महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-35, verse-5

जनमेजय उवाच ।
उदपानं कथं ब्रह्मन्कथं च सुमहातपाः ।
पतितः किं च संत्यक्तो भ्रातृभ्यां द्विजसत्तमः ॥५॥

5. janamejaya uvāca ,
udapānaṁ kathaṁ brahmankathaṁ ca sumahātapāḥ ,
patitaḥ kiṁ ca saṁtyakto bhrātṛbhyāṁ dvijasattamaḥ.

5. janamejaya uvāca udapānam katham brahman katham ca sumahātapāḥ
patitaḥ kim ca saṃtyaktaḥ bhrātṛbhyām dvijasattamaḥ

5. janamejaya uvāca brahman katham sumahātapāḥ udapānam patitaḥ
ca katham kim ca dvijasattamaḥ bhrātṛbhyām saṃtyaktaḥ

5. Janamejaya said: "O brahmin, how did that one of great asceticism (tapas) fall into a well? And why was that foremost of the twice-born (dvija) abandoned by his two brothers?"

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजय (janamejaya) - Janamejaya

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said

• उदपानम् (udapānam) - well, tank, cistern

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - addressed to Vaiśampāyana (O brahmin)

• कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

• च (ca) - and, also

• सुमहातपाः (sumahātapāḥ) - refers to Trita, who possessed great asceticism (tapas) (he of great austerities, very austere)

• पतितः (patitaḥ) - Trita, fallen into the well (fallen)

• किम् (kim) - what? why?

• च (ca) - and, also

• संत्यक्तः (saṁtyaktaḥ) - Trita, abandoned by his brothers (abandoned, forsaken)

• भ्रातृभ्याम् (bhrātṛbhyām) - by Ekata and Dvita (by the two brothers)

• द्विजसत्तमः (dvijasattamaḥ) - refers to Trita, the foremost dvija (the best among the twice-born (dvija), foremost of brahmins)

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजय (janamejaya) - Janamejaya

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (a legendary king, often interlocutor in Mahabharata)

उवाच (uvāca) - he said

(verb)

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

Perfect, 3rd singular

Reduplicated perfect form of root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Subject is Janamejaya.

उदपानम् (udapānam) - well, tank, cistern

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of udapāna

udapāna - well, tank, cistern

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - addressed to Vaiśampāyana (O brahmin)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - brahmin, priest

Root: bṛh

कथम् (katham) - how? in what manner?

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

सुमहातपाः (sumahātapāḥ) - refers to Trita, who possessed great asceticism (tapas) (he of great austerities, very austere)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sumahātapas

sumahātapas - possessing great asceticism (tapas), highly austere

Bahuvrīhi compound, literally 'one whose great tapas is'. Nominative singular masculine.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (su+mahā+tapas)

• su – good, well, excellent
  prefix/indeclinable
• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
  From mahat, word_base used in compounds.
• tapas – asceticism, penance, heat, spiritual power (tapas)
  noun (neuter)
  Root: tap

Note: Refers to Trita.

पतितः (patitaḥ) - Trita, fallen into the well (fallen)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of patita

patita - fallen, descended

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root pat with suffix -ita.

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Describes the state of Trita.

किम् (kim) - what? why?

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here to ask 'why?'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

संत्यक्तः (saṁtyaktaḥ) - Trita, abandoned by his brothers (abandoned, forsaken)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of saṃtyakta

saṁtyakta - abandoned, forsaken

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root tyaj with prefix sam, followed by suffix -ita.

Prefix: sam

Root: tyaj (class 1)

Note: Describes Trita.

भ्रातृभ्याम् (bhrātṛbhyām) - by Ekata and Dvita (by the two brothers)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, dual of bhrātṛ

bhrātṛ - brother

द्विजसत्तमः (dvijasattamaḥ) - refers to Trita, the foremost dvija (the best among the twice-born (dvija), foremost of brahmins)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - best among the twice-born (dvija), foremost of brahmins

Superlative compound. Nominative singular masculine.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born (a brahmin, kshatriya, vaiśya; also bird, tooth)
  noun (masculine)
  Formed from dvi (two) and ja (born).
  Root: jan
• sattama – best, most excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix -tama added to sat (being, good).
  Root: as (class 2)

Note: Qualifies Trita.