महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-4, chapter-39, verse-9

उत्तर उवाच ।
केनासि विजयो नाम केनासि श्वेतवाहनः ।
किरीटी नाम केनासि सव्यसाची कथं भवान् ॥९॥

9. uttara uvāca ,
kenāsi vijayo nāma kenāsi śvetavāhanaḥ ,
kirīṭī nāma kenāsi savyasācī kathaṁ bhavān.

9. uttaraḥ uvāca | kena asi vijayaḥ nāma | kena asi
śvetavāhanaḥ | kirīṭī nāma kena asi savyasācī katham bhavān

9. Uttara said: "By what reason are you named Vijaya? By what reason are you called Śvetavāhana? By what reason are you named Kiriṭī? How are you Savyasācī (ambidextrous)?"

Words meanings summery:

• उत्तरः (uttaraḥ) - Uttara (a proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• केन (kena) - by what, by which, why

• असि (asi) - are (you)

• विजयः (vijayaḥ) - a proper name (Vijaya), meaning 'victorious one' (victory, conqueror)

• नाम (nāma) - name, by name, indeed

• केन (kena) - by what, by which, why

• असि (asi) - are (you)

• श्वेतवाहनः (śvetavāhanaḥ) - a name of Arjuna, referring to his white horses (having a white vehicle/mount, one with white horses)

• किरीटी (kirīṭī) - a proper name (Kiriṭī), referring to Arjuna's diadem given by Indra (wearing a diadem/crown, diademed one)

• नाम (nāma) - name, by name, indeed

• केन (kena) - by what, by which, why

• असि (asi) - are (you)

• सव्यसाची (savyasācī) - a name of Arjuna, referring to his skill as an ambidextrous archer (ambidextrous, one who can shoot with the left hand)

• कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

• भवान् (bhavān) - you (respectful)

Words meanings and morphology

उत्तरः (uttaraḥ) - Uttara (a proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of uttara

uttara - Uttara (a proper name); upper, northern, superior, later

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

root 'vac', perfect tense, 3rd person singular

Root: vac (class 2)

केन (kena) - by what, by which, why

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine/neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

असि (asi) - are (you)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (lat) of as

Present Active

root 'as', present tense, 2nd person singular

Root: as (class 2)

विजयः (vijayaḥ) - a proper name (Vijaya), meaning 'victorious one' (victory, conqueror)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vijaya

vijaya - victory, triumph, conqueror

Prefix: vi

Root: ji

नाम (nāma) - name, by name, indeed

(indeclinable)

केन (kena) - by what, by which, why

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine/neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

असि (asi) - are (you)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (lat) of as

Present Active

root 'as', present tense, 2nd person singular

Root: as (class 2)

श्वेतवाहनः (śvetavāhanaḥ) - a name of Arjuna, referring to his white horses (having a white vehicle/mount, one with white horses)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śvetavāhana

śvetavāhana - one whose vehicle (mount) is white

Compound type : bahuvrihi (śveta+vāhana)

• śveta – white
  adjective (masculine)
• vāhana – vehicle, mount, carrier
  noun (masculine)
  from root vah (to carry)
  Root: vah (class 1)

किरीटी (kirīṭī) - a proper name (Kiriṭī), referring to Arjuna's diadem given by Indra (wearing a diadem/crown, diademed one)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kirīṭin

kirīṭin - wearing a diadem, diademed

possessive suffix -in

नाम (nāma) - name, by name, indeed

(indeclinable)

केन (kena) - by what, by which, why

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine/neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

असि (asi) - are (you)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (lat) of as

Present Active

root 'as', present tense, 2nd person singular

Root: as (class 2)

सव्यसाची (savyasācī) - a name of Arjuna, referring to his skill as an ambidextrous archer (ambidextrous, one who can shoot with the left hand)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of savyasācin

savyasācin - ambidextrous, one who can shoot with the left hand

possessive suffix -in; compound: savya (left) + sācin (shooter)

Compound type : tatpurusha (savya+sācin)

• savya – left
  adjective (masculine)
• sācin – shooter, archer
  noun (masculine)

कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

(indeclinable)

भवान् (bhavān) - you (respectful)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - you (respectful); being, existing

Present Active Participle

root 'bhū', present active participle

Root: bhū (class 1)