महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-37, verse-1

जनमेजय उवाच ।
सप्तसारस्वतं कस्मात्कश्च मङ्कणको मुनिः ।
कथं सिद्धश्च भगवान्कश्चास्य नियमोऽभवत् ॥१॥

1. janamejaya uvāca ,
saptasārasvataṁ kasmātkaśca maṅkaṇako muniḥ ,
kathaṁ siddhaśca bhagavānkaścāsya niyamo'bhavat.

1. janamejayaḥ uvāca sapta-sārasvatam kasmāt kaḥ ca maṅkaṇakaḥ
muniḥ katham siddhaḥ ca bhagavān kaḥ ca asya niyamaḥ abhavat

1. janamejayaḥ uvāca kasmāt
sapta-sārasvatam? ca kaḥ muniḥ maṅkaṇakaḥ?
katham ca bhagavān siddhaḥ?
ca asya kaḥ niyamaḥ abhavat?

1. Janamejaya said: "Why is it called Saptasārasvata? And who was the sage (muni) Maṅkaṇaka? How did he achieve spiritual perfection (siddha), and what was his practice (niyama)?"

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - the king asking the questions (Janamejaya (name of a king))

• उवाच (uvāca) - Janamejaya's introductory remark (said, spoke)

• सप्त-सारस्वतम् (sapta-sārasvatam) - the sacred place known as Saptasārasvata, in a questioning context (relating to the seven Sarasvatīs; the Saptasārasvata region/sacred place)

• कस्मात् (kasmāt) - asking for the reason behind the name (from what, why, for what reason)

• कः (kaḥ) - asking for the identity of Maṅkaṇaka (who, what)

• च (ca) - connects the questions (and, also)

• मङ्कणकः (maṅkaṇakaḥ) - the specific sage mentioned previously (Maṅkaṇaka (name of a sage))

• मुनिः (muniḥ) - Maṅkaṇaka's status as a sage (sage, ascetic, seer)

• कथम् (katham) - asking about the process of his perfection (how, in what manner)

• सिद्धः (siddhaḥ) - how he became a perfected being (perfected, accomplished, successful; a perfected being)

• च (ca) - connects the questions (and, also)

• भगवान् (bhagavān) - an epithet of respect for the sage Maṅkaṇaka (divine, revered, blessed; Lord)

• कः (kaḥ) - asking for the nature of his practice (who, what)

• च (ca) - connects the questions (and, also)

• अस्य (asya) - of Maṅkaṇaka (of him, of this)

• नियमः (niyamaḥ) - the specific spiritual practice or discipline followed by Maṅkaṇaka (rule, discipline, religious observance, vow, restraint, practice)

• अभवत् (abhavat) - what was his practice? (lit. what did his practice become?) (became, happened, was)

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - the king asking the questions (Janamejaya (name of a king))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - name of a king, son of Parikṣit, a descendant of the Pāṇḍavas

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - Janamejaya's introductory remark (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect tense form (lit), from √vac.

Root: √vac (class 2)

सप्त-सारस्वतम् (sapta-sārasvatam) - the sacred place known as Saptasārasvata, in a questioning context (relating to the seven Sarasvatīs; the Saptasārasvata region/sacred place)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sapta-sārasvata

sapta-sārasvata - relating to the seven Sarasvatīs; a region or holy place associated with the Sarasvatī rivers

Compound type : dvigu (sapta+sārasvata)

• sapta – seven
  numeral
• sārasvata – relating to Sarasvatī; belonging to Sarasvatī
  adjective (neuter)
  Derived from Sarasvatī by adding suffix -a (aṇ/svārthika aṇ) indicating relation or origin.

Note: Part of a question, 'Why is it Saptasārasvata?'

कस्मात् (kasmāt) - asking for the reason behind the name (from what, why, for what reason)

(indeclinable)

Ablative singular of the interrogative pronoun kim.

Note: Adverbial use of ablative.

कः (kaḥ) - asking for the identity of Maṅkaṇaka (who, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Nominative singular masculine of the interrogative pronoun kim.

Note: Subject of an implied 'is'.

च (ca) - connects the questions (and, also)

(indeclinable)

A conjunction.

मङ्कणकः (maṅkaṇakaḥ) - the specific sage mentioned previously (Maṅkaṇaka (name of a sage))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of maṅkaṇaka

maṅkaṇaka - name of a sage

Note: Identifying the sage.

मुनिः (muniḥ) - Maṅkaṇaka's status as a sage (sage, ascetic, seer)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of muni

muni - sage, ascetic, seer, saint, a contemplative person

Note: Apposition to Maṅkaṇaka.

कथम् (katham) - asking about the process of his perfection (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Interrogative adverb of manner.

सिद्धः (siddhaḥ) - how he became a perfected being (perfected, accomplished, successful; a perfected being)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of siddha

siddha - accomplished, achieved, perfected, successful; a semi-divine being or an ascetic who has attained supernatural powers

Past Passive Participle

From √sidh (to accomplish, succeed) with suffix -ta.

Root: √sidh (class 4)

Note: Refers to Maṅkaṇaka.

च (ca) - connects the questions (and, also)

(indeclinable)

A conjunction.

भगवान् (bhagavān) - an epithet of respect for the sage Maṅkaṇaka (divine, revered, blessed; Lord)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - possessed of fortune, glorious, prosperous, divine, revered; often used as an epithet for deities or highly respected individuals

Possessive adjective from bhaga (fortune) + -vat suffix.

Note: Refers to Maṅkaṇaka.

कः (kaḥ) - asking for the nature of his practice (who, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Nominative singular masculine of the interrogative pronoun kim.

Note: Predicate nominative with niyamaḥ and abhavat.

च (ca) - connects the questions (and, also)

(indeclinable)

A conjunction.

अस्य (asya) - of Maṅkaṇaka (of him, of this)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, that; he, she, it

Genitive singular masculine/neuter of the demonstrative pronoun idam.

Note: Possessive modifier for niyamaḥ.

नियमः (niyamaḥ) - the specific spiritual practice or discipline followed by Maṅkaṇaka (rule, discipline, religious observance, vow, restraint, practice)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niyama

niyama - rule, precept, religious observance, self-restraint, discipline; a spiritual practice

From ni + √yam (to restrain).

Prefix: ni

Root: √yam (class 1)

Note: Subject of abhavat.

अभवत् (abhavat) - what was his practice? (lit. what did his practice become?) (became, happened, was)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of bhū

Imperfect tense form (laṅ), from √bhū.

Root: √bhū (class 1)