महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-139, verse-38

हीनादादेयमादौ स्यात्समानात्तदनन्तरम् ।
असंभवादाददीत विशिष्टादपि धार्मिकात् ॥३८॥

38. hīnādādeyamādau syātsamānāttadanantaram ,
asaṁbhavādādadīta viśiṣṭādapi dhārmikāt.

38. hīnāt ādeyam ādau syāt samānāt tat anantaram
asaṃbhavāt ādadīta viśiṣṭāt api dhārmikāt

38. ādau hīnāt ādeyam syāt,
tadanantaram samānāt (ādeyam syāt).
asaṃbhavāt (cet),
dhārmikāt viśiṣṭāt api ādadīta.

38. One should take (what is needed) first from an inferior person, then from an equal. If it is impossible (to obtain from these sources), one may even take from a virtuous (dhārmika) superior.

Words meanings summery:

• हीनात् (hīnāt) - from the inferior person

• आदेयम् (ādeyam) - to be taken, what should be taken

• आदौ (ādau) - first, initially, in the beginning

• स्यात् (syāt) - should be, may be, would be

• समानात् (samānāt) - from the equal person

• तत् (tat) - that, then

• अनन्तरम् (anantaram) - subsequently, immediately after, without interval

• असंभवात् (asaṁbhavāt) - due to impossibility, if impossible

• आददीत (ādadīta) - one should take, he should take

• विशिष्टात् (viśiṣṭāt) - from the superior person

• अपि (api) - even, also

• धार्मिकात् (dhārmikāt) - from the virtuous person (one who follows natural law) (from the virtuous person, from one who follows (dharma))

Words meanings and morphology

हीनात् (hīnāt) - from the inferior person

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of hīna

hīna - inferior, deficient, low

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √hā (to abandon, forsake, leave)

Root: hā (class 3)

आदेयम् (ādeyam) - to be taken, what should be taken

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ādeya

ādeya - to be taken, fit to be taken, what may be received

Gerundive (Potential Passive Participle)

Derived from √dā (to give) with prefix ā- (implying 'to take' when prefixed)

Prefix: ā

Root: dā (class 3)

आदौ (ādau) - first, initially, in the beginning

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of ādi

ādi - beginning, commencement, first

स्यात् (syāt) - should be, may be, would be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (Vidhi Liṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

समानात् (samānāt) - from the equal person

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of samāna

samāna - equal, similar, same

तत् (tat) - that, then

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

Note: Used here as a conjunctive particle or adverb 'then'.

अनन्तरम् (anantaram) - subsequently, immediately after, without interval

(indeclinable)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+antara)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• antara – interval, space, difference
  noun (neuter)

Note: Used adverbially.

असंभवात् (asaṁbhavāt) - due to impossibility, if impossible

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of asaṃbhava

asaṁbhava - impossibility, non-existence, unsuitability

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+saṃbhava)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• saṃbhava – possibility, origin, occurrence
  noun (masculine)
  Action noun from √bhū (to be, become) with prefix sam-.
  Prefix: sam
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Used adverbially, meaning 'from impossibility' or 'if it is impossible'.

आददीत (ādadīta) - one should take, he should take

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (Vidhi Liṅ) of dā

From √dā (to give) with prefix ā- which changes the meaning to 'take'.

Prefix: ā

Root: dā (class 3)

विशिष्टात् (viśiṣṭāt) - from the superior person

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of viśiṣṭa

viśiṣṭa - distinguished, superior, excellent

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √śiṣ (to distinguish) with prefix vi-.

Prefix: vi

Root: śiṣ (class 7)

अपि (api) - even, also

(indeclinable)

धार्मिकात् (dhārmikāt) - from the virtuous person (one who follows natural law) (from the virtuous person, from one who follows (dharma))

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of dhārmika

dhārmika - virtuous, righteous, pious, adhering to (dharma)

Derived from 'dharma' with suffix -ika.