महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-149, verse-37

यत्करोति शुभं कर्म तथाधर्मं सुदारुणम् ।
तत्कर्तैव समश्नाति बान्धवानां किमत्र हि ॥३७॥

37. yatkaroti śubhaṁ karma tathādharmaṁ sudāruṇam ,
tatkartaiva samaśnāti bāndhavānāṁ kimatra hi.

37. yat karoti śubham karma tathā adharmam sudāruṇam
| tat kartā eva samaśnāti bāndhavānām kim atra hi

37. yat śubham karma karoti tathā sudāruṇam adharmam
[karoti] tat kartā eva samaśnāti bāndhavānām atra kim hi

37. Whatever good deed one performs, and likewise any extremely terrible unrighteousness (adharma), the doer alone experiences its consequence. What role, then, do relatives play in this?

Words meanings summery:

• यत् (yat) - which, whatever, that which

• करोति (karoti) - one does, performs, makes

• शुभम् (śubham) - good, auspicious, beautiful

• कर्म (karma) - deed, action

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, and, likewise

• अधर्मम् (adharmam) - unrighteousness, injustice

• सुदारुणम् (sudāruṇam) - very dreadful, extremely cruel

• तत् (tat) - that (consequence)

• कर्ता (kartā) - the doer

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

• समश्नाति (samaśnāti) - experiences, eats, enjoys

• बान्धवानाम् (bāndhavānām) - of the relatives

• किम् (kim) - what, why

• अत्र (atra) - here, in this matter

• हि (hi) - indeed, certainly, for

Words meanings and morphology

यत् (yat) - which, whatever, that which

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, whatever, that which

Note: Functions as a relative pronoun, referring to 'karma' and 'adharma'.

करोति (karoti) - one does, performs, makes

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of kṛ

Present active

Root: kṛ (class 8)

शुभम् (śubham) - good, auspicious, beautiful

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śubha

śubha - auspicious, good, beautiful, propitious

Root: śubh (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'karma'.

कर्म (karma) - deed, action

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma)

From kṛ + man

Root: kṛ (class 8)

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, and, likewise

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects good and bad deeds.

अधर्मम् (adharmam) - unrighteousness, injustice

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of adharma

adharma - unrighteousness, injustice, vice, evil, not natural law

Negative compound of dharma

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+dharma)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
• dharma – natural law, duty, righteousness, intrinsic nature, constitution (dharma)
  noun (masculine)
  From dhṛ + man
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

सुदारुणम् (sudāruṇam) - very dreadful, extremely cruel

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sudāruṇa

sudāruṇa - very dreadful, extremely harsh, utterly cruel

Compound of su- (intensifier) and dāruṇa (dreadful)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+dāruṇa)

• su – good, well, very
  indeclinable
• dāruṇa – dreadful, cruel, harsh
  adjective (masculine)
  From dāru (wood) or dṛ (to tear)
  Root: dṛ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'adharmam'.

तत् (tat) - that (consequence)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the 'karma' or 'adharma' performed.

कर्ता (kartā) - the doer

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kartṛ

kartṛ - doer, agent, creator

Agent Noun

From kṛ + tṛc

Root: kṛ (class 8)

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes that it is *only* the doer.

समश्नाति (samaśnāti) - experiences, eats, enjoys

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of aś

Present active

With prefix sam-

Prefix: sam

Root: aś (class 9)

Note: The prefix 'sam' can imply fully, completely, or together. Here, it suggests fully experiencing the results.

बान्धवानाम् (bāndhavānām) - of the relatives

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of bāndhava

bāndhava - relative, kinsman, friend

From bandhu + aṇ

Root: bandh (class 9)

किम् (kim) - what, why

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what, which, why

Note: Implies a rhetorical question: 'what is for them?' meaning 'nothing'.

अत्र (atra) - here, in this matter

(indeclinable)

From idam + tral

Note: Refers to the context of deeds and their consequences.

हि (hi) - indeed, certainly, for

(indeclinable)

Note: Adds emphasis to the rhetorical question.