महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-4, chapter-1, verse-1

जनमेजय उवाच ।
कथं विराटनगरे मम पूर्वपितामहाः ।
अज्ञातवासमुषिता दुर्योधनभयार्दिताः ॥१॥

1. janamejaya uvāca ,
kathaṁ virāṭanagare mama pūrvapitāmahāḥ ,
ajñātavāsamuṣitā duryodhanabhayārditāḥ.

1. janamejaya uvāca katham virāṭanagare mama
pūrvapitāmahāḥ ajñātavāsam uṣitā duryodhanabhayārditāḥ

1. Janamejaya asked: "How did my ancestors, afflicted by the fear of Duryodhana, live in secret (ajñātavāsa) in the city of Virāṭa?"

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजय (janamejaya) - King Janamejaya (Janamejaya)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• विराटनगरे (virāṭanagare) - in the city of Virāṭa

• मम (mama) - my, of me

• पूर्वपितामहाः (pūrvapitāmahāḥ) - ancestors, forefathers

• अज्ञातवासम् (ajñātavāsam) - their period of exile in disguise (secret dwelling, living in disguise)

• उषिता (uṣitā) - dwelt, lived

• दुर्योधनभयार्दिताः (duryodhanabhayārditāḥ) - afflicted by fear of Duryodhana, tormented by fear of Duryodhana

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजय (janamejaya) - King Janamejaya (Janamejaya)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (a king, son of Parīkṣit)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active

3rd singular perfect active of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

विराटनगरे (virāṭanagare) - in the city of Virāṭa

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of virāṭanagara

virāṭanagara - the city of Virāṭa

Compound type : tatpurusha (virāṭa+nagara)

• virāṭa – Virāṭa (name of a king, also his kingdom)
  proper noun (masculine)
• nagara – city, town
  noun (neuter)

मम (mama) - my, of me

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

पूर्वपितामहाः (pūrvapitāmahāḥ) - ancestors, forefathers

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pūrvapitāmaha

pūrvapitāmaha - great-grandfather, ancestor, forefather

Compound type : karmadhāraya (pūrva+pitāmaha)

• pūrva – previous, former, prior
  adjective (masculine)
• pitāmaha – paternal grandfather, ancestor
  noun (masculine)

अज्ञातवासम् (ajñātavāsam) - their period of exile in disguise (secret dwelling, living in disguise)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ajñātavāsa

ajñātavāsa - incognito dwelling, secret residence, living in disguise

Compound type : karmadhāraya (ajñāta+vāsa)

• ajñāta – unknown, not known
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past Passive Participle of √jñā with prefix a- (negation)
  Prefix: a
  Root: jñā (class 9)
• vāsa – dwelling, residence
  noun (masculine)
  from √vas
  Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Used as an accusative of state or purpose, often found with verbs of living.

उषिता (uṣitā) - dwelt, lived

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vas

vas - to dwell, to live, to reside

Past Passive Participle

Past Passive Participle of √vas. The form `uṣitā` is grammatically feminine nominative singular or neuter nominative/accusative plural. While it logically refers to the masculine plural `pūrvapitāmahāḥ`, its form here suggests epic flexibility in agreement.

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Grammatically feminine singular, but contextually refers to the masculine plural 'pūrvapitāmahāḥ'. This is a known feature of epic Sanskrit.

दुर्योधनभयार्दिताः (duryodhanabhayārditāḥ) - afflicted by fear of Duryodhana, tormented by fear of Duryodhana

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of duryodhanabhayārdita

duryodhanabhayārdita - afflicted by the fear of Duryodhana

Compound type : tatpurusha (duryodhana+bhaya+ardita)

• duryodhana – Duryodhana (proper name)
  proper noun (masculine)
• bhaya – fear, dread
  noun (neuter)
• ardita – afflicted, pained, distressed
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past Passive Participle of √ṛd (to pain, to afflict)
  Root: ṛd (class 1)

Note: This adjective agrees with `pūrvapitāmahāḥ`.