महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-120, verse-37

बालोऽबालः स्थविरो वा रिपुर्यः सदा प्रमत्तं पुरुषं निहन्यात् ।
कालेनान्यस्तस्य मूलं हरेत कालज्ञाता पार्थिवानां वरिष्ठः ॥३७॥

37. bālo'bālaḥ sthaviro vā ripuryaḥ; sadā pramattaṁ puruṣaṁ nihanyāt ,
kālenānyastasya mūlaṁ hareta; kālajñātā pārthivānāṁ variṣṭhaḥ.

37. bālaḥ abālaḥ sthaviraḥ vā ripuḥ
yaḥ sadā pramattam puruṣam nihanyāt
kālena anyaḥ tasya mūlam hareta
kālajñātā pārthivānām variṣṭhaḥ

37. yaḥ ripuḥ bālaḥ abālaḥ vā sthaviraḥ
(saḥ) sadā pramattam puruṣam
nihanyāt anyaḥ kālena tasya mūlam hareta
kālajñātā pārthivānām variṣṭhaḥ

37. An enemy, be he young, adult, or old, always strikes down a negligent person. In time, another (factor) may destroy his very foundation. The one who understands timeliness is supreme among rulers.

Words meanings summery:

• बालः (bālaḥ) - a child, young, immature

• अबालः (abālaḥ) - not a child, adult

• स्थविरः (sthaviraḥ) - old, aged

• वा (vā) - or

• रिपुः (ripuḥ) - an enemy, foe

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which

• सदा (sadā) - always, ever

• प्रमत्तम् (pramattam) - negligent, careless, heedless

• पुरुषम् (puruṣam) - a person, man

• निहन्यात् (nihanyāt) - should strike down, might kill

• कालेन (kālena) - by time, in due course, in time

• अन्यः (anyaḥ) - another, different

• तस्य (tasya) - his, of him, its

• मूलम् (mūlam) - root, foundation, origin

• हरेत (hareta) - should take away, might destroy

• कालज्ञाता (kālajñātā) - one who knows the proper time, one who understands timeliness

• पार्थिवानाम् (pārthivānām) - of kings, among rulers

• वरिष्ठः (variṣṭhaḥ) - the most excellent, supreme, best

Words meanings and morphology

बालः (bālaḥ) - a child, young, immature

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bāla

bāla - child, young, immature, foolish

Note: Describes ripuḥ.

अबालः (abālaḥ) - not a child, adult

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of abāla

abāla - not a child, adult, mature

negation of bāla with 'a'.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+bāla)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• bāla – child, young
  noun (masculine)

Note: Describes ripuḥ.

स्थविरः (sthaviraḥ) - old, aged

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sthavira

sthavira - old, aged, ancient

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Describes ripuḥ.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

रिपुः (ripuḥ) - an enemy, foe

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ripu

ripu - enemy, foe, adversary

Root: rip

Note: Subject of nihanyāt.

यः (yaḥ) - who, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what (relative pronoun)

Note: Relative pronoun, agrees with ripuḥ.

सदा (sadā) - always, ever

(indeclinable)

प्रमत्तम् (pramattam) - negligent, careless, heedless

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pramatta

pramatta - negligent, careless, intoxicated, mad

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root mad with prefix pra.

Prefix: pra

Root: mad (class 4)

Note: Agrees with puruṣam.

पुरुषम् (puruṣam) - a person, man

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

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

Note: Object of nihanyāt.

निहन्यात् (nihanyāt) - should strike down, might kill

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of ni-han

Root han (2nd class, Parasmaipada) with prefix ni.

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

कालेन (kālena) - by time, in due course, in time

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kāla

kāla - time, period, season, proper time

Root: kal

Note: Adverbial usage.

अन्यः (anyaḥ) - another, different

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anya

anya - other, another, different

Note: Subject of hareta.

तस्य (tasya) - his, of him, its

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

मूलम् (mūlam) - root, foundation, origin

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of mūla

mūla - root, foundation, basis, origin

Note: Object of hareta.

हरेत (hareta) - should take away, might destroy

(verb)

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

Root hṛ (1st class, Parasmaipada).

Root: hṛ (class 1)

कालज्ञाता (kālajñātā) - one who knows the proper time, one who understands timeliness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kālajñātṛ

kālajñātṛ - knowing the proper time, one who knows the time

agent noun

Derived from kāla (time) + jñātṛ (knower).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kāla+jñātṛ)

• kāla – time, proper time
  noun (masculine)
• jñātṛ – knower, one who knows
  noun (masculine)
  Agent Noun
  Derived from root jñā (to know) with the suffix -tṛ.
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'is'.

पार्थिवानाम् (pārthivānām) - of kings, among rulers

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of pārthiva

pārthiva - earthly, royal, king, ruler

from pṛthivī (earth)

Note: Partitive genitive with variṣṭhaḥ.

वरिष्ठः (variṣṭhaḥ) - the most excellent, supreme, best

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of variṣṭha

variṣṭha - best, most excellent, chief, principal (superlative of uru/vṛddha)

Superlative degree adjective.

Note: Predicate adjective for kālajñātā.