महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-38, verse-8

जनमेजय उवाच ।
कपालमोचनं ब्रह्मन्कथं यत्र महामुनिः ।
मुक्तः कथं चास्य शिरो लग्नं केन च हेतुना ॥८॥

8. janamejaya uvāca ,
kapālamocanaṁ brahmankathaṁ yatra mahāmuniḥ ,
muktaḥ kathaṁ cāsya śiro lagnaṁ kena ca hetunā.

8. janamejaya uvāca kapālamocanam brahman katham yatra
mahāmuniḥ muktaḥ katham ca asya śiraḥ lagnam kena ca hetunā

8. janamejaya uvāca: brahman,
yatra mahāmuniḥ muktaḥ,
tat kapālamocanam katham? ca asya śiraḥ kena hetunā katham lagnam?

8. Janamejaya said: O Brahmin, how did the liberation from the skull (kapālamocana) occur there, by which the great sage was freed? And how did the head become attached to him, and for what reason?

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजय (janamejaya) - Janamejaya (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said

• कपालमोचनम् (kapālamocanam) - the liberation from the skull (liberation from a skull)

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahmin

• कथम् (katham) - how, why

• यत्र (yatra) - by which (event) (where, by which)

• महामुनिः (mahāmuniḥ) - great sage

• मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - freed (from the skull) (freed, released, liberated)

• कथम् (katham) - how, why

• च (ca) - and

• अस्य (asya) - his, of this

• शिरः (śiraḥ) - head

• लग्नम् (lagnam) - become attached (attached, clinging, fixed)

• केन (kena) - by whom, by what

• च (ca) - and

• हेतुना (hetunā) - for what reason (by reason, by cause)

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजय (janamejaya) - Janamejaya (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (name of a king, son of Parikṣit)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said

(verb)

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

Perfect Tense

Root 'vac' (to speak), 3rd person singular perfect active

Root: vac (class 2)

कपालमोचनम् (kapālamocanam) - the liberation from the skull (liberation from a skull)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kapālamocana

kapālamocana - liberation from a skull

Compound of 'kapāla' (skull) and 'mocana' (liberation)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kapāla+mocana)

• kapāla – skull, forehead, dish, potsherd
  noun (neuter)
• mocana – liberating, releasing, deliverance
  noun (neuter)
  Nomen actionis (verbal noun)
  From root 'muc' (to free, release) + suffix -ana
  Root: muc (class 6)

Note: Subject of an implied verb 'occurred'.

ब्रह्मन् (brahman) - O Brahmin

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmin, priest, the Absolute (brahman)

कथम् (katham) - how, why

(indeclinable)

यत्र (yatra) - by which (event) (where, by which)

(indeclinable)

Locative case of 'yad' (which) used adverbially, sometimes implies 'by which means'

महामुनिः (mahāmuniḥ) - great sage

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahāmuni

mahāmuni - great sage, great ascetic

Compound of 'mahā' (great) and 'muni' (sage)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+muni)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• muni – sage, ascetic, holy man
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of 'muktaḥ'.

मुक्तः (muktaḥ) - freed (from the skull) (freed, released, liberated)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mukta

mukta - freed, released, liberated, let loose

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'muc' (to free, release) with suffix -ta

Root: muc (class 6)

Note: Past Passive Participle, agreeing with 'mahāmuniḥ'.

कथम् (katham) - how, why

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

अस्य (asya) - his, of this

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the great sage.

शिरः (śiraḥ) - head

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śiras

śiras - head, top, peak

Note: Subject of 'lagnam'.

लग्नम् (lagnam) - become attached (attached, clinging, fixed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of lagna

lagna - attached to, clinging, connected, fixed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'lag' (to cling, attach) with suffix -na

Root: lag (class 1)

Note: Past Passive Participle, agreeing with 'śiraḥ'.

केन (kena) - by whom, by what

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

हेतुना (hetunā) - for what reason (by reason, by cause)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of hetu

hetu - cause, reason, motive, instrument