महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-194, verse-21

मत्स्यो यथा स्रोत इवाभिपाती तथा कृतं पूर्वमुपैति कर्म ।
शुभे त्वसौ तुष्यति दुष्कृते तु न तुष्यते वै परमः शरीरी ॥२१॥

21. matsyo yathā srota ivābhipātī; tathā kṛtaṁ pūrvamupaiti karma ,
śubhe tvasau tuṣyati duṣkṛte tu; na tuṣyate vai paramaḥ śarīrī.

21. matsyaḥ yathā srotaḥ iva abhipātī
tathā kṛtam pūrvam upaiti karma
śubhe tu asau tuṣyati duṣkṛte
tu na tuṣyate vai paramaḥ śarīrī

21. yathā matsyaḥ srotaḥ iva abhipātī,
tathā pūrvam kṛtam karma upaiti.
tu asau śubhe tuṣyati,
tu duṣkṛte vai na tuṣyate paramaḥ śarīrī.

21. Just as a fish moves against the current, so too do actions (karma) performed previously return to one. However, this paramount embodied being (paramaḥ śarīrī) finds satisfaction in good deeds but does not find satisfaction in evil deeds.

Words meanings summery:

• मत्स्यः (matsyaḥ) - fish

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

• स्रोतः (srotaḥ) - current, stream, flow

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• अभिपाती (abhipātī) - moving against (the current) (falling upon, rushing against, moving towards)

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that way

• कृतम् (kṛtam) - done, performed, made

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - former, previous, earlier

• उपैति (upaiti) - comes to, approaches, attains, returns

• कर्म (karma) - action, deed, work, destiny

• शुभे (śubhe) - in auspicious (karma) (in good things, in auspicious deeds)

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

• असौ (asau) - that one, he, she

• तुष्यति (tuṣyati) - is pleased, rejoices, finds satisfaction

• दुष्कृते (duṣkṛte) - in inauspicious (karma) (in evil deeds, in bad actions)

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

• न (na) - not, no

• तुष्यते (tuṣyate) - is pleased, rejoices, finds satisfaction

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely, certainly

• परमः (paramaḥ) - supreme, highest, ultimate

• शरीरी (śarīrī) - embodied one, the soul in the body

Words meanings and morphology

मत्स्यः (matsyaḥ) - fish

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of matsya

matsya - fish

Note: Subject of the comparison.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative to tathā.

स्रोतः (srotaḥ) - current, stream, flow

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of srotas

srotas - stream, current, flow, river

Root: sru (class 1)

Note: Serves as the object of comparison for abhipātī in the sense of 'against the current'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

अभिपाती (abhipātī) - moving against (the current) (falling upon, rushing against, moving towards)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of abhipātin

abhipātin - falling upon, attacking, rushing towards, moving against

Agent noun/Adjective from root pat (to fall) with prefix abhi.

Derived from root pat (to fall) with prefix abhi (towards, against).

Prefix: abhi

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Qualifies matsyaḥ.

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that way

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the second part of the comparison.

कृतम् (kṛtam) - done, performed, made

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛta

kṛta - done, made, performed, completed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root kṛ (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Qualifies karma.

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - former, previous, earlier

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pūrva

pūrva - former, previous, prior, eastern

Note: Qualifies karma.

उपैति (upaiti) - comes to, approaches, attains, returns

(verb)

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

Prefix: upa

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Parasmaipada form.

कर्म (karma) - action, deed, work, destiny

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, ritual, consequence of action, destiny

Derived from root kṛ (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of upaiti.

शुभे (śubhe) - in auspicious (karma) (in good things, in auspicious deeds)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of śubha

śubha - good, auspicious, beautiful, fortunate

Note: Locative of circumstance or object of emotion.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks contrast.

असौ (asau) - that one, he, she

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adas

adas - that (yonder), this one, he, she, it

Note: Refers to paramaḥ śarīrī.

तुष्यति (tuṣyati) - is pleased, rejoices, finds satisfaction

(verb)

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

Root: tuṣ (class 4)

Note: Parasmaipada form.

दुष्कृते (duṣkṛte) - in inauspicious (karma) (in evil deeds, in bad actions)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of duṣkṛta

duṣkṛta - evil deed, bad action, sin

Compound of dus (bad, evil) and kṛta (deed).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dus+kṛta)

• dus – bad, evil, difficult (prefix)
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, deed
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle used as noun
  Derived from root kṛ (to do).
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Locative of circumstance or object of emotion.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks contrast.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates the verb tuṣyate.

तुष्यते (tuṣyate) - is pleased, rejoices, finds satisfaction

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of tuṣ

Root: tuṣ (class 4)

Note: Atmanepada form.

वै (vai) - indeed, surely, certainly

(indeclinable)

Note: Adds emphasis.

परमः (paramaḥ) - supreme, highest, ultimate

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parama

parama - supreme, highest, ultimate, best, greatest

Note: Qualifies śarīrī.

शरीरी (śarīrī) - embodied one, the soul in the body

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śarīrin

śarīrin - embodied being, the soul (ātman) residing in the body

Derived from śarīra (body) with suffix -in.

Note: Subject of the second clause.