महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-161, verse-18

आस्तिका नास्तिकाश्चैव नियताः संयमे परे ।
अप्रज्ञानं तमोभूतं प्रज्ञानं तु प्रकाशता ॥१८॥

18. āstikā nāstikāścaiva niyatāḥ saṁyame pare ,
aprajñānaṁ tamobhūtaṁ prajñānaṁ tu prakāśatā.

18. āstikāḥ nāstikāḥ ca eva niyatāḥ saṃyame pare
aprajñānam tamaḥbhūtam prajñānam tu prakāśatā

18. āstikāḥ ca eva nāstikāḥ pare saṃyame niyatāḥ
aprajñānam tamaḥbhūtam tu prajñānam prakāśatā

18. Both believers and non-believers are disciplined in supreme self-control. Ignorance is enveloped in darkness, but true knowledge is luminosity.

Words meanings summery:

• आस्तिकाः (āstikāḥ) - believers, theists

• नास्तिकाः (nāstikāḥ) - non-believers, atheists

• च (ca) - and

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

• नियताः (niyatāḥ) - disciplined, restrained, controlled

• संयमे (saṁyame) - in self-control, in restraint, in discipline

• परे (pare) - supreme, highest, excellent

• अप्रज्ञानम् (aprajñānam) - ignorance, lack of knowledge

• तमःभूतम् (tamaḥbhūtam) - darkness-enshrouded, characterized by darkness

• प्रज्ञानम् (prajñānam) - true knowledge, wisdom

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, however

• प्रकाशता (prakāśatā) - luminosity, clarity, radiance, manifestation

Words meanings and morphology

आस्तिकाः (āstikāḥ) - believers, theists

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of āstika

āstika - believer, one who believes in the Vedas/existence of a soul/future life

नास्तिकाः (nāstikāḥ) - non-believers, atheists

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nāstika

nāstika - non-believer, atheist, one who denies the authority of the Vedas or existence of a soul/future life

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

(indeclinable)

नियताः (niyatāḥ) - disciplined, restrained, controlled

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of niyata

niyata - restrained, self-controlled, disciplined, fixed, regulated

Past Passive Participle

From ni-yam (to restrain)

Prefix: ni

Root: yam (class 1)

Note: Used here adjectivally to describe the believers and non-believers.

संयमे (saṁyame) - in self-control, in restraint, in discipline

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃyama

saṁyama - self-control, restraint, discipline, control (yoga)

From sam-yam

Prefix: sam

Root: yam (class 1)

Note: Refers to the practice of self-restraint as a part of (yoga).

परे (pare) - supreme, highest, excellent

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of para

para - supreme, highest, ultimate, excellent, another

Note: Modifies 'saṃyame'.

अप्रज्ञानम् (aprajñānam) - ignorance, lack of knowledge

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of aprajñāna

aprajñāna - ignorance, lack of knowledge, nescience

Negative particle 'a' + prajñāna

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+prajñāna)

• a – not, non
  indeclinable
• prajñāna – knowledge, wisdom, intelligence
  noun (neuter)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: jñā (class 9)

तमःभूतम् (tamaḥbhūtam) - darkness-enshrouded, characterized by darkness

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tamaḥbhūta

tamaḥbhūta - covered by darkness, consisting of darkness, enveloped in gloom

Compound of tamas (darkness) and bhūta (become, being)

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (tamas+bhūta)

• tamas – darkness, gloom, ignorance, quality of inertia (tamas)
  noun (neuter)
• bhūta – been, become, existing, being, creature
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root bhū (to be, to become)
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'aprajñānam'.

प्रज्ञानम् (prajñānam) - true knowledge, wisdom

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of prajñāna

prajñāna - knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, discriminative knowledge

From pra-jñā (to know well)

Prefix: pra

Root: jñā (class 9)

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, however

(indeclinable)

प्रकाशता (prakāśatā) - luminosity, clarity, radiance, manifestation

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prakāśatā

prakāśatā - luminosity, radiance, clearness, manifestation, state of being light

Derived from prakāśa (light, manifestation) + suffix -tā (state of being)

Prefix: pra

Root: kāś (class 1)

Note: It stands parallel to 'tamaḥbhūtam' (darkness-enshrouded) with an implied 'is'.