महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-43, verse-4

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।
न चेद्वेदा वेदविदं शक्तास्त्रातुं विचक्षण ।
अथ कस्मात्प्रलापोऽयं ब्राह्मणानां सनातनः ॥४॥

4. dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca ,
na cedvedā vedavidaṁ śaktāstrātuṁ vicakṣaṇa ,
atha kasmātpralāpo'yaṁ brāhmaṇānāṁ sanātanaḥ.

4. dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | na cet vedāḥ vedavidam śaktāḥ trātum
vicakṣaṇa | atha kasmāt pralāpaḥ ayam brāhmaṇānām sanātanaḥ

4. Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: O discerning one, if the Vedas are incapable of protecting a knower of the Vedas, then why is this ancient tradition of the brahmins (brāhmaṇānām) filled with talk about them?

Words meanings summery:

• धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - Dhṛtarāṣṭra

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• न (na) - not

• चेत् (cet) - if

• वेदाः (vedāḥ) - Refers to the sacred texts. (the Vedas)

• वेदविदम् (vedavidam) - One who possesses knowledge of the Vedas. (knower of the Veda)

• शक्ताः (śaktāḥ) - The Vedas are not capable. (able, capable)

• त्रातुम् (trātum) - Infinitive of purpose. (to protect, to save)

• विचक्षण (vicakṣaṇa) - Vocative address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. (O discerning one, O wise one)

• अथ (atha) - Introduces a question based on the preceding condition. (then, now, therefore)

• कस्मात् (kasmāt) - Inquisitive adverb asking "why". (from what, why, on what account)

• प्रलापः (pralāpaḥ) - Refers to the continuous discussion and glorification of the Vedas. "Eternal discourse" or "chatter". (discourse, talk, chatter, lamentation)

• अयम् (ayam) - Refers to the pralāpaḥ. (this)

• ब्राह्मणानाम् (brāhmaṇānām) - Of the priestly class. (of the brahmins (brāhmaṇānām))

• सनातनः (sanātanaḥ) - Modifies pralāpaḥ. (eternal, ancient, everlasting)

Words meanings and morphology

धृतराष्ट्र (dhṛtarāṣṭra) - Dhṛtarāṣṭra

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dhṛtarāṣṭra

dhṛtarāṣṭra - Dhṛtarāṣṭra (name of the blind king)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect active

3rd person singular, Perfect active, Parasmaipada

Root: vac (class 2)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

चेत् (cet) - if

(indeclinable)

वेदाः (vedāḥ) - Refers to the sacred texts. (the Vedas)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of veda

veda - Veda, sacred knowledge, scripture

Root: vid (class 2)

वेदविदम् (vedavidam) - One who possesses knowledge of the Vedas. (knower of the Veda)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vedavid

vedavid - knower of the Veda, learned in the Vedas

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (veda+vid)

• veda – Veda, sacred knowledge
  noun (masculine)
  Root: vid (class 2)
• vid – knowing, knower
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun
  Derived from root vid 'to know'.
  Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Object of protection.

शक्ताः (śaktāḥ) - The Vedas are not capable. (able, capable)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śakta

śakta - able, capable, powerful

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root śak 'to be able'.

Root: śak (class 5)

Note: Predicative adjective with na cet and infinitive trātum.

त्रातुम् (trātum) - Infinitive of purpose. (to protect, to save)

(verb)

active, infinitive (tumun) of trā

Infinitive

Infinitive of purpose of root trā.

Root: trā (class 2)

विचक्षण (vicakṣaṇa) - Vocative address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. (O discerning one, O wise one)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vicakṣaṇa

vicakṣaṇa - discerning, intelligent, wise

Prefix: vi

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

अथ (atha) - Introduces a question based on the preceding condition. (then, now, therefore)

(indeclinable)

कस्मात् (kasmāt) - Inquisitive adverb asking "why". (from what, why, on what account)

(pronoun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Ablative singular of the interrogative pronoun kim.

प्रलापः (pralāpaḥ) - Refers to the continuous discussion and glorification of the Vedas. "Eternal discourse" or "chatter". (discourse, talk, chatter, lamentation)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pralāpa

pralāpa - discourse, talk, chatter, lamentation, meaningless talk

Derived from pra-lap 'to talk, chatter'.

Prefix: pra

Root: lap (class 1)

अयम् (ayam) - Refers to the pralāpaḥ. (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Nominative singular masculine of the demonstrative pronoun idam.

ब्राह्मणानाम् (brāhmaṇānām) - Of the priestly class. (of the brahmins (brāhmaṇānām))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a brahmin (brāhmaṇa), a member of the priestly class

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Possessive.

सनातनः (sanātanaḥ) - Modifies pralāpaḥ. (eternal, ancient, everlasting)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sanātana

sanātana - eternal, perpetual, ancient, primeval

Derived from sanā 'always, ever'.

Note: Agreement with pralāpaḥ.