महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-28, verse-17

तान्सोऽभिपत्य जिज्ञासुः क एषां श्रेष्ठभागिति ।
उच्छिष्टदर्पितः काको बहूनां दूरपातिनाम् ॥१७॥

17. tānso'bhipatya jijñāsuḥ ka eṣāṁ śreṣṭhabhāgiti ,
ucchiṣṭadarpitaḥ kāko bahūnāṁ dūrapātinām.

17. tān saḥ abhipatya jijñāsuḥ kaḥ eṣām śreṣṭhabhāk
iti ucchiṣṭadarpitaḥ kākaḥ bahūnām dūrapātinām

17. ucchiṣṭadarpitaḥ kākaḥ saḥ tān bahūnām dūrapātinām
abhipatya jijñāsuḥ kaḥ eṣām śreṣṭhabhāk iti

17. That crow, made conceited by the flattering words, approached those many far-flying (swans), curious to know, 'Who among these is the foremost?'

Words meanings summery:

• तान् (tān) - them (the swans) (them (masculine))

• सः (saḥ) - he (the crow) (he, that (masculine))

• अभिपत्य (abhipatya) - having approached (having approached, having flown towards)

• जिज्ञासुः (jijñāsuḥ) - curious (desirous to know, curious, inquisitive)

• कः (kaḥ) - who (who, which, what)

• एषाम् (eṣām) - among these (swans) (of these, among these)

• श्रेष्ठभाक् (śreṣṭhabhāk) - the foremost (having the best share, being the best, foremost)

• इति (iti) - thus (thinking/asking) (thus, so, in this manner)

• उच्छिष्टदर्पितः (ucchiṣṭadarpitaḥ) - made conceited by flattering words (made proud by remnants/leftovers (flattery), conceited by praise)

• काकः (kākaḥ) - the crow (crow)

• बहूनाम् (bahūnām) - of many (swans) (of many, of numerous)

• दूरपातिनाम् (dūrapātinām) - of the far-flying ones (swans) (of those flying far, of distant flyers)

Words meanings and morphology

तान् (tān) - them (the swans) (them (masculine))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the swans.

सः (saḥ) - he (the crow) (he, that (masculine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

अभिपत्य (abhipatya) - having approached (having approached, having flown towards)

(indeclinable)

absolutive

Derived from abhi-pat + lyap

Prefix: abhi

Root: pat (class 1)

जिज्ञासुः (jijñāsuḥ) - curious (desirous to know, curious, inquisitive)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jijñāsu

jijñāsu - desirous to know

Desiderative Agent Noun

Derived from jñā (to know) in desiderative form

Root: jñā (class 9)

कः (kaḥ) - who (who, which, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

एषाम् (eṣām) - among these (swans) (of these, among these)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of etas

etas - this, these

श्रेष्ठभाक् (śreṣṭhabhāk) - the foremost (having the best share, being the best, foremost)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭhabhāj

śreṣṭhabhāj - having the best share, excellent

Stem is śreṣṭhabhāj, nom. sg. becomes śreṣṭhabhāk.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (śreṣṭha+bhāj)

• śreṣṭha – best, most excellent, supreme
  adjective (masculine)
• bhāj – partaking, sharing, possessing
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent Noun
  Derived from bhaj (to share, partake)
  Root: bhaj (class 1)

इति (iti) - thus (thinking/asking) (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

Note: Indicates quoted speech or thought.

उच्छिष्टदर्पितः (ucchiṣṭadarpitaḥ) - made conceited by flattering words (made proud by remnants/leftovers (flattery), conceited by praise)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ucchiṣṭadarpita

ucchiṣṭadarpita - made proud by leftovers/flattery

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (ucchiṣṭa+darpita)

• ucchiṣṭa – leftover, remnant (often food), flattery
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from uc-śiṣ (to leave over)
  Prefix: ut
  Root: śiṣ (class 7)
• darpita – made proud, arrogant, puffed up
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle (Causative)
  Derived from causative of dṛp (to be proud)
  Root: dṛp (class 4)

Note: Used as an adjective here, qualifying 'kākaḥ'.

काकः (kākaḥ) - the crow (crow)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kāka

kāka - crow

बहूनाम् (bahūnām) - of many (swans) (of many, of numerous)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - many, much, numerous

Note: Qualifies 'dūrapātinām'.

दूरपातिनाम् (dūrapātinām) - of the far-flying ones (swans) (of those flying far, of distant flyers)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dūrapātin

dūrapātin - flying far, moving far

Agent Noun / Active Participle

Derived from dūra-pat (to fly far)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dūra+pātin)

• dūra – far, distant
  indeclinable
• pātin – flying, falling, moving
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent Noun
  Derived from pat (to fly)
  Root: pat (class 1)