महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-42, verse-27

जनमेजय उवाच ।
किमर्थं भगवाञ्शक्रो ब्रह्महत्यामवाप्तवान् ।
कथमस्मिंश्च तीर्थे वै आप्लुत्याकल्मषोऽभवत् ॥२७॥

27. janamejaya uvāca ,
kimarthaṁ bhagavāñśakro brahmahatyāmavāptavān ,
kathamasmiṁśca tīrthe vai āplutyākalmaṣo'bhavat.

27. janamejayaḥ uvāca kimartham bhagavān śakraḥ brahmahatyām
avāptavān katham asmin ca tīrthe vai āplutya akalmaṣaḥ abhavat

27. janamejayaḥ uvāca bhagavān śakraḥ kimartham brahmahatyām
avāptavān ca katham asmin tīrthe āplutya vai akalmaṣaḥ abhavat

27. Janamejaya asked: "For what reason did the venerable Indra (Śakra) incur the sin of brahmin-killing (brahmahatyā)? And how, indeed, did he become sinless by bathing in this holy place (tīrtha)?"

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - King Janamejaya, the questioner in this dialogue. (Janamejaya)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• किमर्थम् (kimartham) - why, for what purpose

• भगवान् (bhagavān) - Venerable (Indra) (venerable, glorious, divine, fortunate one)

• शक्रः (śakraḥ) - The god Indra. (Indra, powerful one)

• ब्रह्महत्याम् (brahmahatyām) - The grave sin of murdering a brahmin. (brahmin-killing, the sin of killing a brahmin)

• अवाप्तवान् (avāptavān) - Incurred (the sin). (obtained, incurred, acquired)

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this

• च (ca) - and

• तीर्थे (tīrthe) - In this holy bathing place (tīrtha). (in a holy place, at a ford, at a sacred bathing place)

• वै (vai) - An emphatic particle. (indeed, truly, certainly)

• आप्लुत्य (āplutya) - By performing a sacred bath. (having bathed, having immersed oneself)

• अकल्मषः (akalmaṣaḥ) - Freed from sin. (sinless, pure, without blemish)

• अभवत् (abhavat) - became, was

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - King Janamejaya, the questioner in this dialogue. (Janamejaya)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (proper name)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

From √vac (class 2, parasmāipada), perfect 3rd singular.

Root: vac (class 2)

किमर्थम् (kimartham) - why, for what purpose

(indeclinable)

Indeclinable compound 'kim' + 'artham'.

Compound type : avyayībhāva (kim+artha)

• kim – what, which
  pronoun (neuter)
• artha – purpose, meaning
  noun (masculine)

Note: Adverbial usage.

भगवान् (bhagavān) - Venerable (Indra) (venerable, glorious, divine, fortunate one)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - fortunate, glorious, venerable, divine

Possessive adjective from 'bhaga' (fortune)

Note: Qualifies Śakra.

शक्रः (śakraḥ) - The god Indra. (Indra, powerful one)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śakra

śakra - Indra, powerful, mighty

Root: śak (class 5)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

ब्रह्महत्याम् (brahmahatyām) - The grave sin of murdering a brahmin. (brahmin-killing, the sin of killing a brahmin)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of brahmahatyā

brahmahatyā - killing of a brahmin, parricide, the sin of killing a brahmin (brahmahatyā)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+hatyā)

• brahman – brahmin, sacred word, ultimate reality (brahman)
  noun (masculine)
• hatyā – killing, murder
  noun (feminine)
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: Object of 'avāptavān'.

अवाप्तवान् (avāptavān) - Incurred (the sin). (obtained, incurred, acquired)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of avāp

avāp - to obtain, to reach, to incur

Past Active Participle

From √āp with prefix 'ava', past active participle, nominative singular masculine.

Prefix: ava

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Behaves like a finite verb here with the nominative subject 'śakraḥ'.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Demonstrative pronoun, locative singular masculine/neuter.

Note: Refers to 'tīrthe'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the two questions.

तीर्थे (tīrthe) - In this holy bathing place (tīrtha). (in a holy place, at a ford, at a sacred bathing place)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tīrtha

tīrtha - a ford, a bathing place, a sacred place (tīrtha)

Note: Refers to the specific holy place being discussed.

वै (vai) - An emphatic particle. (indeed, truly, certainly)

(indeclinable)

आप्लुत्य (āplutya) - By performing a sacred bath. (having bathed, having immersed oneself)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Absolutive from √plu (class 1, parasmāipada) with prefix 'ā'.

Prefix: ā

Root: plu (class 1)

Note: Implies completion of the action before the main verb.

अकल्मषः (akalmaṣaḥ) - Freed from sin. (sinless, pure, without blemish)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of akalmaṣa

akalmaṣa - sinless, pure, spotless

Negative compound 'a' + 'kalmaṣa' (stain, sin)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kalmaṣa)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• kalmaṣa – stain, impurity, sin
  noun (masculine)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'śakraḥ'.

अभवत् (abhavat) - became, was

(verb)

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

Imperfect Active

From √bhū (class 1, parasmāipada), imperfect 3rd singular.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Main verb of the second question.