महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-171, verse-16

यः कामान्प्राप्नुयात्सर्वान्यश्चैनान्केवलांस्त्यजेत् ।
प्रापणात्सर्वकामानां परित्यागो विशिष्यते ॥१६॥

16. yaḥ kāmānprāpnuyātsarvānyaścainānkevalāṁstyajet ,
prāpaṇātsarvakāmānāṁ parityāgo viśiṣyate.

16. yaḥ kāmān prāpnuyāt sarvān yaḥ ca enān kevalān
tyajet prāpaṇāt sarvakāmānām parityāgaḥ viśiṣyate

16. yaḥ sarvān kāmān prāpnuyāt,
ca yaḥ kevalān enān tyajet; sarvakāmānām prāpaṇāt parityāgaḥ viśiṣyate.

16. Whoever obtains all desires, and whoever completely abandons them; the abandonment of all desires is superior to their attainment.

Words meanings summery:

• यः (yaḥ) - the one who (whoever, which)

• कामान् (kāmān) - worldly desires or objects of desire (desires, wishes, pleasures)

• प्राप्नुयात् (prāpnuyāt) - could attain (may obtain, should obtain)

• सर्वान् (sarvān) - all kinds of (all, whole)

• यः (yaḥ) - the one who (whoever, which)

• च (ca) - connecting the two clauses with 'and' (and, also)

• एनान् (enān) - referring back to 'desires' (kāmān) (them, these)

• केवलान् (kevalān) - completely, entirely (adverbial use) (alone, only, pure, complete)

• त्यजेत् (tyajet) - should give up (may abandon, should abandon, renounce)

• प्रापणात् (prāpaṇāt) - compared to the act of acquiring (from obtaining, than attainment)

• सर्वकामानाम् (sarvakāmānām) - referring to the entire scope of desires (of all desires)

• परित्यागः (parityāgaḥ) - giving up entirely (abandonment, renunciation, relinquishment)

• विशिष्यते (viśiṣyate) - is considered better (is superior, excels, is distinguished)

Words meanings and morphology

यः (yaḥ) - the one who (whoever, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, that

Note: Relative pronoun.

कामान् (kāmān) - worldly desires or objects of desire (desires, wishes, pleasures)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, pleasure, love

From root kam (to desire)

Root: kam (class 1)

प्राप्नुयात् (prāpnuyāt) - could attain (may obtain, should obtain)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of prāp

3rd person singular optative, active voice

From root āp (to obtain) with prefix pra-.

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Expresses potentiality or hypothetical condition.

सर्वान् (sarvān) - all kinds of (all, whole)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, entire

Note: Modifies 'kāmān'.

यः (yaḥ) - the one who (whoever, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, that

Note: Relative pronoun, introduces the second clause.

च (ca) - connecting the two clauses with 'and' (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

एनान् (enān) - referring back to 'desires' (kāmān) (them, these)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of enad

enad - this, that, these

Note: Demonstrative pronoun.

केवलान् (kevalān) - completely, entirely (adverbial use) (alone, only, pure, complete)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of kevala

kevala - alone, solitary, exclusive, pure, absolute, complete

Note: Modifies 'enān' (desires), implying complete abandonment.

त्यजेत् (tyajet) - should give up (may abandon, should abandon, renounce)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of tyaj

3rd person singular optative, active voice

Root tyaj.

Root: tyaj (class 1)

Note: Expresses potentiality or hypothetical condition.

प्रापणात् (prāpaṇāt) - compared to the act of acquiring (from obtaining, than attainment)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of prāpaṇa

prāpaṇa - attainment, acquisition, obtaining

From pra-āp (to obtain) with suffix -aṇa.

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Indicates comparison (better *than* attaining).

सर्वकामानाम् (sarvakāmānām) - referring to the entire scope of desires (of all desires)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sarvakāma

sarvakāma - all desires, every wish

Compound of sarva (all) and kāma (desire).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sarva+kāma)

• sarva – all, every, whole, entire
  adjective
• kāma – desire, wish, pleasure
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kam (class 1)

Note: Qualifies both 'prāpaṇāt' and 'parityāgaḥ' implicitly, meaning 'the attainment *of all desires* vs the abandonment *of all desires*'.

परित्यागः (parityāgaḥ) - giving up entirely (abandonment, renunciation, relinquishment)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parityāga

parityāga - abandonment, relinquishment, renunciation

From pari-tyaj (to abandon entirely)

Prefix: pari

Root: tyaj (class 1)

Note: Subject of the main clause.

विशिष्यते (viśiṣyate) - is considered better (is superior, excels, is distinguished)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (lat) of viśiṣ

3rd person singular present, passive voice

From root śiṣ (to distinguish) with prefix vi-.

Prefix: vi

Root: śiṣ (class 7)