महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-148, verse-29

उभे तु यस्य सुकृते भवेतां किं स्वित्तयोस्तत्र जयोत्तरं स्यात् ।
आचक्ष्व नः कर्मफलं महर्षे कथं पापं नुदते पुण्यशीलः ॥२९॥

29. ubhe tu yasya sukṛte bhavetāṁ; kiṁ svittayostatra jayottaraṁ syāt ,
ācakṣva naḥ karmaphalaṁ maharṣe; kathaṁ pāpaṁ nudate puṇyaśīlaḥ.

29. ubhe tu yasya sukṛte bhavetām kim
svit tayoḥ tatra jayottaram syāt
ācakṣva naḥ karmaphalam maharṣe
katham pāpam nudate puṇyaśīlaḥ

29. maharṣe yasya ubhe sukṛte bhavetām
tayoḥ tatra kim svit jayottaram
syāt naḥ karmaphalam ācakṣva
puṇyaśīlaḥ pāpam katham nudate

29. If a person has performed both kinds of good deeds, what would be the superior outcome between the two? O great sage, explain to us the results of actions (karma), and how a virtuous person dispels evil.

Words meanings summery:

• उभे (ubhe) - both (kinds of good deeds) (both (feminine/neuter dual))

• तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing the condition) (but, indeed, yet, then)

• यस्य (yasya) - whose, of whom (referring to a person) (whose, of whom, by whom, for whom)

• सुकृते (sukṛte) - good deeds, meritorious actions (good deeds, merits (dual))

• भवेताम् (bhavetām) - may exist, may befall (may exist, may occur, may be (dual optative))

• किम् (kim) - what (interrogative pronoun) (what, why, whether)

• स्वित् (svit) - indeed, then (particle indicating interrogation or doubt) (indeed, perhaps, or, then)

• तयोः (tayoḥ) - between those two (good deeds) (of those two, between those two)

• तत्र (tatra) - among them, in that situation (there, in that case, among them)

• जयोत्तरम् (jayottaram) - superior outcome, better result (superior victory, better outcome)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be, might be (may be, let it be, would be (optative))

• आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - explain, tell (explain, tell, recount (imperative middle))

• नः (naḥ) - to us (us, to us, our)

• कर्मफलम् (karmaphalam) - the results of actions (karma) (fruit of action (karma), consequence of deeds)

• महर्षे (maharṣe) - O great sage (vocative) (O great sage)

• कथम् (katham) - how (interrogative adverb) (how, in what manner)

• पापम् (pāpam) - evil, sin (evil, sin, vice)

• नुदते (nudate) - dispels, wards off (pushes away, dispels, removes (present tense))

• पुण्यशीलः (puṇyaśīlaḥ) - a virtuous person, a righteous one (virtuous, righteous, of good character)

Words meanings and morphology

उभे (ubhe) - both (kinds of good deeds) (both (feminine/neuter dual))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, dual of ubha

ubha - both

Note: Can be feminine or neuter dual. Here likely neuter as it refers to sukṛte (neuter dual).

तु (tu) - indeed (emphasizing the condition) (but, indeed, yet, then)

(indeclinable)

यस्य (yasya) - whose, of whom (referring to a person) (whose, of whom, by whom, for whom)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: Can be masculine or neuter singular genitive. Here likely masculine, referring to a person.

सुकृते (sukṛte) - good deeds, meritorious actions (good deeds, merits (dual))

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, dual of sukṛta

sukṛta - well-done, meritorious act, good deed, virtue

Past Passive Participle

From su- (good) + kṛta (done), participle of kṛ (to do)

Compound type : karmaṇi śāka-parthivādi (su+kṛta)

• su – good, well
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, performed; deed, action
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root kṛ (to do)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

भवेताम् (bhavetām) - may exist, may befall (may exist, may occur, may be (dual optative))

(verb)

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

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Parasmaipada, 3rd person dual

किम् (kim) - what (interrogative pronoun) (what, why, whether)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why, whether

Note: Can be neuter singular nominative/accusative, or an indeclinable 'why/whether'.

स्वित् (svit) - indeed, then (particle indicating interrogation or doubt) (indeed, perhaps, or, then)

(indeclinable)

तयोः (tayoḥ) - between those two (good deeds) (of those two, between those two)

(pronoun)

Genitive, neuter, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Can be masculine/neuter dual genitive/locative. Here neuter, referring to sukṛte.

तत्र (tatra) - among them, in that situation (there, in that case, among them)

(indeclinable)

Derived from tad (that) + tral (suffix for place)

जयोत्तरम् (jayottaram) - superior outcome, better result (superior victory, better outcome)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jayottara

jayottara - superior victory, better outcome, that which leads to victory

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (jaya+uttara)

• jaya – victory, triumph, success
  noun (masculine)
  Root: ji (class 1)
• uttara – superior, subsequent, later, answer, north
  adjective (neuter)

स्यात् (syāt) - would be, might be (may be, let it be, would be (optative))

(verb)

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

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular

आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - explain, tell (explain, tell, recount (imperative middle))

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of cakṣ

Prefix: ā

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

Note: Ātmanepada, 2nd person singular

नः (naḥ) - to us (us, to us, our)

(pronoun)

Dative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Can be accusative, dative, or genitive plural.

कर्मफलम् (karmaphalam) - the results of actions (karma) (fruit of action (karma), consequence of deeds)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of karmaphala

karmaphala - fruit of action, consequence of deeds

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (karman+phala)

• karman – action, deed, work, ritual action
  noun (neuter)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• phala – fruit, result, consequence, reward
  noun (neuter)

महर्षे (maharṣe) - O great sage (vocative) (O great sage)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of maharṣi

maharṣi - great sage, a revered seer

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+ṛṣi)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• ṛṣi – sage, seer, inspired poet
  noun (masculine)
  Root: ṛṣ (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how (interrogative adverb) (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

पापम् (pāpam) - evil, sin (evil, sin, vice)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pāpa

pāpa - evil, bad, wicked; sin, vice, evil deed

नुदते (nudate) - dispels, wards off (pushes away, dispels, removes (present tense))

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of nud

Root: nud (class 6)

Note: Ātmanepada, 3rd person singular

पुण्यशीलः (puṇyaśīlaḥ) - a virtuous person, a righteous one (virtuous, righteous, of good character)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puṇyaśīla

puṇyaśīla - virtuous, righteous, of good character; a virtuous person

Compound type : bahuvrīhi or karmadhāraya (puṇya+śīla)

• puṇya – meritorious, virtuous, sacred, good deed
  adjective (neuter)
• śīla – character, disposition, nature, conduct
  noun (neuter)
  Root: śīl (class 1)