महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-130, verse-15

आचारमेव मन्यन्ते गरीयो धर्मलक्षणम् ।
अपरे नैवमिच्छन्ति ये शङ्खलिखितप्रियाः ।
मार्दवादथ लोभाद्वा ते ब्रूयुर्वाक्यमीदृशम् ॥१५॥

15. ācārameva manyante garīyo dharmalakṣaṇam ,
apare naivamicchanti ye śaṅkhalikhitapriyāḥ ,
mārdavādatha lobhādvā te brūyurvākyamīdṛśam.

15. ācāram eva manyante garīyaḥ
dharma-lakṣaṇam apare na evam icchanti ye
śaṅkha-likhita-priyāḥ mārdavāt
atha lobhāt vā te brūyuḥ vākyam īdṛśam

15. (kecit) ācāram eva garīyaḥ dharma-lakṣaṇam
manyante apare ye śaṅkha-likhita-priyāḥ
(te) evam na icchanti te mārdavāt
atha vā lobhāt īdṛśam vākyam brūyuḥ

15. Some indeed consider virtuous conduct (ācāra) as the superior defining characteristic of natural law (dharma). Others do not wish it this way—those who cherish the teachings of Śaṅkha and Likhita. Out of leniency or perhaps out of greed, they would utter such a statement.

Words meanings summery:

• आचारम् (ācāram) - virtuous conduct (conduct, custom, practice, tradition)

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

• मन्यन्ते (manyante) - they consider (they think, they consider, they believe)

• गरीयः (garīyaḥ) - superior (greater, heavier, weightier, more important)

• धर्म-लक्षणम् (dharma-lakṣaṇam) - defining characteristic of natural law (dharma) (characteristic of dharma, sign of righteousness)

• अपरे (apare) - others (who hold a different view) (others, other ones)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• एवम् (evam) - this way (thus, so, in this manner)

• इच्छन्ति (icchanti) - they wish (they wish, they desire, they want)

• ये (ye) - those who (who (masculine plural nominative))

• शङ्ख-लिखित-प्रियाः (śaṅkha-likhita-priyāḥ) - who cherish the teachings of Śaṅkha and Likhita (dear to Śaṅkha and Likhita, fond of Śaṅkha and Likhita (two lawgivers))

• मार्दवात् (mārdavāt) - out of leniency (from softness, from tenderness, from mildness, from leniency)

• अथ (atha) - or perhaps (then, now, and, moreover, or)

• लोभात् (lobhāt) - out of greed (from greed, from covetousness)

• वा (vā) - or

• ते (te) - they (referring to `apare` / `śaṅkha-likhita-priyāḥ`) (they, those (masculine plural nominative))

• ब्रूयुः (brūyuḥ) - they would utter (they would speak, they should speak)

• वाक्यम् (vākyam) - such a statement (statement, word, speech, sentence)

• ईदृशम् (īdṛśam) - such (a statement) (such, of this kind, like this)

Words meanings and morphology

आचारम् (ācāram) - virtuous conduct (conduct, custom, practice, tradition)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ācāra

ācāra - conduct, custom, practice, tradition

From `ā` + `car` (to move, behave)

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Object of `manyante`.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes `ācāram`.

मन्यन्ते (manyante) - they consider (they think, they consider, they believe)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (lat) of man

Present Middle Indicative

From root `man` (to think)

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Implied subject: 'some people'.

गरीयः (garīyaḥ) - superior (greater, heavier, weightier, more important)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of garīyas

garīyas - heavier, weightier, more important (comparative of `guru`)

Comparative form of `guru` (heavy, important)

Note: Predicate nominative, agreeing with `dharma-lakṣaṇam`.

धर्म-लक्षणम् (dharma-lakṣaṇam) - defining characteristic of natural law (dharma) (characteristic of dharma, sign of righteousness)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dharma-lakṣaṇa

dharma-lakṣaṇa - characteristic of dharma, sign of righteousness

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+lakṣaṇa)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• lakṣaṇa – mark, sign, characteristic, definition
  noun (neuter)
  Root: lakṣ (class 10)

Note: Functions as a predicate nominative.

अपरे (apare) - others (who hold a different view) (others, other ones)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of apara

apara - other, another, subsequent, inferior

Note: Subject of `icchanti`.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates `icchanti`.

एवम् (evam) - this way (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

इच्छन्ति (icchanti) - they wish (they wish, they desire, they want)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of iṣ

Present Active Indicative

From root `iṣ` (to wish)

Root: iṣ (class 6)

ये (ye) - those who (who (masculine plural nominative))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yat

yat - who, which, what (relative pronoun)

शङ्ख-लिखित-प्रियाः (śaṅkha-likhita-priyāḥ) - who cherish the teachings of Śaṅkha and Likhita (dear to Śaṅkha and Likhita, fond of Śaṅkha and Likhita (two lawgivers))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śaṅkha-likhita-priya

śaṅkha-likhita-priya - dear to Śaṅkha and Likhita, fond of Śaṅkha and Likhita

Compound type : tatpurusha (śaṅkha+likhita+priya)

• śaṅkha – Śaṅkha (name of a Rishi and author of a Dharmaśāstra)
  proper noun (masculine)
• likhita – Likhita (name of a Rishi and author of a Dharmaśāstra)
  proper noun (masculine)
• priya – dear, beloved, favorite, pleasing
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Qualifies `ye` and `apare`.

मार्दवात् (mārdavāt) - out of leniency (from softness, from tenderness, from mildness, from leniency)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of mārdava

mārdava - softness, tenderness, mildness, leniency

Derived from `mṛdu` (soft)

Note: Indicates cause.

अथ (atha) - or perhaps (then, now, and, moreover, or)

(indeclinable)

लोभात् (lobhāt) - out of greed (from greed, from covetousness)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of lobha

lobha - greed, covetousness, avarice

From root `lubh` (to covet, be confused)

Root: lubh (class 4)

Note: Indicates cause.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects `mārdavāt` and `lobhāt`.

ते (te) - they (referring to `apare` / `śaṅkha-likhita-priyāḥ`) (they, those (masculine plural nominative))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, he, she, it

ब्रूयुः (brūyuḥ) - they would utter (they would speak, they should speak)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (liṅ) of brū

Optative Active

From root `brū` (to speak)

Root: brū (class 2)

वाक्यम् (vākyam) - such a statement (statement, word, speech, sentence)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vākya

vākya - statement, word, speech, sentence

From root `vac` (to speak) + suffix `ya`

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Object of `brūyuḥ`.

ईदृशम् (īdṛśam) - such (a statement) (such, of this kind, like this)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of īdṛśa

īdṛśa - such, of this kind, like this

Note: Agrees with `vākyam`.