महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-44, verse-28

तत्र स्म गाथा गायन्ति साम्ना परमवल्गुना ।
गन्धर्वास्तुम्बुरुश्रेष्ठाः कुशला गीतसामसु ॥२८॥

28. tatra sma gāthā gāyanti sāmnā paramavalgunā ,
gandharvāstumburuśreṣṭhāḥ kuśalā gītasāmasu.

28. tatra sma gāthāḥ gāyanti sāmnā paramavalguna
gandharvāḥ tumburuśreṣṭhāḥ kuśalāḥ gītasāmasu

28. There, the Gandharvas, with Tumburu as their chief, skilled in singing Sāman chants, used to sing verses with supremely melodious (sāman) chants.

Words meanings summery:

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that place

• स्म (sma) - indicating past habitual action (indeed, certainly; particle used with present tense to indicate past action)

• गाथाः (gāthāḥ) - verses, songs, stanzas

• गायन्ति (gāyanti) - they sing

• साम्ना (sāmnā) - with a Sāman chant/melody (with a Sāman, by means of a chant)

• परमवल्गुन (paramavalguna) - with a supremely melodious (Sāman) (supremely beautiful/sweet/melodious)

• गन्धर्वाः (gandharvāḥ) - Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

• तुम्बुरुश्रेष्ठाः (tumburuśreṣṭhāḥ) - chief among the Tumburus, led by Tumburu

• कुशलाः (kuśalāḥ) - skilled, expert, proficient

• गीतसामसु (gītasāmasu) - in the Sāman chants they sing (in songs and Sāmans, in sung Sāman chants)

Words meanings and morphology

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that place

(indeclinable)

स्म (sma) - indicating past habitual action (indeed, certainly; particle used with present tense to indicate past action)

(indeclinable)

गाथाः (gāthāḥ) - verses, songs, stanzas

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, plural of gāthā

gāthā - song, verse, stanza

Root: gai (class 1)

गायन्ति (gāyanti) - they sing

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of gai

Root: gai (class 1)

साम्ना (sāmnā) - with a Sāman chant/melody (with a Sāman, by means of a chant)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of sāman

sāman - Sāman (a type of Vedic chant), song, melody

Root: sām

परमवल्गुन (paramavalguna) - with a supremely melodious (Sāman) (supremely beautiful/sweet/melodious)

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of paramavalguna

paramavalguna - very beautiful, supremely charming/sweet/melodious

Compound of 'parama' (supreme, highest) and 'valguna' (melodious, beautiful).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (parama+valguna)

• parama – supreme, highest, excellent
  adjective
• valguna – melodious, beautiful, sweet
  adjective
  Possibly derived from the root √valg (to move gracefully, to sing).
  Root: valg (class 1)

गन्धर्वाः (gandharvāḥ) - Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of gandharva

gandharva - Gandharva (a class of celestial beings, renowned for music and song)

तुम्बुरुश्रेष्ठाः (tumburuśreṣṭhāḥ) - chief among the Tumburus, led by Tumburu

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tumburuśreṣṭha

tumburuśreṣṭha - chief among Tumburu, best of Tumburus

Compound of 'tumburu' (name of a Gandharva) and 'śreṣṭha' (best, chief).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tumburu+śreṣṭha)

• tumburu – Tumburu (name of a celestial musician, a Gandharva)
  proper noun (masculine)
• śreṣṭha – best, excellent, chief, foremost
  adjective
  Superlative degree of 'praśasya' (praiseworthy).

कुशलाः (kuśalāḥ) - skilled, expert, proficient

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kuśala

kuśala - skilled, expert, proficient, clever

गीतसामसु (gītasāmasu) - in the Sāman chants they sing (in songs and Sāmans, in sung Sāman chants)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of gītasāman

gītasāman - (skilled) in sung Sāman chants

Compound of 'gīta' (sung) and 'sāman' (Sāman chant).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (gīta+sāman)

• gīta – sung, song
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from the root √gai (to sing) with the -ta suffix.
  Root: gai (class 1)
• sāman – Sāman (a type of Vedic chant), song, melody
  noun (neuter)
  Root: sām