महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-151, verse-29

वैरं न कुर्वीत नरो दुर्बुद्धिर्बुद्धिजीविना ।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतो याति तूलेष्विव हुताशनः ॥२९॥

29. vairaṁ na kurvīta naro durbuddhirbuddhijīvinā ,
buddhirbuddhimato yāti tūleṣviva hutāśanaḥ.

29. vairam na kurvīta naraḥ durbuddhiḥ buddhi-jīvinā
buddhiḥ buddhi-mataḥ yāti tūleṣu iva hutāśanaḥ

29. naraḥ durbuddhiḥ buddhi-jīvinā vairam na kurvīta hutāśanaḥ tūleṣu iva,
buddhiḥ buddhi-mataḥ yāti.

29. A person of poor intellect (durbuddhi) should not make an enemy of one who thrives on intellect. Just as fire quickly spreads among cotton, so does intellect swiftly permeate (or influence) intelligent people.

Words meanings summery:

• वैरम् (vairam) - enmity, hostility

• न (na) - not

• कुर्वीत (kurvīta) - should do, should make

• नरः (naraḥ) - a man, a person

• दुर्बुद्धिः (durbuddhiḥ) - having bad intellect, foolish, stupid

• बुद्धि-जीविना (buddhi-jīvinā) - by one who lives by intellect, by an intellectual

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect, understanding

• बुद्धि-मतः (buddhi-mataḥ) - of an intelligent person, to an intelligent person

• याति (yāti) - goes, moves, spreads

• तूलेषु (tūleṣu) - in/among cotton, in/among flocks of cotton

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• हुताशनः (hutāśanaḥ) - fire, Agni (god of fire)

Words meanings and morphology

वैरम् (vairam) - enmity, hostility

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vaira

vaira - enmity, hostility, revenge

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

कुर्वीत (kurvīta) - should do, should make

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (liṅ) of kṛ

optative mood, third person singular

root kṛ (class 8), optative, ātmanepada

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Used here in the sense of 'should make' or 'should cause'.

नरः (naraḥ) - a man, a person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, male

दुर्बुद्धिः (durbuddhiḥ) - having bad intellect, foolish, stupid

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of durbuddhi

durbuddhi - having bad intellect, foolish, stupid

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (dur+buddhi)

• dur – bad, difficult, ill
  indeclinable
• buddhi – intellect, understanding, perception, mind
  noun (feminine)
  Root: budh (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'naraḥ'.

बुद्धि-जीविना (buddhi-jīvinā) - by one who lives by intellect, by an intellectual

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of buddhi-jīvin

buddhi-jīvin - one who lives by intellect, an intellectual

Compound formed from buddhi (intellect) and jīvin (living, existing by).

Compound type : tatpurusha (buddhi+jīvin)

• buddhi – intellect, understanding, perception, mind
  noun (feminine)
  Root: budh (class 1)
• jīvin – living, existing, one who lives
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root jīv 'to live'
  Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Refers to making enmity *with* such a person, hence instrumental.

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect, understanding

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, perception, mind

Root: budh (class 1)

Note: Subject of the second clause.

बुद्धि-मतः (buddhi-mataḥ) - of an intelligent person, to an intelligent person

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of buddhi-mat

buddhi-mat - intelligent, endowed with intellect

Derived from buddhi + matup suffix indicating possession.

Note: Can also be ablative, but genitive makes more sense here, implying 'among' or 'to' intelligent people.

याति (yāti) - goes, moves, spreads

(verb)

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

present tense, third person singular

root yā (class 2), present indicative, parasmaipada

Root: yā (class 2)

तूलेषु (tūleṣu) - in/among cotton, in/among flocks of cotton

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of tūla

tūla - cotton, a flock or tuft of cotton

Note: 'among cotton'

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

हुताशनः (hutāśanaḥ) - fire, Agni (god of fire)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hutāśana

hutāśana - fire, one who consumes offerings

Compound formed from huta (offered) and aśana (eating).

Compound type : tatpurusha (huta+aśana)

• huta – offered, sacrificed
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root hu 'to sacrifice, offer'
  Root: hu (class 3)
• aśana – eating, food, consumer
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root aś 'to eat'
  Root: aś (class 9)

Note: Subject of the simile.