महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-84, verse-4

ययातिरुवाच ।
प्रतिकूलं कर्मणां पापमाहुस्तद्वर्ततेऽप्रवणे पापलोक्यम् ।
सन्तोऽसतां नानुवर्तन्ति चैतद्यथा आत्मैषामनुकूलवादी ॥४॥

4. yayātiruvāca ,
pratikūlaṁ karmaṇāṁ pāpamāhu;stadvartate'pravaṇe pāpalokyam ,
santo'satāṁ nānuvartanti caita;dyathā ātmaiṣāmanukūlavādī.

4. yayātiḥ uvāca | pratikūlam karmaṇām
pāpam āhuḥ tad vartate apravaṇe
pāpalokyam | santaḥ asatām na anuvartanti
ca etat yathā ātma eṣām anukūlavādī

4. Yayati said: "They declare that which is contrary to dharma (righteous actions) to be sin. This leads to a sinful realm, a downward path. The virtuous do not follow such a path of the wicked, for their own self (conscience) speaks favorably to them."

Words meanings summery:

• ययातिः (yayātiḥ) - King Yayati (Yayati)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• प्रतिकूलम् (pratikūlam) - that which is contrary (adverse, contrary, unfavorable)

• कर्मणाम् (karmaṇām) - to dharma (righteous actions) (of actions, of deeds, of dharma)

• पापम् (pāpam) - sin (sin, evil, wickedness)

• आहुः (āhuḥ) - they declare (they say, they declare)

• तद् (tad) - that (sinful path) (that)

• वर्तते (vartate) - that leads (it exists, it proceeds, it leads)

• अप्रवणे (apravaṇe) - a downward path (on a downward path, in an unfavorable place/state)

• पापलोक्यम् (pāpalokyam) - to a sinful realm (leading to a sinful world)

• सन्तः (santaḥ) - the virtuous (virtuous, good people)

• असताम् (asatām) - of the wicked (of the wicked, of the bad, of the non-existent)

• न (na) - not

• अनुवर्तन्ति (anuvartanti) - do not follow (they follow, they conform)

• च (ca) - and

• एतत् (etat) - this (path) (this)

• यथा (yathā) - for, as (as, just as, in which way)

• आत्म (ātma) - their own self (conscience) (self, soul, spirit, conscience)

• एषाम् (eṣām) - their (of these, their)

• अनुकूलवादी (anukūlavādī) - speaks favorably (speaking favorably, agreeable)

Words meanings and morphology

ययातिः (yayātiḥ) - King Yayati (Yayati)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yayāti

yayāti - Name of a famous king

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect active

3rd person singular, Perfect tense, Parasmaipada

Root: vac (class 2)

प्रतिकूलम् (pratikūlam) - that which is contrary (adverse, contrary, unfavorable)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pratikūla

pratikūla - adverse, contrary, unfavorable, opposite

Prefix: prati

Root: kūla

Note: Can also be accusative singular neuter, serving as object to 'āhuḥ'.

कर्मणाम् (karmaṇām) - to dharma (righteous actions) (of actions, of deeds, of dharma)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, dharma

पापम् (pāpam) - sin (sin, evil, wickedness)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pāpa

pāpa - sin, evil, wickedness, vice

Note: Can also be nominative singular neuter, understood as 'is sin'.

आहुः (āhuḥ) - they declare (they say, they declare)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lit) of ah

Perfect active

3rd person plural, Perfect tense, Parasmaipada (defective verb with present meaning)

Root: ah (class 2)

तद् (tad) - that (sinful path) (that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

वर्तते (vartate) - that leads (it exists, it proceeds, it leads)

(verb)

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

Present middle

3rd person singular, Present tense, Ātmanepada

Root: vṛt (class 1)

अप्रवणे (apravaṇe) - a downward path (on a downward path, in an unfavorable place/state)

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of apravaṇa

apravaṇa - uninclined, unfavorable, low, downward path

Negated 'pravaṇa' (inclined, favorable)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+pravaṇa)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• pravaṇa – inclined, bent, favorable, prone to
  adjective (neuter)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: vī (class 1)

पापलोक्यम् (pāpalokyam) - to a sinful realm (leading to a sinful world)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pāpalokya

pāpalokya - leading to a sinful world, relating to a sinful realm

Compound type : tatpurusha (pāpa+loka)

• pāpa – sin, evil
  noun (neuter)
• loka – world, realm
  noun (masculine)

Note: Qualifies the 'tad' (that).

सन्तः (santaḥ) - the virtuous (virtuous, good people)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sat

sat - being, existing, good, virtuous, wise

Present Active Participle

from root as (to be), nominative plural masculine

Root: as (class 2)

असताम् (asatām) - of the wicked (of the wicked, of the bad, of the non-existent)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of asat

asat - non-existent, unreal, bad, wicked

Present Active Participle (negated)

from a (not) + as (to be), genitive plural masculine

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+sat)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• sat – being, good, virtuous
  adjective (masculine)
  Present Active Participle
  from root as (to be)
  Root: as (class 2)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

अनुवर्तन्ति (anuvartanti) - do not follow (they follow, they conform)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of anuvṛt

Present active

3rd person plural, Present tense, Parasmaipada (with prefix anu)

Prefix: anu

Root: vṛt (class 1)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

एतत् (etat) - this (path) (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that

यथा (yathā) - for, as (as, just as, in which way)

(indeclinable)

आत्म (ātma) - their own self (conscience) (self, soul, spirit, conscience)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, individual soul, universal spirit, mind, essence

एषाम् (eṣām) - their (of these, their)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of idam

idam - this, these

अनुकूलवादी (anukūlavādī) - speaks favorably (speaking favorably, agreeable)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anukūlavādin

anukūlavādin - speaking favorably, agreeable, propitious

Compound 'anukūla' (favorable) + 'vādin' (speaking)

Compound type : tatpurusha (anukūla+vādin)

• anukūla – favorable, agreeable, propitious
  adjective
  Prefix: anu
  Root: kūla
• vādin – speaking, telling, proclaiming, one who speaks
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun from root vad (to speak)
  Root: vad (class 1)