महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-77, verse-18

ययातिरुवाच ।
राजा प्रमाणं भूतानां स नश्येत मृषा वदन् ।
अर्थकृच्छ्रमपि प्राप्य न मिथ्या कर्तुमुत्सहे ॥१८॥

18. yayātiruvāca ,
rājā pramāṇaṁ bhūtānāṁ sa naśyeta mṛṣā vadan ,
arthakṛcchramapi prāpya na mithyā kartumutsahe.

18. yayātiḥ uvāca rājā pramāṇam bhūtānām saḥ naśyeta mṛṣā
vadan artha-kṛcchram api prāpya na mithyā kartum utsahe

18. Yayati said: A king is the standard for all creatures; if he speaks a lie, he would be ruined. Even when faced with financial distress, I would not dare to utter a falsehood.

Words meanings summery:

• ययातिः (yayātiḥ) - Yayati

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• राजा (rājā) - king

• प्रमाणम् (pramāṇam) - authority, standard, measure

• भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings, of creatures

• सः (saḥ) - the king (he, that)

• नश्येत (naśyeta) - he would perish, he might be ruined

• मृषा (mṛṣā) - falsely, untruly, in vain

• वदन् (vadan) - speaking, saying

• अर्थ-कृच्छ्रम् (artha-kṛcchram) - financial hardship, distress related to wealth

• अपि (api) - even, also, although

• प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained, having reached, having faced

• न (na) - not, no

• मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, incorrectly, untruly

• कर्तुम् (kartum) - to do, to make, to perform

• उत्सहे (utsahe) - I dare, I am able, I endeavor

Words meanings and morphology

ययातिः (yayātiḥ) - Yayati

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yayāti

yayāti - name of a king

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active

3rd person singular

Root: vac (class 2)

राजा (rājā) - king

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, sovereign

प्रमाणम् (pramāṇam) - authority, standard, measure

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pramāṇa

pramāṇa - measure, standard, authority, proof

Prefix: pra

Root: mā (class 2)

भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings, of creatures

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of bhūta

bhūta - being, creature, element, ghost

Past Passive Participle

derived from root bhū, 'that which has become'

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Refers to living beings.

सः (saḥ) - the king (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the king mentioned earlier.

नश्येत (naśyeta) - he would perish, he might be ruined

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of naś

Optative Active

3rd person singular

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: Expresses potential or desirability.

मृषा (mṛṣā) - falsely, untruly, in vain

(indeclinable)

वदन् (vadan) - speaking, saying

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vad

vad - to speak, to say

Present Active Participle

masculine, singular, nominative, derived from root vad

Root: vad (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'saḥ' (the king).

अर्थ-कृच्छ्रम् (artha-kṛcchram) - financial hardship, distress related to wealth

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of artha-kṛcchra

artha-kṛcchra - financial difficulty, distress concerning wealth

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (artha+kṛcchra)

• artha – meaning, purpose, wealth, thing, object
  noun (masculine)
• kṛcchra – difficulty, hardship, distress, pain
  noun (neuter)

Note: Object of 'prāpya'.

अपि (api) - even, also, although

(indeclinable)

प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained, having reached, having faced

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

formed with prefix pra + root āp

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Literally 'having attained/faced'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, incorrectly, untruly

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies 'kartum'.

कर्तुम् (kartum) - to do, to make, to perform

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

formed from root kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: 'to do' or 'to speak' (falsely).

उत्सहे (utsahe) - I dare, I am able, I endeavor

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of ut-sah

Present Middle

1st person singular

Prefix: ut

Root: sah (class 1)