महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-255, verse-31

स्वयं यूपानुपादाय यजन्ते स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः ।
यस्तथाभावितात्मा स्यात्स गामालब्धुमर्हति ॥३१॥

31. svayaṁ yūpānupādāya yajante svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ ,
yastathābhāvitātmā syātsa gāmālabdhumarhati.

31. svayam yūpān upādāya yajante svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ
yaḥ tathābhāvitātmā syāt saḥ gām ālabdhum arhati

31. svayam yūpān upādāya svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ yajante
yaḥ tathābhāvitātmā syāt saḥ gām ālabdhum arhati

31. They themselves take up the sacrificial posts and perform ritual Vedic rituals (yajña) with their spontaneously obtained fees. Whoever possesses such a cultivated inner self (ātman) is worthy to offer a cow (in sacrifice).

Words meanings summery:

• स्वयम् (svayam) - by oneself, spontaneously, naturally

• यूपान् (yūpān) - sacrificial posts

• उपादाय (upādāya) - having taken up, having seized, taking

• यजन्ते (yajante) - they sacrifice, they worship

• स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः (svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ) - with sacrificial fees spontaneously acquired (with self-obtained sacrificial fees/gifts)

• यः (yaḥ) - who, whoever

• तथाभावितात्मा (tathābhāvitātmā) - whose self (ātman) is thus cultivated/realized, one whose inner self is thus purified

• स्यात् (syāt) - may be, should be, would be

• सः (saḥ) - he, that (person)

• गाम् (gām) - cow (accusative singular)

• आलब्धुम् (ālabdhum) - to offer/sacrifice (a cow) (to obtain, to seize, to kill (for sacrifice))

• अर्हति (arhati) - he deserves, he is worthy, he ought

Words meanings and morphology

स्वयम् (svayam) - by oneself, spontaneously, naturally

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form of 'sva'.

यूपान् (yūpān) - sacrificial posts

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of yūpa

yūpa - sacrificial post, pillar, column

Root: yūp

Note: Object of 'upādāya'.

उपादाय (upādāya) - having taken up, having seized, taking

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from 'upā-dā' (to take, accept).

Prefixes: upa+ā

Root: dā (class 3)

यजन्ते (yajante) - they sacrifice, they worship

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of yaj

Present Tense

Conjugated form of the verb root 'yaj'.

Root: yaj (class 1)

Note: Subject implied to be the 'wise' from previous verses.

स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः (svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ) - with sacrificial fees spontaneously acquired (with self-obtained sacrificial fees/gifts)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of svāptadakṣiṇa

svāptadakṣiṇa - having sacrificial fees obtained by oneself

Bahuvrīhi compound: sva + āpta + dakṣiṇa.

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (sva+āpta+dakṣiṇa)

• sva – self, own
  pronoun/adjective
• āpta – obtained, acquired, reached, trustworthy
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from 'āp' (to obtain).
  Root: āp (class 5)
• dakṣiṇa – sacrificial fee, gift, donation, right (direction)
  noun (neuter)

Note: Describes the way sacrifices are performed.

यः (yaḥ) - who, whoever

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yat

yat - who, which, what

Relative pronoun.

Note: Subject of the following clause.

तथाभावितात्मा (tathābhāvitātmā) - whose self (ātman) is thus cultivated/realized, one whose inner self is thus purified

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tathābhāvitātman

tathābhāvitātman - one whose self (ātman) is thus cultivated/purified/realized

Bahuvrīhi compound: tathā + bhāvita + ātman.

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (tathā+bhāvita+ātman)

• tathā – thus, so, in that manner
  indeclinable
• bhāvita – cultivated, purified, perfected, formed
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from causative of root 'bhū' (to be, to exist), meaning 'to cause to be' or 'to form'.
  Root: bhū (class 1)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature
  noun (masculine)

Note: Predicate nominative with 'syāt'.

स्यात् (syāt) - may be, should be, would be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of as

Optative Mood

Conjugated form of the verb root 'as' in optative.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Expresses potential or recommendation.

सः (saḥ) - he, that (person)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Subject of 'arhati'.

गाम् (gām) - cow (accusative singular)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of go

go - cow, ox, cattle, earth, ray of light

Irregular o-stem noun.

Note: Object of 'ālabdhum'.

आलब्धुम् (ālabdhum) - to offer/sacrifice (a cow) (to obtain, to seize, to kill (for sacrifice))

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

Derived from 'ā-labh' (to obtain, to touch, to kill).

Prefix: ā

Root: labh (class 1)

Note: Governed by 'arhati'.

अर्हति (arhati) - he deserves, he is worthy, he ought

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of arh

Present Tense

Conjugated form of the verb root 'arh'.

Root: arh (class 1)