महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-130, verse-12

न वाच्यः परिवादो वै न श्रोतव्यः कथंचन ।
कर्णावेव पिधातव्यौ प्रस्थेयं वा ततोऽन्यतः ॥१२॥

12. na vācyaḥ parivādo vai na śrotavyaḥ kathaṁcana ,
karṇāveva pidhātavyau prastheyaṁ vā tato'nyataḥ.

12. na vācyaḥ parivādaḥ vai na śrotavyaḥ kathaṃcana
karṇau eva pidhātavyau prastheyam vā tataḥ anyataḥ

12. parivādaḥ vai na vācyaḥ na kathaṃcana śrotavyaḥ (api)
karṇau eva pidhātavyau vā tataḥ anyataḥ prastheyam

12. Slander should certainly not be spoken, nor should it ever be listened to. One should either cover their ears or move away from that spot to another.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• वाच्यः (vācyaḥ) - should be spoken (to be spoken, speakable, what should be said)

• परिवादः (parivādaḥ) - slander, censure, blame, defamation, criticism

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly, surely, truly

• न (na) - not, no

• श्रोतव्यः (śrotavyaḥ) - should be listened to (to be heard, audible, what should be heard)

• कथंचन (kathaṁcana) - ever, by any means (by any means, in any way, somehow or other, at all)

• कर्णौ (karṇau) - two ears

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

• पिधातव्यौ (pidhātavyau) - should be covered/closed (to be covered, should be closed)

• प्रस्थेयम् (prastheyam) - one should depart, it is to be departed

• वा (vā) - or

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

• अन्यतः (anyataḥ) - to another place, elsewhere, from another

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

वाच्यः (vācyaḥ) - should be spoken (to be spoken, speakable, what should be said)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vācya

vācya - to be spoken, speakable, what should be said, expressible

Gerundive

Formed with suffix -ya from root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'parivādaḥ'.

परिवादः (parivādaḥ) - slander, censure, blame, defamation, criticism

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parivāda

parivāda - slander, censure, blame, defamation, criticism

From pari- + vad (to speak)

Prefix: pari

Root: vad (class 1)

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly, surely, truly

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

श्रोतव्यः (śrotavyaḥ) - should be listened to (to be heard, audible, what should be heard)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śrotavya

śrotavya - to be heard, audible, what should be heard

Gerundive

Formed with suffix -tavya from root śru

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Agrees with 'parivādaḥ' (implied).

कथंचन (kathaṁcana) - ever, by any means (by any means, in any way, somehow or other, at all)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the negation.

कर्णौ (karṇau) - two ears

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of karṇa

karṇa - ear

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

(indeclinable)

पिधातव्यौ (pidhātavyau) - should be covered/closed (to be covered, should be closed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of pidhātavya

pidhātavya - to be covered, to be closed, to be concealed

Gerundive

Formed with suffix -tavya from api- + dhā (to place/hold)

Prefix: api

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'karṇau'.

प्रस्थेयम् (prastheyam) - one should depart, it is to be departed

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of prastheya

prastheya - to be departed, one should depart, it is to be proceeded

Gerundive

Formed with suffix -ya from pra- + sthā (to stand)

Prefix: pra

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Used impersonally.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

ततः (tataḥ) - from that place (from there, thence, then)

(indeclinable)

अन्यतः (anyataḥ) - to another place, elsewhere, from another

(indeclinable)