महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-5, verse-17

उद्भिज्जाः स्थावराः प्रोक्तास्तेषां पञ्चैव जातयः ।
वृक्षगुल्मलतावल्ल्यस्त्वक्सारास्तृणजातयः ॥१७॥

17. udbhijjāḥ sthāvarāḥ proktāsteṣāṁ pañcaiva jātayaḥ ,
vṛkṣagulmalatāvallyastvaksārāstṛṇajātayaḥ.

17. udbhij-jāḥ sthāvarāḥ proktāḥ teṣām pañca eva
jātayaḥ vṛkṣagulmalatāvallyaḥ tvaksārāḥ tṛṇajātayaḥ

17. udbhij-jāḥ sthāvarāḥ proktāḥ.
teṣām pañca eva jātayaḥ (santi): vṛkṣagulmalatāvallyaḥ,
tvaksārāḥ,
tṛṇajātayaḥ.

17. Plants (udbhijja), which are immobile (sthāvara) beings, are declared to be of five kinds: trees, shrubs, creepers/vines, hollow-stemmed plants, and grass species.

Words meanings summery:

• उद्भिज्-जाः (udbhij-jāḥ) - plants (that sprout from the earth) (born from sprouts, plants, vegetables)

• स्थावराः (sthāvarāḥ) - immobile (beings) (immobile, stationary, fixed)

• प्रोक्ताः (proktāḥ) - are declared (declared, said, mentioned)

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - of them (referring to the plants) (of them, for them)

• पञ्च (pañca) - five

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

• जातयः (jātayaḥ) - kinds (of plants) (species, kinds, classes, categories)

• वृक्षगुल्मलतावल्ल्यः (vṛkṣagulmalatāvallyaḥ) - trees, shrubs, creepers and vines (four categories listed, with creepers and vines often grouped as one to reconcile with 'five kinds') (trees, shrubs, creepers, and vines)

• त्वक्साराः (tvaksārāḥ) - hollow-stemmed plants (like bamboo or palms) (plants whose essence is bark/rind, hollow-stemmed plants)

• तृणजातयः (tṛṇajātayaḥ) - grass species (grass species, kinds of grass)

Words meanings and morphology

उद्भिज्-जाः (udbhij-jāḥ) - plants (that sprout from the earth) (born from sprouts, plants, vegetables)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of udbhij-ja

udbhij-ja - born from sprouts, plant, vegetable

From ud-bhij 'to sprout forth'

Compound type : tatpurusha (udbhij+ja)

• udbhij – sprouting, growing up
  adjective
  From ud-bhij 'to sprout'
  Prefix: ud
  Root: bhid (class 7)
• ja – born, produced
  adjective (masculine)
  suffix/derivative
  From root jan- 'to be born'
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Refers to plants in general.

स्थावराः (sthāvarāḥ) - immobile (beings) (immobile, stationary, fixed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sthāvara

sthāvara - immobile, stationary, fixed, plant (as opposed to animal)

From root sthā 'to stand'

Root: sthā (class 1)

प्रोक्ताः (proktāḥ) - are declared (declared, said, mentioned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of prokta

prokta - declared, said, mentioned, taught

Past Passive Participle

From pra-vac (root vac 'to speak')

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

तेषाम् (teṣām) - of them (referring to the plants) (of them, for them)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, they

पञ्च (pañca) - five

(indeclinable)

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

(indeclinable)

जातयः (jātayaḥ) - kinds (of plants) (species, kinds, classes, categories)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of jāti

jāti - species, kind, class, category, birth

From root jan 'to be born'

Root: jan (class 4)

वृक्षगुल्मलतावल्ल्यः (vṛkṣagulmalatāvallyaḥ) - trees, shrubs, creepers and vines (four categories listed, with creepers and vines often grouped as one to reconcile with 'five kinds') (trees, shrubs, creepers, and vines)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of vṛkṣagulmalatāvallī

vṛkṣagulmalatāvallī - trees, shrubs, creepers, and vines

Compound type : dvandva (vṛkṣa+gulma+latā+vallī)

• vṛkṣa – tree
  noun (masculine)
• gulma – shrub, bush
  noun (masculine)
• latā – creeper, climbing plant
  noun (feminine)
• vallī – vine, creeper (often used interchangeably with latā or for more robust climbers)
  noun (feminine)

Note: Represents the first three categories (by grouping latā-vallī) of the five types of plants.

त्वक्साराः (tvaksārāḥ) - hollow-stemmed plants (like bamboo or palms) (plants whose essence is bark/rind, hollow-stemmed plants)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tvaksāra

tvaksāra - plants whose essence is bark/rind (e.g., bamboo, palms), hollow-stemmed plants

Compound type : bahuvrihi (tvac+sāra)

• tvac – bark, skin, rind
  noun (feminine)
• sāra – essence, pith, strength
  noun (masculine/neuter)

Note: Refers to plants like bamboo or palms, where strength lies in the rind; the fourth category of plants.

तृणजातयः (tṛṇajātayaḥ) - grass species (grass species, kinds of grass)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of tṛṇajāti

tṛṇajāti - grass species, kinds of grass

Compound type : tatpurusha (tṛṇa+jāti)

• tṛṇa – grass, herb
  noun (neuter)
• jāti – species, kind, class
  noun (feminine)
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: The fifth category of plants.