महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-87, verse-12

नाब्राह्मणः कृपणो जातु जीवेद्या चापि स्याद्ब्राह्मणी वीरपत्नी ।
सोऽहं यदैवाकृतपूर्वं चरेयं विवित्समानः किमु तत्र साधु ॥१२॥

12. nābrāhmaṇaḥ kṛpaṇo jātu jīve;dyā cāpi syādbrāhmaṇī vīrapatnī ,
so'haṁ yadaivākṛtapūrvaṁ careyaṁ; vivitsamānaḥ kimu tatra sādhu.

12. na abrāhmaṇaḥ kṛpaṇaḥ jātu jīvet
yā ca api syāt brāhmaṇī vīrapatnī
saḥ ahaṃ yadā eva akṛtapūrvaṃ
careyaṃ vivitsamānaḥ kim u tatra sādhu

12. "No non-brahmin should ever live in a wretched state, nor should a brahmin woman who is the wife of a hero (live in such a state). So, if I, seeking knowledge, were to perform an act I have never done before, what would truly be proper (sādhu) in that situation?"

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• अब्राह्मणः (abrāhmaṇaḥ) - not a brahmin, non-brahmin

• कृपणः (kṛpaṇaḥ) - living in a wretched/pauper-like condition (wretched, miserable, poor, stingy)

• जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time

• जीवेत् (jīvet) - should live

• या (yā) - who, which, whichever (feminine)

• च (ca) - and, also

• अपि (api) - even, also

• स्यात् (syāt) - should be, might be

• ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) - a brahmin woman

• वीरपत्नी (vīrapatnī) - wife of a hero

• सः (saḥ) - referring to Yayati (I) (he, that (person))

• अहं (ahaṁ) - I

• यदा (yadā) - when, at which time

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, just, only

• अकृतपूर्वं (akṛtapūrvaṁ) - an act never performed by me before (i.e., accepting gifts) (never done before, unprecedented)

• चरेयं (careyaṁ) - I should do, I should perform, I should practice

• विवित्समानः (vivitsamānaḥ) - desiring to know, seeking knowledge

• किम् (kim) - what, why

• उ (u) - indeed, certainly, an interrogative particle

• तत्र (tatra) - in that situation (of performing an unprecedented act) (there, in that case)

• साधु (sādhu) - what would be proper (according to dharma) (good, proper, right, virtuous)

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अब्राह्मणः (abrāhmaṇaḥ) - not a brahmin, non-brahmin

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of abrāhmaṇa

abrāhmaṇa - not a brahmin, non-brahmin

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+brāhmaṇa)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• brāhmaṇa – a brahmin, belonging to a brahmin
  noun (masculine)
  Root: brahm

कृपणः (kṛpaṇaḥ) - living in a wretched/pauper-like condition (wretched, miserable, poor, stingy)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kṛpaṇa

kṛpaṇa - wretched, miserable, poor, mean, avaricious

Root: kṛp (class 1)

Note: Nullifies the `jīvet` if interpreted as 'not live wretchedly'.

जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time

(indeclinable)

Note: Often used with a negative, meaning 'never'.

जीवेत् (jīvet) - should live

(verb)

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

optative active

third person singular, optative active, parasmaipada

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Expresses a command or desirability.

या (yā) - who, which, whichever (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

feminine nominative singular

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even, also

(indeclinable)

स्यात् (syāt) - should be, might be

(verb)

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

optative active

third person singular, optative active, parasmaipada

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Expresses possibility or desirability.

ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī) - a brahmin woman

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of brāhmaṇī

brāhmaṇī - a brahmin woman, wife of a brahmin

feminine form of brāhmaṇa

वीरपत्नी (vīrapatnī) - wife of a hero

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vīrapatnī

vīrapatnī - wife of a hero

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (vīra+patnī)

• vīra – hero, brave man
  noun (masculine)
• patnī – wife
  noun (feminine)

सः (saḥ) - referring to Yayati (I) (he, that (person))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

masculine nominative singular

Note: Used here to connect with 'ahaṃ' (I am that person).

अहं (ahaṁ) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

first person pronoun

यदा (yadā) - when, at which time

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, just, only

(indeclinable)

अकृतपूर्वं (akṛtapūrvaṁ) - an act never performed by me before (i.e., accepting gifts) (never done before, unprecedented)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of akṛtapūrva

akṛtapūrva - not done before, unprecedented

Compound type : nañ-bahuvrīhi (a+kṛta+pūrva)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• kṛta – done, made, performed
  adjective (neuter)
  past passive participle
  past passive participle from √kṛ
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• pūrva – before, previous
  adjective (neuter)

Note: Refers to an action, taken as a neuter noun.

चरेयं (careyaṁ) - I should do, I should perform, I should practice

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of car

optative active

first person singular, optative active, parasmaipada

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Expresses condition or desirability.

विवित्समानः (vivitsamānaḥ) - desiring to know, seeking knowledge

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vivitsamāna

vivitsamāna - desiring to know, seeking knowledge

present middle participle (desiderative)

present middle participle, desiderative of √vid

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Functions as an adjective describing 'ahaṃ'.

किम् (kim) - what, why

(interrogative pronoun)

उ (u) - indeed, certainly, an interrogative particle

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic or interrogative particle.

तत्र (tatra) - in that situation (of performing an unprecedented act) (there, in that case)

(indeclinable)

साधु (sādhu) - what would be proper (according to dharma) (good, proper, right, virtuous)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sādhu

sādhu - good, proper, right, virtuous, excellent; a good person, sage

Root: sādh (class 5)