महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-17, verse-9

य इमे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्ता मन्त्रा वै प्रोक्षणे गवाम् ।
एते प्रमाणं भवत उताहो नेति वासव ।
नहुषो नेति तानाह तमसा मूढचेतनः ॥९॥

9. ya ime brahmaṇā proktā mantrā vai prokṣaṇe gavām ,
ete pramāṇaṁ bhavata utāho neti vāsava ,
nahuṣo neti tānāha tamasā mūḍhacetanaḥ.

9. ye ime brahmaṇā proktāḥ mantrāḥ vai
prokṣaṇe gavām ete pramāṇam bhavata
uta āho na iti vāsava nahuṣaḥ
na iti tān āha tamasā mūḍhacetanaḥ

9. O Vāsava (Indra), do you all consider these mantras, which were indeed declared by Brahmā for the consecration of cows, to be an authority (pramāṇa), or not? Nahusha, whose consciousness was deluded by ignorance (tamas), replied to them, 'No'.

Words meanings summery:

• ये (ye) - which, who

• इमे (ime) - these

• ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by the creator deity, Brahmā (by Brahmā, by the creator)

• प्रोक्ताः (proktāḥ) - declared, spoken, uttered

• मन्त्राः (mantrāḥ) - sacred hymns (sacred utterances, hymns, incantations)

• वै (vai) - indeed, verily, certainly

• प्रोक्षणे (prokṣaṇe) - in the act of sprinkling, in consecration

• गवाम् (gavām) - of cows, of cattle

• एते (ete) - these

• प्रमाणम् (pramāṇam) - authoritative source (pramāṇa) (authority, evidence, standard, measure)

• भवत (bhavata) - you (plural) are, you become, are you (all)?

• उत (uta) - or, and, moreover

• आहो (āho) - or else, indeed, alas

• न (na) - not, no

• इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating direct speech

• वासव (vāsava) - O Vāsava (Indra, referring to Nahusha who currently holds Indra's position) (O Vāsava)

• नहुषः (nahuṣaḥ) - Nahusha (proper name)

• न (na) - not, no

• इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating direct speech

• तान् (tān) - them

• आह (āha) - said, spoke

• तमसा (tamasā) - by ignorance (tamas) (by darkness, by ignorance)

• मूढचेतनः (mūḍhacetanaḥ) - whose mind is deluded, confused-minded

Words meanings and morphology

ये (ye) - which, who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - which, what, who

इमे (ime) - these

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of idam

idam - this, these

ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by the creator deity, Brahmā (by Brahmā, by the creator)

(proper noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator god), a Brahmin, sacred utterance

प्रोक्ताः (proktāḥ) - declared, spoken, uttered

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of prokta

prokta - spoken, declared, said

Past Passive Participle

Derived from pra-√vac (to speak)

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

मन्त्राः (mantrāḥ) - sacred hymns (sacred utterances, hymns, incantations)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mantra

mantra - sacred utterance, hymn, prayer, formula

वै (vai) - indeed, verily, certainly

(indeclinable)

प्रोक्षणे (prokṣaṇe) - in the act of sprinkling, in consecration

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of prokṣaṇa

prokṣaṇa - sprinkling, consecrating with water

Root: ukṣ (class 1)

गवाम् (gavām) - of cows, of cattle

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, bull, earth

एते (ete) - these

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

प्रमाणम् (pramāṇam) - authoritative source (pramāṇa) (authority, evidence, standard, measure)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pramāṇa

pramāṇa - authority, proof, evidence, measure, standard

भवत (bhavata) - you (plural) are, you become, are you (all)?

(verb)

2nd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Though Vāsava (Nahusha) is addressed in the singular, this 2nd person plural form might address Nahusha along with his assembly or be a general interrogative for 'you (all)'.

उत (uta) - or, and, moreover

(indeclinable)

आहो (āho) - or else, indeed, alas

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating direct speech

(indeclinable)

वासव (vāsava) - O Vāsava (Indra, referring to Nahusha who currently holds Indra's position) (O Vāsava)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vāsava

vāsava - Indra, descendant of Vasu

नहुषः (nahuṣaḥ) - Nahusha (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nahuṣa

nahuṣa - Nahusha (name of a king who became Indra)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating direct speech

(indeclinable)

तान् (tān) - them

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

आह (āha) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of ah

Root: ah (class 2)

तमसा (tamasā) - by ignorance (tamas) (by darkness, by ignorance)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tamas

tamas - darkness, ignorance, gloom, one of the three guṇas

मूढचेतनः (mūḍhacetanaḥ) - whose mind is deluded, confused-minded

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mūḍhacetana

mūḍhacetana - one whose consciousness is deluded

Compound type : bahuvrihi (mūḍha+cetana)

• mūḍha – deluded, bewildered, foolish
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from √muh (to be deluded)
  Root: muh (class 4)
• cetana – consciousness, mind, intelligent being
  noun (masculine)