महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-234, verse-5

व्यास उवाच ।
यैषा वै विहिता वृत्तिः पुरस्ताद्ब्रह्मणा स्वयम् ।
एषा पूर्वतरैः सद्भिराचीर्णा परमर्षिभिः ॥५॥

5. vyāsa uvāca ,
yaiṣā vai vihitā vṛttiḥ purastādbrahmaṇā svayam ,
eṣā pūrvataraiḥ sadbhirācīrṇā paramarṣibhiḥ.

5. vyāsa uvāca yā eṣā vai vihitā vṛttiḥ purastāt brahmaṇā
svayam eṣā pūrvataraiḥ sadbhiḥ ācīrṇā paramarṣibhiḥ

5. vyāsa uvāca yā eṣā vṛttiḥ vai brahmaṇā svayam purastāt
vihitā eṣā pūrvataraiḥ sadbhiḥ paramarṣibhiḥ ca ācīrṇā

5. Vyāsa said: This way of life (vṛtti), which was indeed prescribed earlier by Brahmā himself, has been followed by virtuous persons (santaḥ) and great sages (paramarṣibhiḥ) of the past.

Words meanings summery:

• व्यास (vyāsa) - Vyāsa (name of a sage)

• उवाच (uvāca) - (he) said, spoke

• या (yā) - which, who

• एषा (eṣā) - this

• वै (vai) - indeed, verily, surely

• विहिता (vihitā) - prescribed, ordained, performed

• वृत्तिः (vṛttiḥ) - conduct, way of life, livelihood (vṛtti)

• पुरस्तात् (purastāt) - formerly, previously, in the past

• ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by Brahmā (the creator god)

• स्वयम् (svayam) - by oneself, personally, himself

• एषा (eṣā) - this

• पूर्वतरैः (pūrvataraiḥ) - by former ones, by those of old

• सद्भिः (sadbhiḥ) - by good people (santaḥ), by virtuous ones

• आचीर्णा (ācīrṇā) - practiced, followed, accustomed, performed

• परमर्षिभिः (paramarṣibhiḥ) - by great sages, by supreme rishis

Words meanings and morphology

व्यास (vyāsa) - Vyāsa (name of a sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyāsa

vyāsa - Vyāsa (name of a celebrated sage, compiler of Vedas and Mahābhārata), arrangement, expansion

उवाच (uvāca) - (he) said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect tense (liṭ) form of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

या (yā) - which, who

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, whatever

एषा (eṣā) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

वै (vai) - indeed, verily, surely

(indeclinable)

विहिता (vihitā) - prescribed, ordained, performed

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vihita

vihita - prescribed, ordained, performed, arranged

Past Passive Participle

From root 'dhā' (to place, to put) with prefix 'vi'

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'vṛttiḥ'

वृत्तिः (vṛttiḥ) - conduct, way of life, livelihood (vṛtti)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vṛtti

vṛtti - conduct, livelihood, way of life, existence

From root 'vṛt' (to be, to turn)

Root: vṛt (class 1)

पुरस्तात् (purastāt) - formerly, previously, in the past

(indeclinable)

ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by Brahmā (the creator god)

(proper noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - creator god (Brahmā); sacred word, prayer, knowledge; ultimate reality (brahman)

स्वयम् (svayam) - by oneself, personally, himself

(indeclinable)

एषा (eṣā) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

पूर्वतरैः (pūrvataraiḥ) - by former ones, by those of old

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of pūrvatara

pūrvatara - more ancient, older, prior, former

Comparative form of 'pūrva' (former, ancient)

सद्भिः (sadbhiḥ) - by good people (santaḥ), by virtuous ones

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of sat

sat - good, true, existent; a good person, a saint

Present Active Participle

Root 'as' (to be), used substantively

Root: as (class 2)

आचीर्णा (ācīrṇā) - practiced, followed, accustomed, performed

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ācīrṇa

ācīrṇa - practiced, followed, performed, accustomed to

Past Passive Participle

From root 'car' (to move, to practice) with prefix 'ā'

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'vṛttiḥ'

परमर्षिभिः (paramarṣibhiḥ) - by great sages, by supreme rishis

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of paramarṣi

paramarṣi - great sage, supreme rishi

Compound type : Karma-Dhāraya (parama+ṛṣi)

• parama – supreme, highest, greatest, excellent
  adjective (masculine)
• ṛṣi – sage, seer, inspired poet (ṛṣi)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: ṛṣ (class 1)