महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-50, verse-4

जनमेजय उवाच ।
कथं द्वादशवार्षिक्यामनावृष्ट्यां तपोधनः ।
वेदानध्यापयामास पुरा सारस्वतो मुनिः ॥४॥

4. janamejaya uvāca ,
kathaṁ dvādaśavārṣikyāmanāvṛṣṭyāṁ tapodhanaḥ ,
vedānadhyāpayāmāsa purā sārasvato muniḥ.

4. janamejayaḥ uvāca katham dvādaśavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyām
tapodhanaḥ vedān adhyāpayāmāsa purā sārasvataḥ muniḥ

4. janamejayaḥ uvāca purā dvādaśavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyām
katham tapodhanaḥ sārasvataḥ muniḥ vedān adhyāpayāmāsa

4. Janamejaya asked: "How, during a twelve-year drought, did the sage Sārasvata—whose wealth was austerity (tapas)—manage to teach the Vedas in ancient times?"

Words meanings summery:

• जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya (proper name of a king)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• द्वादशवार्षिक्याम् (dvādaśavārṣikyām) - during a twelve-year drought (during a twelve-year period, relating to twelve years)

• अनावृष्ट्याम् (anāvṛṣṭyām) - in a drought, in a period of no rain

• तपोधनः (tapodhanaḥ) - the sage whose primary asset is his ascetic practice (tapas) (whose wealth is austerity)

• वेदान् (vedān) - the Vedas (sacred texts)

• अध्यापयामास (adhyāpayāmāsa) - taught, caused to study

• पुरा (purā) - formerly, in ancient times, previously

• सारस्वतः (sārasvataḥ) - Sārasvata (proper name of a sage)

• मुनिः (muniḥ) - sage, ascetic

Words meanings and morphology

जनमेजयः (janamejayaḥ) - Janamejaya (proper name of a king)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of janamejaya

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

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Past perfect (liṭ-lakāra)

From root 'vac', perfect tense, 3rd person singular.

Root: vac (class 2)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

द्वादशवार्षिक्याम् (dvādaśavārṣikyām) - during a twelve-year drought (during a twelve-year period, relating to twelve years)

(adjective)

Locative, feminine, singular of dvādaśavārṣika

dvādaśavārṣika - twelve-yearly, lasting twelve years

Compound of 'dvādaśa' (twelve) and 'vārṣika' (yearly).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (dvādaśa+vārṣika)

• dvādaśa – twelve
  numeral
• vārṣika – yearly, annual, lasting for a year
  adjective (neuter)
  Derived from 'varṣa' (year) with suffix 'ika'.

अनावृष्ट्याम् (anāvṛṣṭyām) - in a drought, in a period of no rain

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of anāvṛṣṭi

anāvṛṣṭi - drought, absence of rain

Compound of 'an-' (negative prefix) and 'āvṛṣṭi' (rain).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (an+āvṛṣṭi)

• an – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• āvṛṣṭi – rain, shower
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root 'vṛṣ' (to rain) with prefix 'ā'.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: vṛṣ (class 1)

तपोधनः (tapodhanaḥ) - the sage whose primary asset is his ascetic practice (tapas) (whose wealth is austerity)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tapodhana

tapodhana - whose wealth is austerity; rich in devotion or penance

Compound of 'tapas' (austerity) and 'dhana' (wealth).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tapas+dhana)

• tapas – austerity, penance, heat, spiritual fervor
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root 'tap' (to heat, to burn).
  Root: tap (class 1)
• dhana – wealth, riches, property
  noun (neuter)

वेदान् (vedān) - the Vedas (sacred texts)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of veda

veda - knowledge, sacred knowledge, Veda

Derived from root 'vid' (to know).

Root: vid (class 2)

अध्यापयामास (adhyāpayāmāsa) - taught, caused to study

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of adhyāpay

Causative stem

Causative stem of root 'ī' (to go) with prefixes 'adhi' and 'ā'.

Prefixes: adhi+ā

Root: ī (class 2)

पुरा (purā) - formerly, in ancient times, previously

(indeclinable)

सारस्वतः (sārasvataḥ) - Sārasvata (proper name of a sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sārasvata

sārasvata - relating to Sarasvatī, descendant of Sarasvatī; name of a sage

Derived from 'Sarasvatī'.

मुनिः (muniḥ) - sage, ascetic

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of muni

muni - sage, ascetic, seer, saint