (to eat)
  Root: bhakṣ (class 10)

Note: Epithet for 'bakaḥ'.

मया (mayā) - by me (the Yakṣa) (by me)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Agent in a passive construction ('nītāḥ').

नीताः (nītāḥ) - brought, led (to death) (led, carried, brought)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nīta

nīta - led, guided, brought, carried

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root nī (to lead, carry) + kta suffix

Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'anujāḥ'.

प्रेतवशम् (pretavaśam) - under the sway of death, to the realm of the dead (to the power of ghosts/dead, to death)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pretavaśa

pretavaśa - power of ghosts/dead, control of the deceased

Compound of preta (ghost, deceased) and vaśa (power, control).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (preta+vaśa)

• preta – deceased, ghost, spirit of the dead
  noun (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from pra-i (to depart) + kta suffix
  Prefix: pra
  Root: i (class 2)
• vaśa – power, control, will, sway
  noun (masculine)

Note: Indicates destination or state.

तव (tava) - your (younger brothers) (your, of you)

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

Note: Enclitic form of genitive singular of 'yuṣmad'.

अनुजाः (anujāḥ) - younger brothers (younger brothers, followers)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of anuja

anuja - younger brother, follower

Derived from anu-jan (to be born after)

Prefix: anu

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of the passive verb 'nītāḥ'.

त्वम् (tvam) - you (Yudhiṣṭhira) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you (singular/plural)

Note: Subject of 'bhavitā'.

पञ्चमः (pañcamaḥ) - the fifth (to die) (fifth)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pañcama

pañcama - fifth

Ordinal number derived from pañcan (five)

Note: Predicate adjective to 'tvam'.

भविता (bhavitā) - will be (will be, shall be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, periphrastic future (luṭ) of bhū

Periphrastic future, 3rd singular of root bhū.

Root: bhū (class 1)

राजपुत्र (rājaputra) - O Prince (Yudhiṣṭhira) (O prince, son of a king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājaputra

rājaputra - son of a king, prince

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rājan+putra)

• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
• putra – son
  noun (masculine)

Note: A direct address to Yudhiṣṭhira.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Part of the conditional 'na cet'.

चेत् (cet) - if

(indeclinable)

Note: Part of the conditional 'na cet'.

प्रश्नान् (praśnān) - questions

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of praśna

praśna - question, inquiry

Derived from pra-śnā (to ask)

Prefix: pra

Root: śnā (class 9)

Note: Object of 'vyākaroṣi'.

पृच्छतः (pṛcchataḥ) - of me, the one asking (the Yakṣa) (of the one asking, of the questioner)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pṛcchat

pṛcchat - asking, inquiring

Present Active Participle

Derived from root pṛch (to ask) + śatṛ suffix.

Root: pṛch (class 6)

व्याकरोषि (vyākaroṣi) - you answer (my questions) (you answer, you explain)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of vyā-kṛ

Present tense, 2nd singular of root kṛ with prefixes vi and ā. With these prefixes, the meaning becomes 'to explain, to answer'.

Prefixes: vi+ā

Root: kṛ (class 8)