महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-252, verse-5

सदाचारो मतो धर्मः सन्तस्त्वाचारलक्षणाः ।
साध्यासाध्यं कथं शक्यं सदाचारो ह्यलक्षणम् ॥५॥

5. sadācāro mato dharmaḥ santastvācāralakṣaṇāḥ ,
sādhyāsādhyaṁ kathaṁ śakyaṁ sadācāro hyalakṣaṇam.

5. sadācāraḥ mataḥ dharmaḥ santaḥ tu ācāralakṣaṇāḥ
sādhyāsādhyaṃ kathaṃ śakyaṃ sadācāraḥ hi alakṣaṇam

5. sadācāraḥ dharmaḥ mataḥ santaḥ tu ācāralakṣaṇāḥ
sādhyāsādhyaṃ kathaṃ śakyaṃ hi sadācāraḥ alakṣaṇam

5. Good conduct (sadācāra) is considered to be the natural law (dharma). However, virtuous people are identified by their conduct. How then can what is proper and improper be ascertained, since good conduct (sadācāra) itself has no fixed definition or clear characteristics?

Words meanings summery:

• सदाचारः (sadācāraḥ) - good conduct (sadācāra) (good conduct, righteous behavior)

• मतः (mataḥ) - considered to be (considered, thought, approved)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - the natural law (dharma) (natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness)

• सन्तः (santaḥ) - virtuous people (good people, virtuous ones, existent beings)

• तु (tu) - however (but, indeed, however)

• आचारलक्षणाः (ācāralakṣaṇāḥ) - identified by their conduct (characterized by conduct, having conduct as a distinguishing mark)

• साध्यासाध्यं (sādhyāsādhyaṁ) - what is proper and improper (the feasible and the unfeasible, what is proper and what is improper)

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner)

• शक्यं (śakyaṁ) - possible (to be determined) (possible, capable (neuter singular))

• सदाचारः (sadācāraḥ) - good conduct (sadācāra) (good conduct, righteous behavior)

• हि (hi) - since, for (indeed, for, because)

• अलक्षणम् (alakṣaṇam) - has no fixed definition or clear characteristics (without a mark, undefined, without characteristic)

Words meanings and morphology

सदाचारः (sadācāraḥ) - good conduct (sadācāra) (good conduct, righteous behavior)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sadācāra

sadācāra - good conduct, righteous behavior, custom of good people

Compound of sat (good) + ācāra (conduct)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (sat+ācāra)

• sat – good, virtuous, existent
  adjective (masculine)
  Present active participle
  From root as 'to be'
  Root: as (class 2)
• ācāra – conduct, custom, behavior
  noun (masculine)
  From root car 'to move' with prefix ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: car (class 1)

मतः (mataḥ) - considered to be (considered, thought, approved)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mata

mata - thought, considered, intended, approved

Past Passive Participle

From root man 'to think'

Root: man (class 4)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - the natural law (dharma) (natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

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

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

सन्तः (santaḥ) - virtuous people (good people, virtuous ones, existent beings)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sant

sant - good, virtuous, excellent, existent

Present active participle

From root as 'to be'

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Present active participle of as, used as a noun.

तु (tu) - however (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

आचारलक्षणाः (ācāralakṣaṇāḥ) - identified by their conduct (characterized by conduct, having conduct as a distinguishing mark)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ācāralakṣaṇa

ācāralakṣaṇa - characterized by conduct, having conduct as a distinguishing mark

Compound of ācāra (conduct) + lakṣaṇa (mark/characteristic)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ācāra+lakṣaṇa)

• ācāra – conduct, custom, behavior
  noun (masculine)
  From root car 'to move' with prefix ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: car (class 1)
• lakṣaṇa – mark, sign, characteristic, definition
  noun (neuter)
  From root lakṣ 'to observe'
  Root: lakṣ (class 10)

साध्यासाध्यं (sādhyāsādhyaṁ) - what is proper and improper (the feasible and the unfeasible, what is proper and what is improper)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sādhyāsādhya

sādhyāsādhya - the feasible and the unfeasible, what is to be done and what is not to be done

Dvanda compound of sādhya (feasible) and asādhya (unfeasible)

Compound type : dvandva (sādhya+asādhya)

• sādhya – to be accomplished, feasible, proper
  adjective (neuter)
  Gerundive
  From root sādh 'to accomplish'
  Root: sādh (class 5)
• asādhya – not to be accomplished, unfeasible, improper
  adjective (neuter)
  Gerundive (negative)
  Negative of sādhya
  Prefix: a
  Root: sādh (class 5)

Note: Refers to the concept, hence neuter singular.

कथं (kathaṁ) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

शक्यं (śakyaṁ) - possible (to be determined) (possible, capable (neuter singular))

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śakya

śakya - possible, practicable, able to be done

Gerundive/Past Passive Participle

Root śak with suffix -ya

Root: śak (class 5)

सदाचारः (sadācāraḥ) - good conduct (sadācāra) (good conduct, righteous behavior)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sadācāra

sadācāra - good conduct, righteous behavior, custom of good people

Compound of sat (good) + ācāra (conduct)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (sat+ācāra)

• sat – good, virtuous, existent
  adjective (masculine)
  Present active participle
  From root as 'to be'
  Root: as (class 2)
• ācāra – conduct, custom, behavior
  noun (masculine)
  From root car 'to move' with prefix ā
  Prefix: ā
  Root: car (class 1)

हि (hi) - since, for (indeed, for, because)

(indeclinable)

अलक्षणम् (alakṣaṇam) - has no fixed definition or clear characteristics (without a mark, undefined, without characteristic)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of alakṣaṇa

alakṣaṇa - without a mark, undefined, without characteristics

Compound of a (negation) + lakṣaṇa (mark/characteristic)

Compound type : nañ-bahuvrīhi (a+lakṣaṇa)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• lakṣaṇa – mark, sign, characteristic, definition
  noun (neuter)
  From root lakṣ 'to observe'
  Root: lakṣ (class 10)