महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-159, verse-59

श्रेयांसं शयने हित्वा या पापीयांसमृच्छति ।
श्वभिस्तां खादयेद्राजा संस्थाने बहुसंवृते ॥५९॥

59. śreyāṁsaṁ śayane hitvā yā pāpīyāṁsamṛcchati ,
śvabhistāṁ khādayedrājā saṁsthāne bahusaṁvṛte.

59. śreyāṃsam śayane hitvā yā pāpīyāṃsam ṛcchati
śvabhiḥ tām khādayet rājā saṃsthāne bahusaṃvṛte

59. yā śayane śreyāṃsam hitvā pāpīyāṃsam ṛcchati
tām rājā bahusaṃvṛte saṃsthāne śvabhiḥ khādayet

59. The woman who abandons her superior husband and resorts to an inferior (wicked) man should be torn apart by dogs in a public, crowded place, as ordered by the king.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रेयांसम् (śreyāṁsam) - the better, the more excellent, the superior one

• शयने (śayane) - in bed, on the couch

• हित्वा (hitvā) - having abandoned, having left, having forsaken

• या (yā) - who (feminine)

• पापीयांसम् (pāpīyāṁsam) - the more wicked, the worse, the inferior one

• ऋच्छति (ṛcchati) - attains, goes to, resorts to

• श्वभिः (śvabhiḥ) - by dogs

• ताम् (tām) - her, that (feminine)

• खादयेत् (khādayet) - should cause to eat, should feed (by, with)

• राजा (rājā) - king

• संस्थाने (saṁsthāne) - in the assembly place, in the public place

• बहुसंवृते (bahusaṁvṛte) - in the much-covered, much-crowded place

Words meanings and morphology

श्रेयांसम् (śreyāṁsam) - the better, the more excellent, the superior one

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, more excellent, superior; welfare, prosperity

Comparative of praśasya (excellent)

Note: Refers to a husband or lover.

शयने (śayane) - in bed, on the couch

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of śayana

śayana - bed, couch, lying down

from √śī (to lie down)

Root: śī (class 2)

हित्वा (hitvā) - having abandoned, having left, having forsaken

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

from root hā (to abandon) + -tvā suffix; irregular form

Root: hā (class 3)

या (yā) - who (feminine)

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Refers to the woman.

पापीयांसम् (pāpīyāṁsam) - the more wicked, the worse, the inferior one

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pāpīyas

pāpīyas - more wicked, worse, more sinful

Comparative of pāpa (sinful, wicked)

Note: Refers to a lover.

ऋच्छति (ṛcchati) - attains, goes to, resorts to

(verb)

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

Root: ṛch (class 6)

श्वभिः (śvabhiḥ) - by dogs

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of śvan

śvan - dog

ताम् (tām) - her, that (feminine)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, it

Note: Refers to the unchaste woman.

खादयेत् (khādayet) - should cause to eat, should feed (by, with)

(verb)

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

Causative verb

Causative of √khād (to eat)

Root: khād (class 1)

Note: Here, 'cause to be eaten by dogs' implies tearing apart.

राजा (rājā) - king

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king

Note: Subject of 'khādayet'.

संस्थाने (saṁsthāne) - in the assembly place, in the public place

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of saṃsthāna

saṁsthāna - assembly place, public place, market, court of justice

from sam-√sthā (to stand together)

Prefix: sam

Root: sthā (class 1)

बहुसंवृते (bahusaṁvṛte) - in the much-covered, much-crowded place

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of bahusaṃvṛta

bahusaṁvṛta - much crowded, frequented by many

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bahu+saṃvṛta)

• bahu – many, much
  adjective (neuter)
• saṃvṛta – covered, surrounded, crowded
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from sam-√vṛ (to cover)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Qualifies 'saṃsthāne'.