महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-94, verse-12

सोऽपृच्छल्लम्बमानांस्तान्भवन्त इह किंपराः ।
संतानहेतोरिति ते तमूचुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः ॥१२॥

12. so'pṛcchallambamānāṁstānbhavanta iha kiṁparāḥ ,
saṁtānahetoriti te tamūcurbrahmavādinaḥ.

12. saḥ apṛcchat lambamānān tān bhavantaḥ iha kimparāḥ
santānahetoḥ iti te tam ūcuḥ brahmavādinaḥ

12. He asked those who were hanging, 'What is your main objective here?' They, those who proclaimed Brahman (sacred knowledge), replied to him, 'It is for the sake of progeny.'

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - Agastya (he, that)

• अपृच्छत् (apṛcchat) - he asked, he questioned

• लम्बमानान् (lambamānān) - the hanging ancestors (pitṛs) (those who were hanging, the suspended ones)

• तान् (tān) - those ancestors (them, those)

• भवन्तः (bhavantaḥ) - you (plural, respectful)

• इह (iha) - here (in this state/pit) (here, in this world, in this matter)

• किम्पराः (kimparāḥ) - intent on what? what is your highest aim/purpose?

• सन्तानहेतोः (santānahetoḥ) - for the sake of progeny, for progeny

• इति (iti) - (marks the end of direct speech) (thus, so)

• ते (te) - the ancestors (pitṛs) (they)

• तम् (tam) - Agastya (him)

• ऊचुः (ūcuḥ) - they said, they spoke

• ब्रह्मवादिनः (brahmavādinaḥ) - speakers of Brahman, those who declare sacred knowledge

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - Agastya (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

अपृच्छत् (apṛcchat) - he asked, he questioned

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, Imperfect (Laṅ) of pṛcch

Root: pṛcch (class 6)

लम्बमानान् (lambamānān) - the hanging ancestors (pitṛs) (those who were hanging, the suspended ones)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of lambamāna

lambamāna - hanging, suspended, dangling

Present Middle Participle

Derived from the root √lamb (to hang) with the śānac suffix

Root: lamb (class 1)

तान् (tān) - those ancestors (them, those)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

भवन्तः (bhavantaḥ) - you (plural, respectful)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhavat

bhavat - you (a respectful pronoun), present, existing

Present Active Participle (originally from √bhū)

Used as a respectful pronoun for 'you'

Root: bhū (class 1)

इह (iha) - here (in this state/pit) (here, in this world, in this matter)

(indeclinable)

किम्पराः (kimparāḥ) - intent on what? what is your highest aim/purpose?

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kimpara

kimpara - having what as the chief object or aim, intent on what

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (kim+para)

• kim – what, who, which
  pronoun (neuter)
• para – highest, supreme, chief, ultimate, intent on
  adjective (masculine)

सन्तानहेतोः (santānahetoḥ) - for the sake of progeny, for progeny

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of santānahetu

santānahetu - cause of progeny, for the sake of offspring

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (santāna+hetu)

• santāna – progeny, offspring, continuation, lineage
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: tan (class 8)
• hetu – cause, reason, motive, sake
  noun (masculine)
  Root: hi (class 5)

Note: Can also be ablative in some contexts for 'from the cause of'

इति (iti) - (marks the end of direct speech) (thus, so)

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - the ancestors (pitṛs) (they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

तम् (tam) - Agastya (him)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

ऊचुः (ūcuḥ) - they said, they spoke

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, Perfect (Lit) of vac

Perfect tense (Lit) form of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

ब्रह्मवादिनः (brahmavādinaḥ) - speakers of Brahman, those who declare sacred knowledge

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of brahmavādin

brahmavādin - one who speaks of or proclaims Brahman, a theologian, a knower of sacred knowledge (brahman)

Nomen Agentis

Compound of brahman and vādin (speaker)

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (brahman+vādin)

• brahman – sacred word, Veda, ultimate reality (brahman), prayer, sacred knowledge
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bṛh (class 1)
• vādin – speaking, proclaiming, one who speaks or advocates
  adjective (masculine)
  Nomen Agentis
  Derived from the root √vad (to speak)
  Root: vad (class 1)