महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-214, verse-4

भीष्म उवाच ।
मासपक्षोपवासेन मन्यन्ते यत्तपो जनाः ।
आत्मतन्त्रोपघातः स न तपस्तत्सतां मतम् ।
त्यागश्च सन्नतिश्चैव शिष्यते तप उत्तमम् ॥४॥

4. bhīṣma uvāca ,
māsapakṣopavāsena manyante yattapo janāḥ ,
ātmatantropaghātaḥ sa na tapastatsatāṁ matam ,
tyāgaśca sannatiścaiva śiṣyate tapa uttamam.

4. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca māsapakṣopavāsena manyante
yat tapaḥ janāḥ ātmatantropaghātaḥ
saḥ na tapas tat satām matam tyāgaḥ ca
sannatiḥ ca eva śiṣyate tapaḥ uttamam

4. Bhishma said: What people consider austerity (tapas)—fasting for a month or a fortnight—that is merely an injury to one's own system (ātmatantra) and is not considered austerity (tapas) by the wise. Renunciation (tyāga) and humility (sannati) alone remain as the supreme austerity (tapas).

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• मासपक्षोपवासेन (māsapakṣopavāsena) - by fasting for a month or a fortnight

• मन्यन्ते (manyante) - they consider, they think, they believe

• यत् (yat) - which, what, that which

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, spiritual heat (tapas)

• जनाः (janāḥ) - Common people. (people, folk)

• आत्मतन्त्रोपघातः (ātmatantropaghātaḥ) - Self-inflicted harm or disruption to one's own constitution or natural functions, specifically from excessive fasting. (injury to one's own system/self-control)

• सः (saḥ) - Refers to the 'fasting for a month or a fortnight'. (that (he, it))

• न (na) - not

• तपस् (tapas) - austerity, penance (tapas)

• तत् (tat) - Refers to 'that' (the activity described). (that (it))

• सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the wise, of virtuous persons

• मतम् (matam) - (is) considered (by them) (opinion, doctrine, considered, approved)

• त्यागः (tyāgaḥ) - renunciation, abandonment, sacrifice (tyāga)

• च (ca) - and, also

• सन्नतिः (sannatiḥ) - humility, prostration, bowing down (sannati)

• च (ca) - and, also

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• शिष्यते (śiṣyate) - remains, is left behind

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance (tapas)

• उत्तमम् (uttamam) - best, excellent, supreme

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma; one who causes dread, terrible

From root √bhīṣ (to frighten)

Root: √bhīṣ (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of √vac

perfect active indicative

Irregular perfect form of √vac

Root: √vac (class 2)

मासपक्षोपवासेन (māsapakṣopavāsena) - by fasting for a month or a fortnight

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of māsapakṣopavāsa

māsapakṣopavāsa - fasting for a month or half a month (fortnight)

From māsa (month) + pakṣa (fortnight) + upavāsa (fasting)

Compound type : dvandva (māsa+pakṣa+upavāsa)

• māsa – month
  noun (masculine)
• pakṣa – fortnight, side, wing
  noun (masculine)
• upavāsa – fasting
  noun (masculine)
  From upasarga upa- + root √vas
  Prefix: upa
  Root: √vas (class 1)

Note: Instrument of manyante.

मन्यन्ते (manyante) - they consider, they think, they believe

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of √man

present middle indicative

From root √man

Root: √man (class 4)

Note: Subject is janāḥ.

यत् (yat) - which, what, that which

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Note: Object of manyante implicitly refers to tapas.

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, spiritual heat (tapas)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, spiritual heat, religious observance, self-discipline (tapas)

From root √tap

Root: √tap (class 1)

Note: Predicate for yat and upavāsena.

जनाः (janāḥ) - Common people. (people, folk)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jana

jana - person, man, people, creature

From root √jan (to be born)

Root: √jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of manyante.

आत्मतन्त्रोपघातः (ātmatantropaghātaḥ) - Self-inflicted harm or disruption to one's own constitution or natural functions, specifically from excessive fasting. (injury to one's own system/self-control)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātmatantropaghāta

ātmatantropaghāta - injury to one's own system, harm to one's own body/self-control

From ātman (self) + tantra (system, rule) + upaghāta (injury, harm)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (ātman+tantra+upaghāta)

• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence (ātman)
  noun (masculine)
• tantra – system, rule, doctrine, body, self-dependence
  noun (neuter)
• upaghāta – injury, harm, destruction, impediment
  noun (masculine)
  From upasarga upa- + root √han (to strike, kill)
  Prefix: upa
  Root: √han (class 2)

Note: Predicate nominative to saḥ.

सः (saḥ) - Refers to the 'fasting for a month or a fortnight'. (that (he, it))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Masculine form matching upavāsa.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

तपस् (tapas) - austerity, penance (tapas)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, spiritual heat, religious observance, self-discipline (tapas)

From root √tap

Root: √tap (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative.

तत् (tat) - Refers to 'that' (the activity described). (that (it))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Refers to ātmatantropaghātaḥ implicitly.

सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the wise, of virtuous persons

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - good, virtuous, existing, wise, holy man

Present Active Participle (from √as)

Present participle of √as (to be) used substantively.

Root: √as (class 2)

Note: Possessive, referring to matam.

मतम् (matam) - (is) considered (by them) (opinion, doctrine, considered, approved)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mata

mata - thought, opinion, doctrine, considered, approved

Past Passive Participle

From root √man (to think, consider)

Root: √man (class 4)

Note: Predicate nominative for tat.

त्यागः (tyāgaḥ) - renunciation, abandonment, sacrifice (tyāga)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tyāga

tyāga - renunciation, abandonment, sacrifice, giving up (tyāga)

From root √tyaj (to abandon, forsake)

Root: √tyaj (class 1)

Note: Subject.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

सन्नतिः (sannatiḥ) - humility, prostration, bowing down (sannati)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sannati

sannati - humility, reverence, bowing, submission (sannati)

From sam- (together, complete) + root √nam (to bow) + suffix ktin

Prefix: sam

Root: √nam (class 1)

Note: Subject.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

शिष्यते (śiṣyate) - remains, is left behind

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of √śiṣ

present passive indicative

From root √śiṣ. Appears as a yaki-form (passive).

Root: √śiṣ (class 7)

Note: Subject is tapaḥ uttamam.

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance (tapas)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, spiritual heat, religious observance, self-discipline (tapas)

From root √tap

Root: √tap (class 1)

Note: Subject of śiṣyate.

उत्तमम् (uttamam) - best, excellent, supreme

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of uttama

uttama - highest, best, excellent, supreme, chief

Superlative of ud or upa.

Note: Modifies tapaḥ.