महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-10, verse-10

यथारुह्य महावृक्षमपहृत्य ततो मधु ।
अप्राश्य निधनं गच्छेत्कर्मेदं नस्तथोपमम् ॥१०॥

10. yathāruhya mahāvṛkṣamapahṛtya tato madhu ,
aprāśya nidhanaṁ gacchetkarmedaṁ nastathopamam.

10. yathā āruhya mahāvṛkṣam apahṛtya tataḥ madhu
aprāśya nidhanam gacchet karma idam naḥ tathā upamam

10. yathā mahāvṛkṣam āruhya tataḥ madhu apahṛtya
aprāśya nidhanam gacchet tathā idam naḥ karma upamam

10. Just as someone might climb a great tree, and having taken honey from it, would then meet death without having tasted it, so too is this endeavor (karma) of ours comparable.

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

• आरुह्य (āruhya) - having climbed, having ascended

• महावृक्षम् (mahāvṛkṣam) - a great tree, a large tree

• अपहृत्य (apahṛtya) - having taken away, having carried off, having stolen

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, from there, thence

• मधु (madhu) - honey, sweet thing

• अप्राश्य (aprāśya) - without tasting, without eating

• निधनम् (nidhanam) - death, destruction, ruin

• गच्छेत् (gacchet) - may go, should go, would reach, may attain

• कर्म (karma) - endeavor, undertaking (action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma))

• इदम् (idam) - this

• नः (naḥ) - our, to us, for us

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, similarly

• उपमम् (upamam) - comparable, an analogy, a simile

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

(indeclinable)

Correlative adverb to `tathā`.

Note: Introduces a simile.

आरुह्य (āruhya) - having climbed, having ascended

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Formed from prefix `ā` + root `ruh` (to climb) with suffix `ya` (as a `lyap` form).

Prefix: ā

Root: ruh (class 1)

महावृक्षम् (mahāvṛkṣam) - a great tree, a large tree

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mahāvṛkṣa

mahāvṛkṣa - a great tree, a large tree

Compound: `mahā` (great) + `vṛkṣa` (tree).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+vṛkṣa)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective (feminine)
  From `mahant`.
• vṛkṣa – tree
  noun (masculine)
  Root: vṛśc (class 6)

Note: Object of 'āruhya'.

अपहृत्य (apahṛtya) - having taken away, having carried off, having stolen

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Formed from prefix `apa` + root `hṛ` (to take) with suffix `ya` (as a `lyap` form).

Prefix: apa

Root: hṛ (class 1)

Note: Precedes the main action.

ततः (tataḥ) - then, from there, thence

(indeclinable)

Adverbial derivative from `tad`.

Note: Locative/ablative sense.

मधु (madhu) - honey, sweet thing

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of madhu

madhu - honey, sweet, mead, spring season

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Object of 'apahṛtya' and 'aprāśya'.

अप्राश्य (aprāśya) - without tasting, without eating

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Formed from `na` (negative prefix `a`) + prefix `pra` + root `aś` (to eat, taste) with suffix `ya` (as a `lyap` form).

Prefix: pra

Root: aś (class 9)

Note: Modifies the action of 'gacchet'.

निधनम् (nidhanam) - death, destruction, ruin

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of nidhana

nidhana - death, destruction, end, ruin

From `ni` (down) + `dhā` (to place).

Prefix: ni

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Object of 'gacchet' (to meet death).

गच्छेत् (gacchet) - may go, should go, would reach, may attain

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of gam

Root `gam` (class 1).

Root: gam (class 1)

कर्म (karma) - endeavor, undertaking (action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma))

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, religious rite, destiny, consequence of actions (karma)

From root `kṛ` (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject.

इदम् (idam) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of idam

idam - this

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Agrees with 'karma'.

नः (naḥ) - our, to us, for us

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

First person pronoun, enclitic form.

Note: Possessive, 'our' (karma).

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, similarly

(indeclinable)

Correlative adverb to `yathā`.

Note: Connects the simile to the main statement.

उपमम् (upamam) - comparable, an analogy, a simile

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of upama

upama - simile, comparison, comparable, like

From `upa` (near) + `mā` (to measure).

Prefix: upa

Root: mā (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'karma'.