महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-102, verse-2

भीष्म उवाच ।
यथाचरितमेवात्र शस्त्रपत्रं विधीयते ।
आचारादेव पुरुषस्तथा कर्मसु वर्तते ॥२॥

2. bhīṣma uvāca ,
yathācaritamevātra śastrapatraṁ vidhīyate ,
ācārādeva puruṣastathā karmasu vartate.

2. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca yathācaritam eva atra śastrapattram
vidhīyate ācārāt eva puruṣaḥ tathā karmasu vartate

2. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca atra śastrapattram yathācaritam eva
vidhīyate tathā puruṣaḥ ācārāt eva karmasu vartate

2. Bhishma said: Just as the discipline regarding weapons is established here through customary practice, so too does a person act in their deeds according to their established conduct.

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma (proper noun)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• यथाचरितम् (yathācaritam) - as practiced, according to what is done

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• अत्र (atra) - here, in this matter

• शस्त्रपत्त्रम् (śastrapattram) - weapon-code, discipline of weaponry, document regarding weapons

• विधीयते (vidhīyate) - is prescribed, is ordained, is established

• आचारात् (ācārāt) - from custom, from established conduct, by tradition

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person, man, the supreme cosmic person (puruṣa)

• तथा (tathā) - similarly, so, thus

• कर्मसु (karmasu) - in actions, in deeds

• वर्तते (vartate) - acts, behaves, proceeds

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma (proper noun)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a name)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of √vac

Perfect Active

Perfect 3rd person singular of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

यथाचरितम् (yathācaritam) - as practiced, according to what is done

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yathācarita

yathācarita - as practiced, according to custom

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √car + suffix -ta, combined with yathā

Compound type : avyayībhāva (yathā+carita)

• yathā – as, according to, just as
  indeclinable
• carita – practiced, performed, conduct
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past Passive Participle of √car
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicate to śastrapattram.

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

अत्र (atra) - here, in this matter

(indeclinable)

From pronoun idam + tral suffix

शस्त्रपत्त्रम् (śastrapattram) - weapon-code, discipline of weaponry, document regarding weapons

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śastrapattra

śastrapattra - weapon-leaf, military code

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śastra+pattra)

• śastra – weapon, implement
  noun (neuter)
  Root: śas
• pattra – leaf, blade, page, document
  noun (neuter)
  Root: pat

Note: The 'leaf' here metaphorically refers to a document or code.

विधीयते (vidhīyate) - is prescribed, is ordained, is established

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of √dhā

Present Passive

Present 3rd person singular, passive voice, of √dhā with prefix vi

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)

आचारात् (ācārāt) - from custom, from established conduct, by tradition

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of ācāra

ācāra - conduct, custom, tradition, established practice, moral law

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person, man, the supreme cosmic person (puruṣa)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, male, person, spirit, soul, the supreme cosmic person (puruṣa)

तथा (tathā) - similarly, so, thus

(indeclinable)

From pronoun tad + thāl suffix

कर्मसु (karmasu) - in actions, in deeds

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of karma

karma - action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वर्तते (vartate) - acts, behaves, proceeds

(verb)

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

Present Middle

Present 3rd person singular, middle voice, of √vṛt

Root: vṛt (class 1)