महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-9, verse-28

तक्षोवाच ।
कं भवन्तमहं विद्यां घोरकर्माणमद्य वै ।
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं तत्त्वेन कथयस्व मे ॥२८॥

28. takṣovāca ,
kaṁ bhavantamahaṁ vidyāṁ ghorakarmāṇamadya vai ,
etadicchāmyahaṁ śrotuṁ tattvena kathayasva me.

28. takṣovāca kam bhavantam aham vidyām ghorakarmāṇam adya
vai etat icchāmi aham śrotum tattvena kathayasva me

28. Takṣa said: "Who are you, who performs such dreadful deeds (karma)? I wish to know this today. Please tell me the truth about it."

Words meanings summery:

• तक्षोवाच (takṣovāca) - Takṣa said

• कम् (kam) - whom (accusative singular masculine of kim) (whom?, what?)

• भवन्तम् (bhavantam) - you, your honor

• अहम् (aham) - I

• विद्याम् (vidyām) - I should know, I may know

• घोरकर्माणम् (ghorakarmāṇam) - one who performs dreadful deeds, having dreadful actions

• अद्य (adya) - today, now

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly, verily

• एतत् (etat) - this

• इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I desire, I wish

• अहम् (aham) - I

• श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear

• तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - truly, in truth, essentially

• कथयस्व (kathayasva) - tell, narrate

• मे (me) - to me, for me

Words meanings and morphology

तक्षोवाच (takṣovāca) - Takṣa said

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of takṣa-uvāca

Perfect Tense

From root vac (to speak), 3rd person singular perfect active. Joined with proper noun takṣa.

Root: vac (class 2)

Compound type : nominal-verbal compound (takṣa+uvāca)

• takṣa – Takṣa
  proper noun (masculine)
• uvāca – he said
  verb
  Perfect Tense
  3rd person singular perfect active of root vac.
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Combination of the proper noun Takṣa and the verb uvāca (said)

कम् (kam) - whom (accusative singular masculine of kim) (whom?, what?)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun

Note: Used here in masculine accusative singular.

भवन्तम् (bhavantam) - you, your honor

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of bhavant

bhavant - you, your honor (respectful address)

Present Active Participle

From root bhū (to be). bhavant is the stem of the present active participle.

Root: bhū (class 1)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I

First person singular pronoun.

विद्याम् (vidyām) - I should know, I may know

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of vid

Optative Mood

1st person singular optative active of root vid.

Root: vid (class 2)

घोरकर्माणम् (ghorakarmāṇam) - one who performs dreadful deeds, having dreadful actions

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ghorakarmā

ghorakarmā - one whose deeds are terrible, having dreadful actions

bahuvrīhi compound of ghora (dreadful) and karman (deed).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ghora+karman)

• ghora – dreadful, terrible, awful
  adjective (neuter)
• karman – action, deed, work, ritual action (karma)
  noun (neuter)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Qualifies bhavantam.

अद्य (adya) - today, now

(indeclinable)

Adverb of time.

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly, verily

(indeclinable)

Particle used for emphasis.

एतत् (etat) - this

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etas

etas - this

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Accusative singular neuter, object of icchāmi.

इच्छामि (icchāmi) - I desire, I wish

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of iṣ

Present Tense

1st person singular present active of root iṣ (class 6 verb).

Root: iṣ (class 6)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I

First person singular pronoun.

श्रोतुम् (śrotum) - to hear

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

Infinitive form from root śru.

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Used to express purpose or intention.

तत्त्वेन (tattvena) - truly, in truth, essentially

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - truth, reality, essence, principle

From tad (that) + suffix tva.

Note: Used as an adverb: 'by the truth, truly'.

कथयस्व (kathayasva) - tell, narrate

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of kath

Imperative Mood

2nd person singular imperative middle (ātmanepada) of root kath (a denominative root from kathā).

Root: kath (class 10)

मे (me) - to me, for me

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of mad

mad - I

Enclitic form of the first person singular pronoun.

Note: Here, dative sense 'to me'.