महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-155, verse-8

अहिंसा सत्यवचनं दानमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः ।
एतेभ्यो हि महाराज तपो नानशनात्परम् ॥८॥

8. ahiṁsā satyavacanaṁ dānamindriyanigrahaḥ ,
etebhyo hi mahārāja tapo nānaśanātparam.

8. ahiṃsā satyavacanam dānam indriyanigrahaḥ
etebhyaḥ hi mahārāja tapaḥ na anaśanāt param

8. ahiṃsā satyavacanam dānam indriyanigrahaḥ hi
mahārāja etebhyaḥ tapaḥ anaśanāt param na

8. Non-violence, truthful speech, charity (dāna), and control of the senses—even among these (practices), O great king, no austerity (tapas) is superior to fasting.

Words meanings summery:

• अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence, non-injury

• सत्यवचनम् (satyavacanam) - truthful speech, speaking truth

• दानम् (dānam) - charity, giving, donation

• इन्द्रियनिग्रहः (indriyanigrahaḥ) - control of the senses, restraint of the organs

• एतेभ्यः (etebhyaḥ) - than these, from these

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

• महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, spiritual discipline

• न (na) - not, nor

• अनशनात् (anaśanāt) - than fasting, from not eating

• परम् (param) - higher, supreme, superior

Words meanings and morphology

अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence, non-injury

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ahiṃsā

ahiṁsā - non-violence, non-injury

Compound: a- + hiṃsā (violence).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+hiṃsā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• hiṃsā – violence, injury, harm
  noun (feminine)
  From root hiṃs 'to injure'.
  Root: hiṃs (class 10)

सत्यवचनम् (satyavacanam) - truthful speech, speaking truth

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of satyavacana

satyavacana - truthful speech, speaking truth

Compound of satya (truth) and vacana (speech).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (satya+vacana)

• satya – truth, true
  noun (neuter)
• vacana – speech, word, saying
  noun (neuter)
  noun from verb
  Derived from root vac 'to speak'.
  Root: vac (class 2)

दानम् (dānam) - charity, giving, donation

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - gift, charity, giving, donation

noun from verb

Derived from root dā 'to give'.

Root: dā (class 3)

इन्द्रियनिग्रहः (indriyanigrahaḥ) - control of the senses, restraint of the organs

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of indriyanigraha

indriyanigraha - control of the senses, restraint of the organs

Compound of indriya (sense) and nigraha (restraint).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (indriya+nigraha)

• indriya – sense organ, faculty
  noun (neuter)
• nigraha – restraint, control, suppression
  noun (masculine)
  noun from verb
  Derived from root grah with upasarga ni-.
  Prefix: ni
  Root: grah (class 9)

एतेभ्यः (etebhyaḥ) - than these, from these

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Note: Refers to ahiṃsā, satyavacanam, dānam, indriyanigrahaḥ.

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahārāja

mahārāja - great king, emperor

Compound of mahā (great) and rājan (king).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+rājan)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
  Root: rāj (class 1)

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, spiritual discipline

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, spiritual discipline, heat

Root: tap (class 1)

न (na) - not, nor

(indeclinable)

अनशनात् (anaśanāt) - than fasting, from not eating

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of anaśana

anaśana - fasting, abstaining from food, not eating

Compound: a- + aśana (eating).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+aśana)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• aśana – eating, food
  noun (neuter)
  noun from verb
  Derived from root aś 'to eat'.
  Root: aś (class 9)

परम् (param) - higher, supreme, superior

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of para

para - supreme, highest, excellent, subsequent, other

Note: Agrees with 'tapaḥ'.