महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-68, verse-32

अवमन्यात्मनात्मानमन्यथा प्रतिपद्यते ।
देवा न तस्य श्रेयांसो यस्यात्मापि न कारणम् ॥३२॥

32. avamanyātmanātmānamanyathā pratipadyate ,
devā na tasya śreyāṁso yasyātmāpi na kāraṇam.

32. avamanya ātmanā ātmānam anyathā pratipadyate |
devāḥ na tasya śreyāṃsaḥ yasya ātmā api na kāraṇam

32. When one despises one's own self (conscience) and acts contrary to it, then even the gods are not beneficial to that person, because their own self is not a guiding principle for them.

Words meanings summery:

• अवमन्य (avamanya) - having despised (having despised, having scorned)

• आत्मना (ātmanā) - by one's own self (or conscience) (by the self, by oneself)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - one's own self (conscience) (the self, oneself)

• अन्यथा (anyathā) - contrary (to it) (otherwise, differently, in another way)

• प्रतिपद्यते (pratipadyate) - acts (acts, behaves, obtains, understands)

• देवाः (devāḥ) - the gods (gods, deities)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• तस्य (tasya) - to that person (his, of him, to him)

• श्रेयांसः (śreyāṁsaḥ) - beneficial (better, more excellent, beneficial, auspicious)

• यस्य (yasya) - for whom (whose, of whom)

• आत्मा (ātmā) - their own self (self, soul)

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• कारणम् (kāraṇam) - a guiding principle (cause, reason, instrument, guide)

Words meanings and morphology

अवमन्य (avamanya) - having despised (having despised, having scorned)

(indeclinable)

Gerund (absolutive)

Prefix 'ava' + root 'man' (to think) + gerund suffix 'ya'

Prefix: ava

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Indicates an action completed before the main verb.

आत्मना (ātmanā) - by one's own self (or conscience) (by the self, by oneself)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, mind

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Agent of 'avamanya'.

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - one's own self (conscience) (the self, oneself)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence, mind

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Object of 'avamanya'.

अन्यथा (anyathā) - contrary (to it) (otherwise, differently, in another way)

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies `pratipadyate`.

प्रतिपद्यते (pratipadyate) - acts (acts, behaves, obtains, understands)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of pratipad

present middle

Prefix 'prati' + root 'pad', 4th class verb

Prefix: prati

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: The subject is the implied 'one' or 'person'.

देवाः (devāḥ) - the gods (gods, deities)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine

Note: Subject of the second clause.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

तस्य (tasya) - to that person (his, of him, to him)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to a generic 'nara' (person).

श्रेयांसः (śreyāṁsaḥ) - beneficial (better, more excellent, beneficial, auspicious)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śreyas

śreyas - better, best, excellent, superior, welfare, auspicious

Note: Qualifies `devāḥ`.

यस्य (yasya) - for whom (whose, of whom)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

आत्मा (ātmā) - their own self (self, soul)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Subject of 'na kāraṇam'.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'ātman'.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

कारणम् (kāraṇam) - a guiding principle (cause, reason, instrument, guide)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, motive, instrument, means, origin, guide

derived from root kṛ (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Predicate nominative. Implies "is not a cause/guide".