महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-204, verse-13

सरजस्तामसैर्भावैश्च्युतो हेतुबलान्वितः ।
क्षेत्रज्ञमेवानुयाति पांसुर्वातेरितो यथा ।
न च तैः स्पृश्यते भावो न ते तेन महात्मना ॥१३॥

13. sarajastāmasairbhāvaiścyuto hetubalānvitaḥ ,
kṣetrajñamevānuyāti pāṁsurvāterito yathā ,
na ca taiḥ spṛśyate bhāvo na te tena mahātmanā.

13. sarajastāmasaiḥ bhāvaiḥ cyutaḥ
hetubalānvitaḥ kṣetrajñam eva anuyāti
pāṃsuḥ vāteritaḥ yathā na ca taiḥ
spṛśyate bhāvaḥ na te tena mahātmanā

13. (saḥ) sarajastāmasaiḥ bhāvaiḥ cyutaḥ hetubalānvitaḥ,
yathā vāteritaḥ pāṃsuḥ (asti),
kṣetrajñam eva anuyāti ca bhāvaḥ taiḥ na spṛśyate ca te tena mahātmanā na (spṛśyante)

13. One who has deviated due to qualities (bhāvas) imbued with passion (rajas) and inertia (tamas), and is propelled by the force of their causes (karma), follows only the knower of the field (kṣetrajña), just as dust is carried by the wind. Yet, the pure essence (bhāva) is not touched by these qualities, nor are these qualities able to affect that great self (ātman).

Words meanings summery:

• सरजस्तामसैः (sarajastāmasaiḥ) - by the qualities (bhāvas) imbued with passion (rajas) and inertia (tamas) (by passionate and inert qualities)

• भावैः (bhāvaiḥ) - by the qualities (bhāvas) (by states, by conditions, by natures, by qualities)

• च्युतः (cyutaḥ) - deviated or fallen from its true nature (fallen, deviated, moved from)

• हेतुबलान्वितः (hetubalānvitaḥ) - propelled by the force of its conditioning causes (karma) (endowed with the power of causes)

• क्षेत्रज्ञम् (kṣetrajñam) - the knower of the field (kṣetrajña), referring to the supreme self or consciousness (the knower of the field)

• एव (eva) - only (only, just, indeed, precisely)

• अनुयाति (anuyāti) - follows (follows, goes after)

• पांसुः (pāṁsuḥ) - dust

• वातेरितः (vāteritaḥ) - carried by the wind (wind-driven, carried by the wind)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as)

• न (na) - not (not, nor)

• च (ca) - yet (and, also)

• तैः (taiḥ) - by those qualities (bhāvas) (by them)

• स्पृश्यते (spṛśyate) - is touched (is touched, is affected)

• भावः (bhāvaḥ) - the pure essence of the self (ātman) (nature, essence, state of being)

• न (na) - nor (not, nor)

• ते (te) - those qualities (rajas and tamas) (they)

• तेन (tena) - by that great self (ātman) (by that)

• महात्मना (mahātmanā) - by that great self (ātman), referring to the kṣetrajña (by the great self, by the supreme soul)

Words meanings and morphology

सरजस्तामसैः (sarajastāmasaiḥ) - by the qualities (bhāvas) imbued with passion (rajas) and inertia (tamas) (by passionate and inert qualities)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of sarajastāmasa

sarajastāmasa - related to rajas and tamas, passionate and inert

Dvandva compound of 'sarajas' (with rajas) and 'tāmasa' (related to tamas).

Compound type : dvandva (sarajas+tāmasa)

• sarajas – with rajas, passionate, dusty
  adjective
  sa- (with) + rajas (passion)
• tāmasa – relating to tamas, dark, ignorant, dull
  adjective (masculine/neuter)
  Derived from 'tamas' (darkness, inertia).

Note: Agrees with 'bhāvaiḥ'.

भावैः (bhāvaiḥ) - by the qualities (bhāvas) (by states, by conditions, by natures, by qualities)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of bhāva

bhāva - state, condition, nature, quality, being, existence

From root 'bhū' (to be, exist).

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Modified by 'sarajastāmasaiḥ'.

च्युतः (cyutaḥ) - deviated or fallen from its true nature (fallen, deviated, moved from)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cyuta

cyuta - fallen, deviated, moved from, displaced

Past Passive Participle

From root 'cyu' (to move, fall) with suffix '-ta'.

Root: cyu (class 1)

Note: Modifies the implicit subject.

हेतुबलान्वितः (hetubalānvitaḥ) - propelled by the force of its conditioning causes (karma) (endowed with the power of causes)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hetubalānvita

hetubalānvita - endowed with the power of causes, accompanied by the strength of reasons

Compound of 'hetu-bala' (power of cause) and 'anvita' (endowed with, accompanied by).

Compound type : tatpurusha (hetu+bala+anvita)

• hetu – cause, reason, motive
  noun (masculine)
  Root: hi
• bala – strength, power, force
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bal
• anvita – accompanied by, endowed with, possessed of
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  From 'anu-i' (to follow) or 'anv-ita' (connected).
  Prefix: anu
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Modifies the implicit subject.

क्षेत्रज्ञम् (kṣetrajñam) - the knower of the field (kṣetrajña), referring to the supreme self or consciousness (the knower of the field)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kṣetrajña

kṣetrajña - knower of the field, the soul, the individual spirit, consciousness

Compound of 'kṣetra' (field, body) and 'jña' (knower).

Compound type : tatpurusha (kṣetra+jña)

• kṣetra – field, body, area of activity
  noun (neuter)
• jña – knowing, knower
  noun/adjective
  From root 'jñā' (to know).
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Object of 'anuyāti'.

एव (eva) - only (only, just, indeed, precisely)

(indeclinable)

Particle for emphasis.

Note: Emphasizes 'kṣetrajñam'.

अनुयाति (anuyāti) - follows (follows, goes after)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of anu-yā

Present active indicative, 3rd person singular

Formed from prefix 'anu' and root 'yā'.

Prefix: anu

Root: yā (class 2)

पांसुः (pāṁsuḥ) - dust

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pāṃsu

pāṁsu - dust, sand, powder

Note: Subject of the simile.

वातेरितः (vāteritaḥ) - carried by the wind (wind-driven, carried by the wind)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vāterita

vāterita - wind-driven, agitated by wind

Past Passive Participle

Compound of 'vāta' (wind) and 'īrita' (driven).

Compound type : tatpurusha (vāta+īrita)

• vāta – wind, air
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'vā' (to blow).
  Root: vā (class 2)
• īrita – driven, propelled, agitated, spoken
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'īr' (to move, send).
  Root: īr (class 2)

Note: Modifies 'pāṃsuḥ'.

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as)

(indeclinable)

Correlative particle.

न (na) - not (not, nor)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

च (ca) - yet (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

Note: Used twice in the verse, 'na ca ... na te'.

तैः (taiḥ) - by those qualities (bhāvas) (by them)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to 'sarajastāmasaiḥ bhāvaiḥ'.

स्पृश्यते (spṛśyate) - is touched (is touched, is affected)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of spṛś

Present passive indicative, 3rd person singular

From root 'spṛś' with passive stem formation 'śya'.

Root: spṛś (class 6)

भावः (bhāvaḥ) - the pure essence of the self (ātman) (nature, essence, state of being)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhāva

bhāva - state, condition, nature, quality, being, existence, essence

From root 'bhū' (to be, exist).

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'spṛśyate'.

न (na) - nor (not, nor)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

ते (te) - those qualities (rajas and tamas) (they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to the 'bhāvaiḥ' (qualities) mentioned earlier.

तेन (tena) - by that great self (ātman) (by that)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to 'mahātmanā'.

महात्मना (mahātmanā) - by that great self (ātman), referring to the kṣetrajña (by the great self, by the supreme soul)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great soul, supreme spirit, noble person

Compound of 'mahā' (great) and 'ātman' (self, soul).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+ātman)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
  From 'mahat'.
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)
  Root: an

Note: Agent of implicit passive verb.