महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-145, verse-18

युधिष्ठिर महानेष धर्मो धर्मभृतां वर ।
गोघ्नेष्वपि भवेदस्मिन्निष्कृतिः पापकर्मणः ।
निष्कृतिर्न भवेत्तस्मिन्यो हन्याच्छरणागतम् ॥१८॥

18. yudhiṣṭhira mahāneṣa dharmo dharmabhṛtāṁ vara ,
goghneṣvapi bhavedasminniṣkṛtiḥ pāpakarmaṇaḥ ,
niṣkṛtirna bhavettasminyo hanyāccharaṇāgatam.

18. yudhiṣṭhira mahān eṣaḥ dharmaḥ
dharmabhṛtām vara goghneṣu api bhavet asmin
niṣkṛtiḥ pāpakarmaṇaḥ niṣkṛtiḥ na
bhavet tasmin yaḥ hanyāt śaraṇāgatam

18. yudhiṣṭhira dharmabhṛtām vara eṣaḥ mahān dharmaḥ goghneṣu api pāpakarmaṇaḥ asmin niṣkṛtiḥ bhavet.
yaḥ śaraṇāgatam hanyāt tasmin niṣkṛtiḥ na bhavet.

18. O Yudhiṣṭhira, best among those who uphold natural law (dharma), this is a great principle (dharma). Even for cow-killers, there can be expiation for their sinful deed (karma). However, there is no expiation for one who kills a person who has sought refuge.

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Directly addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (O Yudhiṣṭhira (name of a legendary king))

• महान् (mahān) - great (referring to dharma) (great, mighty, extensive)

• एषः (eṣaḥ) - this (referring to the principle being discussed) (this, this one)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, principle, righteousness (dharma) (natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, sacred law)

• धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those who uphold natural law (dharma), of the righteous

• वर (vara) - O best (vocative, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira) (best, excellent, desired, boons)

• गोघ्नेषु (goghneṣu) - even for cow-killers (among cow-killers, in the matter of cow-killers)

• अपि (api) - even (also, even, indeed, too)

• भवेत् (bhavet) - there can be, may there be (may be, should be, exists)

• अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this context, for this (referring to the cow-killer, pāpakarmaṇaḥ) (in this, for this, in him)

• निष्कृतिः (niṣkṛtiḥ) - expiation (expiation, atonement, purification, remedy)

• पापकर्मणः (pāpakarmaṇaḥ) - of the one who commits sinful deeds (karma) (of the sinful doer, of the one who commits evil deeds)

• निष्कृतिः (niṣkṛtiḥ) - expiation (expiation, atonement, purification, remedy)

• न (na) - not, no

• भवेत् (bhavet) - should be, exists (may be, should be, exists)

• तस्मिन् (tasmin) - for him (referring to "yaḥ") (in him, for him, in that)

• यः (yaḥ) - whoever (who, whoever (masculine))

• हन्यात् (hanyāt) - should kill, may kill

• शरणागतम् (śaraṇāgatam) - one who has sought refuge (one who has sought refuge, a refugee, protected)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Directly addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (O Yudhiṣṭhira (name of a legendary king))

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - firm in battle (name of the eldest Pāṇḍava)

Compound of yudhi (loc. of yudh "battle") and sthira "firm".

Compound type : aluk-tatpurusha (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative case of yudh
  Root: yudh (class 4)
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

महान् (mahān) - great (referring to dharma) (great, mighty, extensive)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, mighty, important

Present active participle of √mah, also used as a primary root for adjectives/nouns.

Root: mah (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'dharmaḥ'.

एषः (eṣaḥ) - this (referring to the principle being discussed) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this

Note: Refers to 'dharmaḥ'.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, principle, righteousness (dharma) (natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, sacred law)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, sacred law (dharma)

From root dhṛ "to uphold, support"

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Subject of the first clause implicitly.

धर्मभृताम् (dharmabhṛtām) - of those who uphold natural law (dharma), of the righteous

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of dharmabhṛt

dharmabhṛt - upholding natural law (dharma), righteous

agent noun from √bhṛ + dharma

Compound of dharma (noun) and bhṛt (agent noun from root bhṛ).

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+bhṛt)

• dharma – natural law, duty, righteousness
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• bhṛt – bearing, carrying, supporting, upholding
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun/Adjective from √bhṛ
  From root bhṛ, with suffix -t
  Root: bhṛ (class 3)

Note: Genitive plural, describing "vara".

वर (vara) - O best (vocative, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira) (best, excellent, desired, boons)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - excellent, best, choicest; a boon

From root vṛ "to choose"

Root: vṛ (class 1)

Note: Adjective used as a noun in vocative.

गोघ्नेषु (goghneṣu) - even for cow-killers (among cow-killers, in the matter of cow-killers)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of goghan

goghan - cow-killer, one who kills cows

Compound of go (cow) and ghan (killer, from √han "to strike, kill").

Compound type : tatpurusha (go+han)

• go – cow, ox, cattle
  noun (masculine)
• han – killer, slayer
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from √han
  Derived from root han 'to strike, kill'
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: Indicates the context or group for whom expiation is considered.

अपि (api) - even (also, even, indeed, too)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the possibility of expiation even for severe sinners.

भवेत् (bhavet) - there can be, may there be (may be, should be, exists)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

From root bhū, 1st class verb.

Root: bhū (class 1)

अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this context, for this (referring to the cow-killer, pāpakarmaṇaḥ) (in this, for this, in him)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, here

Note: Refers to 'pāpakarmaṇaḥ'.

निष्कृतिः (niṣkṛtiḥ) - expiation (expiation, atonement, purification, remedy)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of niṣkṛti

niṣkṛti - expiation, atonement, purification, remedy, completion

action noun from niṣ-kṛ

From root kṛ with upasarga niṣ

Prefix: niṣ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of 'bhavet'.

पापकर्मणः (pāpakarmaṇaḥ) - of the one who commits sinful deeds (karma) (of the sinful doer, of the one who commits evil deeds)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pāpakarmā

pāpakarmā - evil-doer, one who performs sinful acts

Compound of pāpa (sinful) and karman (action).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (pāpa+karman)

• pāpa – sin, evil, bad
  adjective (neuter)
• karman – action, deed, work, ritual
  noun (neuter)
  Action noun from √kṛ
  Formed with suffix -man
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Indicates whose expiation is being discussed.

निष्कृतिः (niṣkṛtiḥ) - expiation (expiation, atonement, purification, remedy)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of niṣkṛti

niṣkṛti - expiation, atonement, purification, remedy, completion

action noun from niṣ-kṛ

From root kṛ with upasarga niṣ

Prefix: niṣ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of the second clause.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'bhavet'.

भवेत् (bhavet) - should be, exists (may be, should be, exists)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

From root bhū, 1st class verb.

Root: bhū (class 1)

तस्मिन् (tasmin) - for him (referring to "yaḥ") (in him, for him, in that)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'yaḥ'.

यः (yaḥ) - whoever (who, whoever (masculine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, who

Note: Subject of 'hanyāt'.

हन्यात् (hanyāt) - should kill, may kill

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of han

From root han, 2nd class verb.

Root: han (class 2)

शरणागतम् (śaraṇāgatam) - one who has sought refuge (one who has sought refuge, a refugee, protected)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śaraṇāgata

śaraṇāgata - come for protection, sought refuge, a refugee

Compound of śaraṇa (refuge) and āgata (come, arrived).

Compound type : tatpurusha (śaraṇa+āgata)

• śaraṇa – refuge, protection, shelter
  noun (neuter)
  Root: śṛ (class 1)
• āgata – come, arrived, approached
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root gam with upasarga ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Object of 'hanyāt'.