महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-252, verse-20

चिराभिपन्नः कविभिः पूर्वं धर्म उदाहृतः ।
तेनाचारेण पूर्वेण संस्था भवति शाश्वती ॥२०॥

20. cirābhipannaḥ kavibhiḥ pūrvaṁ dharma udāhṛtaḥ ,
tenācāreṇa pūrveṇa saṁsthā bhavati śāśvatī.

20. cirābhipannaḥ kavibhiḥ pūrvam dharmaḥ udāhṛtaḥ
tena ācāreṇa pūrveṇa saṃsthā bhavati śāśvatī

20. kavibhiḥ cirābhipannaḥ dharmaḥ pūrvam udāhṛtaḥ.
tena pūrveṇa ācāreṇa śāśvatī saṃsthā bhavati.

20. The natural law (dharma), which was long acknowledged by the wise (kavi), was formerly declared. By that ancient custom (ācāra), an eternal order (saṃsthā) is established.

Words meanings summery:

• चिराभिपन्नः (cirābhipannaḥ) - long-acknowledged, anciently attained

• कविभिः (kavibhiḥ) - by the wise, by the poets

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - formerly, previously, anciently

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty

• उदाहृतः (udāhṛtaḥ) - declared, expounded, spoken, taught

• तेन (tena) - by that

• आचारेण (ācāreṇa) - by custom, by practice, by conduct

• पूर्वेण (pūrveṇa) - by the ancient, by the former

• संस्था (saṁsthā) - establishment, institution, order, state

• भवति (bhavati) - becomes, is, comes into being

• शाश्वती (śāśvatī) - eternal, perpetual, everlasting

Words meanings and morphology

चिराभिपन्नः (cirābhipannaḥ) - long-acknowledged, anciently attained

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cirābhipanna

cirābhipanna - long-attained, long-acknowledged, anciently arrived at

Past Passive Participle

Compound of 'cira' (long, ancient) and 'abhipanna' (attained, acknowledged, from abhi-pad).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (cira+abhipanna)

• cira – long, lasting, ancient
  adjective
• abhipanna – attained, arrived at, acknowledged, fallen upon
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root 'pad' with prefix 'abhi'.
  Prefix: abhi
  Root: pad (class 4)

कविभिः (kavibhiḥ) - by the wise, by the poets

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of kavi

kavi - wise man, poet, sage, seer

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - formerly, previously, anciently

(indeclinable)

Note: Functions as an adverb here.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty, virtue, custom

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

उदाहृतः (udāhṛtaḥ) - declared, expounded, spoken, taught

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of udāhṛta

udāhṛta - declared, expounded, spoken, related

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'hṛ' with prefixes 'ud' and 'ā'.

Prefixes: ud+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

तेन (tena) - by that

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

आचारेण (ācāreṇa) - by custom, by practice, by conduct

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ācāra

ācāra - custom, practice, conduct, tradition

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

पूर्वेण (pūrveṇa) - by the ancient, by the former

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of pūrva

pūrva - former, prior, ancient, first

संस्था (saṁsthā) - establishment, institution, order, state

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of saṃsthā

saṁsthā - establishment, institution, state, condition, settlement, order

From root 'sthā' with prefix 'sam'.

Prefix: sam

Root: sthā (class 1)

भवति (bhavati) - becomes, is, comes into being

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

शाश्वती (śāśvatī) - eternal, perpetual, everlasting

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śāśvata

śāśvata - eternal, perpetual, everlasting, constant