महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-35, verse-23

अथ यो नैव प्रब्रूयात्सत्यं वा यदि वानृतम् ।
एतत्सुधन्वन्पृच्छामि दुर्विवक्ता स्म किं वसेत् ॥२३॥

23. atha yo naiva prabrūyātsatyaṁ vā yadi vānṛtam ,
etatsudhanvanpṛcchāmi durvivaktā sma kiṁ vaset.

23. atha yaḥ na eva prabrūyāt satyam vā yadi vā anṛtam
etat sudhanvan pṛcchāmi durvivaktā sma kim vaset

23. Now, O Sudhanvan, I ask you this: What fate would indeed befall a poor speaker who would certainly not declare the truth, nor even a falsehood?

Words meanings summery:

• अथ (atha) - now (now, then, thereupon)

• यः (yaḥ) - one who, whoever (who, which)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

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

• प्रब्रूयात् (prabrūyāt) - would declare (would declare, should speak)

• सत्यम् (satyam) - the truth (truth, real)

• वा (vā) - or

• यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case that)

• वा (vā) - or even (or)

• अनृतम् (anṛtam) - a falsehood (untruth, falsehood)

• एतत् (etat) - this (question) (this)

• सुधन्वन् (sudhanvan) - O Sudhanvan (addressed by Prahlāda) (O Sudhanvan (proper name))

• पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi) - I ask

• दुर्विवक्ता (durvivaktā) - a poor speaker (bad speaker, one who speaks improperly)

• स्म (sma) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, certainly (emphatic particle), often indicates past tense with present verbs)

• किम् (kim) - what (fate/state) (what, why, whether)

• वसेत् (vaset) - would face, would be subjected to (would dwell, should reside, would be)

Words meanings and morphology

अथ (atha) - now (now, then, thereupon)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction/adverb.

यः (yaḥ) - one who, whoever (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Relative pronoun, nominative singular masculine.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

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

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

प्रब्रूयात् (prabrūyāt) - would declare (would declare, should speak)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of pra-√brū

Optative, 3rd singular, active

From prefix pra- and root √brū (to speak).

Prefix: pra

Root: brū (class 2)

सत्यम् (satyam) - the truth (truth, real)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - true, real, actual; truth, reality

From `sat` (being, existing).

Root: as

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case that)

(indeclinable)

Conditional conjunction.

Note: Starts a conditional clause.

वा (vā) - or even (or)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

अनृतम् (anṛtam) - a falsehood (untruth, falsehood)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of anṛta

anṛta - untrue, false; untruth, falsehood

Negative compound (na + ṛta).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+ṛta)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• ṛta – truth, cosmic order, right
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle (of √ṛ 'to go')
  Can also mean 'ordered, right'.
  Root: ṛ

एतत् (etat) - this (question) (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this

Demonstrative pronoun, accusative singular neuter.

सुधन्वन् (sudhanvan) - O Sudhanvan (addressed by Prahlāda) (O Sudhanvan (proper name))

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of sudhanvan

sudhanvan - Sudhanvan (proper name, literally "having a good bow")

n-stem noun in vocative singular.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (su+dhanvan)

• su – good, well, excellent
  indeclinable
• dhanvan – bow, arc; desert, sandy plain
  noun (neuter)

पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi) - I ask

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of √prach

Present, 1st singular, active

Conjugation of √prach (class 6).

Root: prach (class 6)

दुर्विवक्ता (durvivaktā) - a poor speaker (bad speaker, one who speaks improperly)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of durvivaktṛ

durvivaktṛ - bad speaker, one who speaks ill or improperly

Compound: dur- (bad) + vivaktṛ (speaker). Agent noun from vi-√vac/√brū.

Compound type : tatpurusha (dur+vivaktṛ)

• dur – bad, ill, difficult
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating badness or difficulty.
• vivaktṛ – speaker, orator, explainer
  noun (masculine)
  Agent Noun
  From vi-√vac (to explain, declare).
  Prefix: vi
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Subject of `vaset`.

स्म (sma) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, certainly (emphatic particle), often indicates past tense with present verbs)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic or historical particle.

किम् (kim) - what (fate/state) (what, why, whether)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who, why

Interrogative pronoun/adverb.

Note: Functions as an interrogative pronoun asking 'what' or 'what kind of fate'.

वसेत् (vaset) - would face, would be subjected to (would dwell, should reside, would be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of √vas

Optative, 3rd singular, active

Optative form of √vas (class 1).

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Used here to inquire about the condition or fate of the 'bad speaker'.