महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-240, verse-18

सत्त्वमात्मा प्रसवति गुणान्वापि कदा च न ।
न गुणा विदुरात्मानं गुणान्वेद स सर्वदा ॥१८॥

18. sattvamātmā prasavati guṇānvāpi kadā ca na ,
na guṇā vidurātmānaṁ guṇānveda sa sarvadā.

18. sattvam ātmā prasavati guṇān vā api kadā ca na
na guṇāḥ viduḥ ātmānam guṇān veda saḥ sarvadā

18. ātmā sattvam prasavati,
guṇān vā api kadā ca na.
guṇāḥ ātmānam na viduḥ.
saḥ sarvadā guṇān veda

18. The self (ātman) gives rise to goodness (sattva), but never to the [other] qualities (guṇa). The qualities (guṇa) do not know the self (ātman), but the self (ātman) always knows the qualities (guṇa).

Words meanings summery:

• सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - goodness (sattva) or 'being' (goodness, purity, existence, reality)

• आत्मा (ātmā) - the self (ātman) (the self, soul, spirit)

• प्रसवति (prasavati) - he/she/it produces, gives birth to, causes

• गुणान् (guṇān) - qualities (guṇa) (qualities, attributes, constituents of nature)

• वा (vā) - or, either

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• कदा (kadā) - never (in conjunction with 'ca na') (when, at what time)

• च (ca) - never (in conjunction with 'kadā na') (and, also)

• न (na) - not, no

• न (na) - not, no

• गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - qualities (guṇa) (qualities, attributes)

• विदुः (viduḥ) - they know

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - the self (ātman) (the self, soul)

• गुणान् (guṇān) - qualities (guṇa) (qualities, attributes, constituents of nature)

• वेद (veda) - he/she/it knows

• सः (saḥ) - he (the self) (he, that one)

• सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always, ever

Words meanings and morphology

सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - goodness (sattva) or 'being' (goodness, purity, existence, reality)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sattva

sattva - goodness, purity, essence, existence, reality, living being

आत्मा (ātmā) - the self (ātman) (the self, soul, spirit)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence

प्रसवति (prasavati) - he/she/it produces, gives birth to, causes

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of pra-sū

root verb

Prefix: pra

Root: sū (class 2)

गुणान् (guṇān) - qualities (guṇa) (qualities, attributes, constituents of nature)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, attribute, constituent of nature (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

कदा (kadā) - never (in conjunction with 'ca na') (when, at what time)

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - never (in conjunction with 'kadā na') (and, also)

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - qualities (guṇa) (qualities, attributes)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, attribute, constituent of nature (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)

विदुः (viduḥ) - they know

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of vid

root verb (adādi class)

Root: vid (class 2)

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - the self (ātman) (the self, soul)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence

गुणान् (guṇān) - qualities (guṇa) (qualities, attributes, constituents of nature)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, attribute, constituent of nature (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas)

वेद (veda) - he/she/it knows

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lit) of vid

root verb (adādi class, perfect-like forms used as present)

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Although formally a perfect (lit) form, 'veda' often functions as a present tense verb.

सः (saḥ) - he (the self) (he, that one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always, ever

(indeclinable)