महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-276, verse-17

मार्दवं सर्वभूतेषु व्यवहारेषु चार्जवम् ।
वाक्चैव मधुरा प्रोक्ता श्रेय एतदसंशयम् ॥१७॥

17. mārdavaṁ sarvabhūteṣu vyavahāreṣu cārjavam ,
vākcaiva madhurā proktā śreya etadasaṁśayam.

17. mārdavam sarvabhūteṣu vyavahāreṣu ca ārjavam
vāk ca eva madhurā proktā śreyaḥ etat asaṃśayam

17. sarvabhūteṣu mārdavam vyavahāreṣu ca ārjavam
vāk ca eva madhurā proktā etat asaṃśayam śreyaḥ

17. Gentleness towards all beings, straightforwardness in one's conduct, and indeed, sweet speech – this is undoubtedly the highest good.

Words meanings summery:

• मार्दवम् (mārdavam) - gentleness (softness, gentleness, mildness)

• सर्वभूतेषु (sarvabhūteṣu) - in relation to all living beings (in all beings, among all creatures)

• व्यवहारेषु (vyavahāreṣu) - in one's conduct and interactions (in dealings, in transactions, in conduct, in practice)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• आर्जवम् (ārjavam) - straightforwardness (straightforwardness, uprightness, honesty, sincerity)

• वाक् (vāk) - speech (speech, voice, word)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• एव (eva) - indeed, truly (indeed, certainly, only, just)

• मधुरा (madhurā) - sweet, pleasant (describing speech) (sweet, pleasant, delightful)

• प्रोक्ता (proktā) - is declared (as beneficial) (spoken, declared, said, announced)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the highest good (good, auspicious, welfare, excellent, ultimate good, beneficial)

• एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the qualities mentioned) (this, that)

• असंशयम् (asaṁśayam) - undoubtedly (without doubt, undoubtedly)

Words meanings and morphology

मार्दवम् (mārdavam) - gentleness (softness, gentleness, mildness)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mārdava

mārdava - softness, gentleness, mildness

Derived from mṛdu (soft).

Note: Also accusative singular neuter. Given context as subject, nominative is more likely.

सर्वभूतेषु (sarvabhūteṣu) - in relation to all living beings (in all beings, among all creatures)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of sarvabhūta

sarvabhūta - all beings, all creatures

Compound type : karmadhāraya (sarva+bhūta)

• sarva – all, every
  pronoun (masculine)
• bhūta – being, creature; what has been; element
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root bhū (to be).
  Root: bhū (class 1)

व्यवहारेषु (vyavahāreṣu) - in one's conduct and interactions (in dealings, in transactions, in conduct, in practice)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of vyavahāra

vyavahāra - dealing, conduct, practice, transaction, usage, custom

From vi-ava-hṛ.

Prefixes: vi+ava

Root: hṛ (class 1)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

आर्जवम् (ārjavam) - straightforwardness (straightforwardness, uprightness, honesty, sincerity)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ārjava

ārjava - straightforwardness, honesty, sincerity, uprightness

Derived from ṛju (straight).

Note: Also accusative singular neuter. Given context as subject, nominative is more likely.

वाक् (vāk) - speech (speech, voice, word)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vāc

vāc - speech, voice, word, language

Root: vac (class 2)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, truly (indeed, certainly, only, just)

(indeclinable)

मधुरा (madhurā) - sweet, pleasant (describing speech) (sweet, pleasant, delightful)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of madhura

madhura - sweet, pleasant, charming, melodious

Note: Agrees with 'vāc' (feminine).

प्रोक्ता (proktā) - is declared (as beneficial) (spoken, declared, said, announced)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prokta

prokta - said, declared, spoken, announced

Past Passive Participle

From pra-vac (to speak forth).

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'vāc' (feminine).

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the highest good (good, auspicious, welfare, excellent, ultimate good, beneficial)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - superior, better, excellent, auspicious, ultimate good, welfare, prosperity

Comparative form of praśasya (excellent), related to śrī.

Note: Final -as changes to -aḥ due to sandhi before a consonant.

एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the qualities mentioned) (this, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that (neuter demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Before 'asaṃśayam', 't' becomes 'd'.

असंशयम् (asaṁśayam) - undoubtedly (without doubt, undoubtedly)

(indeclinable)

Negation of saṃśaya (doubt).

Compound type : nan-tatpurusha (a+saṃśaya)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix.
• saṃśaya – doubt, uncertainty, hesitation
  noun (masculine)
  From sam-śī (to lie together, hesitate).
  Prefix: sam
  Root: śī (class 2)

Note: Adverbial usage.