महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-46, verse-15

जनमेजय उवाच ।
किमर्थं भगवानग्निः प्रनष्टो लोकभावनः ।
विज्ञातश्च कथं देवैस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वतः ॥१५॥

15. janamejaya uvāca ,
kimarthaṁ bhagavānagniḥ pranaṣṭo lokabhāvanaḥ ,
vijñātaśca kathaṁ devaistanmamācakṣva tattvataḥ.

15. janamejayaḥ uvāca kim artham bhagavān agniḥ pranaṣṭaḥ
lokabhāvanaḥ vijñātaḥ ca katham devaiḥ tat mama ācakṣva tattvataḥ

15. janamejayaḥ uvāca: bhagavān agniḥ lokabhāvanaḥ kim artham pranaṣṭaḥ? ca katham devaiḥ vijñātaḥ? tat mama tattvataḥ ācakṣva.

15. Janamejaya said: 'Why has the divine Agni, the sustainer of worlds, disappeared? And how was he discovered by the gods? Please tell me that in detail.'

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya (proper name)

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said

• किम् (kim) - what, why

• अर्थम् (artham) - purpose, meaning, reason

• भगवान् (bhagavān) - the divine Agni (divine, worshipful, glorious, blessed lord)

• अग्निः (agniḥ) - fire, the fire god Agni

• प्रनष्टः (pranaṣṭaḥ) - disappeared, lost, perished

• लोकभावनः (lokabhāvanaḥ) - Agni, the sustainer of worlds (sustainer of worlds, creator of worlds)

• विज्ञातः (vijñātaḥ) - Agni, discovered by the gods (known, understood, discovered)

• च (ca) - and, also

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• देवैः (devaiḥ) - by the gods

• तत् (tat) - that story/information (that)

• मम (mama) - to me, my

• आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - tell, relate

• तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - truly, in reality, in detail, essentially

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya (proper name)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

janamejaya - Janamejaya (a king, son of Parikṣit, and the listener of the Mahābhārata narrative)

Note: The speaker of this verse.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said

(verb)

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

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Irregular perfect tense form of √vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Verb indicating Janamejaya's speech.

किम् (kim) - what, why

(interrogative pronoun)

अर्थम् (artham) - purpose, meaning, reason

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - purpose, object, meaning, wealth, reason

Note: Used adverbially to indicate purpose or reason.

भगवान् (bhagavān) - the divine Agni (divine, worshipful, glorious, blessed lord)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - divine, worshipful, glorious, blessed; a lord, god

Possessive adjective from 'bhaga' (fortune, good luck).

Note: Agrees with 'agniḥ'.

अग्निः (agniḥ) - fire, the fire god Agni

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, the fire god Agni

Note: The subject of the question.

प्रनष्टः (pranaṣṭaḥ) - disappeared, lost, perished

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pranaṣṭa

pranaṣṭa - disappeared, lost, perished, destroyed

Past Passive Participle

From √naś (to perish) with prefix 'pra'.

Prefix: pra

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: Agrees with 'agniḥ'.

लोकभावनः (lokabhāvanaḥ) - Agni, the sustainer of worlds (sustainer of worlds, creator of worlds)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of lokabhāvana

lokabhāvana - sustainer of worlds, creator of worlds, causing the existence of worlds

Compound of 'loka' (world) and 'bhāvana' (causing to be, creating, sustaining), derived from causative of √bhū.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (loka+bhāvana)

• loka – world, realm
  noun (masculine)
  Root: lok (class 1)
• bhāvana – causing to be, creating, conceiving, imagining; one who causes to be
  noun/adjective (masculine)
  Derived from causative of √bhū (to be, become).
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'agniḥ'.

विज्ञातः (vijñātaḥ) - Agni, discovered by the gods (known, understood, discovered)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vijñāta

vijñāta - known, understood, recognized, discovered

Past Passive Participle

From √jñā (to know) with prefix 'vi'.

Prefix: vi

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Refers to Agni (implied).

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the two questions Janamejaya asks.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

देवैः (devaiḥ) - by the gods

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, celestial being

Root: div (class 4)

Note: Agent in the passive construction 'vijñātaḥ'.

तत् (tat) - that story/information (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, it

Note: Object of 'ācakṣva'.

मम (mama) - to me, my

(pronoun)

singular of asmad

asmad - I, me, my, we, us, our

Note: Used here in the dative sense ('to me').

आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - tell, relate

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of ācakṣ

Imperative, 2nd person singular, middle voice

From √cakṣ (to see, tell) with prefix 'ā'.

Prefix: ā

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

Note: A command from Janamejaya to Vaiśampāyana.

तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - truly, in reality, in detail, essentially

(indeclinable)

Formed with the suffix -tas from 'tattva' (truth, reality).

Note: Adverb modifying 'ācakṣva'.