महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-153, verse-7

ततस्ते क्षत्रियानेव पप्रच्छुर्द्विजसत्तमाः ।
तेभ्यः शशंसुर्धर्मज्ञा याथातथ्यं पितामह ॥७॥

7. tataste kṣatriyāneva papracchurdvijasattamāḥ ,
tebhyaḥ śaśaṁsurdharmajñā yāthātathyaṁ pitāmaha.

7. tatas te kṣatriyān eva papracchuḥ dvijasattamāḥ
tebhyaḥ śaśaṃsuḥ dharmajñāḥ yāthātathyam pitāmaha

7. pitāmaha tatas dvijasattamāḥ te kṣatriyān eva
papracchuḥ dharmajñāḥ tebhyaḥ yāthātathyam śaśaṃsuḥ

7. O grandfather, then those excellent Brahmins asked only the kṣatriyas. The kṣatriyas, who understood natural law (dharma), then revealed the true state of affairs to them.

Words meanings summery:

• ततस् (tatas) - then (then, thereupon, therefore)

• ते (te) - those (Brahmins) (those, they)

• क्षत्रियान् (kṣatriyān) - the kṣatriyas (kṣatriyas, warriors)

• एव (eva) - only (only, just, indeed)

• पप्रच्छुः (papracchuḥ) - they asked

• द्विजसत्तमाः (dvijasattamāḥ) - the excellent Brahmins (best of the twice-born, excellent Brahmins)

• तेभ्यः (tebhyaḥ) - from them (the kṣatriyas) (to/from them)

• शशंसुः (śaśaṁsuḥ) - they told (they told, related)

• धर्मज्ञाः (dharmajñāḥ) - the knowers of natural law (dharma) (knowers of natural law (dharma))

• याथातथ्यम् (yāthātathyam) - the true state of affairs (the true state, reality, accuracy)

• पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (Bhishma) (O grandfather)

Words meanings and morphology

ततस् (tatas) - then (then, thereupon, therefore)

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - those (Brahmins) (those, they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, he, she, it, they

Demonstrative pronoun.

क्षत्रियान् (kṣatriyān) - the kṣatriyas (kṣatriyas, warriors)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of kṣatriya

kṣatriya - a member of the warrior or ruling class, a warrior, a ruler

From kṣatra (rule, dominion).

एव (eva) - only (only, just, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

पप्रच्छुः (papracchuḥ) - they asked

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (liṭ) of prach

Perfect Active

3rd person plural, active voice, perfect tense. The root undergoes reduplication (prapṛch > papracch).

Root: prach (class 6)

द्विजसत्तमाः (dvijasattamāḥ) - the excellent Brahmins (best of the twice-born, excellent Brahmins)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - the best among the twice-born, an excellent Brahmin

Karmadhāraya compound.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born, a Brahmin, a bird, a snake
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from 'dvi' (twice) and 'ja' (born).
• sattama – best, excellent, most eminent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix -tama added to 'sat' (good/existent).

तेभ्यः (tebhyaḥ) - from them (the kṣatriyas) (to/from them)

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, he, she, it, they

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Can be dative or ablative plural. Here ablative fits 'told from them'.

शशंसुः (śaśaṁsuḥ) - they told (they told, related)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (liṭ) of śaṃs

Perfect Active

3rd person plural, active voice, perfect tense. Reduplicated form.

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

धर्मज्ञाः (dharmajñāḥ) - the knowers of natural law (dharma) (knowers of natural law (dharma))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dharmajña

dharmajña - knower of natural law (dharma), one who understands duty/righteousness

Tatpuruṣa compound.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+jña)

• dharma – natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'dhṛ' (to uphold, sustain).
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• jña – knower, understanding
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix -a added to root 'jñā' (to know).
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Refers to the Kṣatriyas who were asked.

याथातथ्यम् (yāthātathyam) - the true state of affairs (the true state, reality, accuracy)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of yāthātathya

yāthātathya - accuracy, truth, reality, the real state of things

Derived from 'yathātatha' (as it is, according to truth) + suffix -ya.

पितामह (pitāmaha) - O grandfather (Bhishma) (O grandfather)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of pitāmaha

pitāmaha - paternal grandfather, creator (Brahma)

Compound of 'pitā' (father) and 'maha' (great).