महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-261, verse-6

यथा मातरमाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवन्ति जन्तवः ।
एवं गृहस्थमाश्रित्य वर्तन्त इतरेऽऽश्रमाः ॥६॥

6. yathā mātaramāśritya sarve jīvanti jantavaḥ ,
evaṁ gṛhasthamāśritya vartanta itare''śramāḥ.

6. yathā mātaram āśritya sarve jīvanti jantavaḥ
evam gṛhastham āśritya vartanta itare āśramāḥ

6. yathā sarve jantavaḥ mātaram āśritya jīvanti,
evam itare āśramāḥ gṛhastham āśritya vartanta.

6. Just as all living beings depend on their mother to sustain themselves, so too do the other stages of life (āśrama) exist by depending on the householder.

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, in which manner

• मातरम् (mātaram) - mother

• आश्रित्य (āśritya) - depending on, having resorted to, taking refuge in

• सर्वे (sarve) - all, everyone

• जीवन्ति (jīvanti) - they live, exist

• जन्तवः (jantavaḥ) - living beings, creatures, people

• एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner, similarly

• गृहस्थम् (gṛhastham) - householder

• आश्रित्य (āśritya) - depending on, having resorted to, taking refuge in

• वर्तन्त (vartanta) - In the context of the verse, it functions as a finite verb 'exist' or 'are found'. (exist, turn, proceed, are found)

• इतरे (itare) - the other, the remaining

• आश्रमाः (āśramāḥ) - The four prescribed stages of life (student, householder, forest dweller, renunciant). (stages of life, hermitages, religious orders (āśrama))

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, in which manner

(indeclinable)

मातरम् (mātaram) - mother

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mātṛ

mātṛ - mother

आश्रित्य (āśritya) - depending on, having resorted to, taking refuge in

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

formed from root śri (to lean, resort to) with prefix ā- and suffix -tya

Prefix: ā

Root: śri (class 1)

सर्वे (sarve) - all, everyone

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole

Note: Agrees with jantavaḥ

जीवन्ति (jīvanti) - they live, exist

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (laṭ) of jīv

Present Active Indicative, 3rd person plural

Root jīv (1st class) + -ati, -anti endings.

Root: jīv (class 1)

जन्तवः (jantavaḥ) - living beings, creatures, people

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jantu

jantu - living being, creature, human being

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of jīvanti

एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner, similarly

(indeclinable)

गृहस्थम् (gṛhastham) - householder

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of gṛhastha

gṛhastha - householder (one who stands/dwells in a house)

compound of gṛha (house) and stha (standing, dwelling)

Compound type : tatpurusha (gṛha+stha)

• gṛha – house, home
  noun (neuter)
• stha – standing, dwelling, being in
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  From root sthā (to stand)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Object of āśritya

आश्रित्य (āśritya) - depending on, having resorted to, taking refuge in

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

formed from root śri (to lean, resort to) with prefix ā- and suffix -tya

Prefix: ā

Root: śri (class 1)

वर्तन्त (vartanta) - In the context of the verse, it functions as a finite verb 'exist' or 'are found'. (exist, turn, proceed, are found)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of vṛt

Present Middle Indicative, 3rd person plural (vartante) OR an anomalous/archaic ātmanepada form.

Root vṛt (1st class). The expected form for 3rd plural middle is 'vartante'. 'vartanta' could be a participle or a non-standard verbal ending. Given the context (subject 'āśramāḥ'), it must function as a 3rd plural verb.

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Subject is 'itare āśramāḥ'. The Devanagari 'वर्तन्त' is unusual for a 3rd plural ātmanepada form, which is typically 'vartante'.

इतरे (itare) - the other, the remaining

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of itara

itara - other, another, remaining

Note: Agrees with āśramāḥ

आश्रमाः (āśramāḥ) - The four prescribed stages of life (student, householder, forest dweller, renunciant). (stages of life, hermitages, religious orders (āśrama))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of āśrama

āśrama - stage of life, hermitage, religious retreat

From prefix ā- + root śram (to toil, exert oneself)

Prefix: ā

Root: śram (class 4)

Note: Subject of vartanta.