महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-276, verse-46

कर्मणा यत्र पापेन वर्तन्ते जीवितेस्पवः ।
व्यवधावेत्ततस्तूर्णं ससर्पाच्छरणादिव ॥४६॥

46. karmaṇā yatra pāpena vartante jīvitespavaḥ ,
vyavadhāvettatastūrṇaṁ sasarpāccharaṇādiva.

46. karmaṇā yatra pāpena vartante jīvitepsavaḥ |
vyavadhāvet tataḥ tūrṇam sasarpāt śaraṇāt iva

46. yatra jīvitepsavaḥ pāpena karmaṇā vartante,
tataḥ tūrṇam vyavadhāvet,
sasarpāt śaraṇāt iva.

46. Where those who cling to life (jīvitepsavaḥ) engage in sinful actions (karma), one should swiftly flee from that place, just as one would from a snake-infested dwelling.

Words meanings summery:

• कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action (by action, by deed, by work)

• यत्र (yatra) - where

• पापेन (pāpena) - sinful (by sin, with evil, sinful)

• वर्तन्ते (vartante) - they engage (in), they behave (they exist, they behave, they are found)

• जीवितेप्सवः (jīvitepsavaḥ) - those who cling to life (those desirous of life, eager for livelihood)

• व्यवधावेत् (vyavadhāvet) - one should flee (one should run away, one should flee)

• ततः (tataḥ) - from that place (from there, thence, then)

• तूर्णम् (tūrṇam) - swiftly (quickly, swiftly, immediately)

• ससर्पात् (sasarpāt) - from a snake-infested (place) (from a snake-infested (place), from a place with snakes)

• शरणात् (śaraṇāt) - from a dwelling (from a shelter, from a refuge, from a dwelling)

• इव (iva) - just as (as if, like, similar to)

Words meanings and morphology

कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action (by action, by deed, by work)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, fate (karma)

From root 'kṛ' (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

यत्र (yatra) - where

(indeclinable)

पापेन (pāpena) - sinful (by sin, with evil, sinful)

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of pāpa

pāpa - sin, evil, bad

Note: Agrees with 'karmaṇā'.

वर्तन्ते (vartante) - they engage (in), they behave (they exist, they behave, they are found)

(verb)

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

Root: vṛt (class 1)

जीवितेप्सवः (jīvitepsavaḥ) - those who cling to life (those desirous of life, eager for livelihood)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jīvitepsu

jīvitepsu - desirous of life, intent on living

Compound of 'jīvita' (life) + 'īpsu' (desirous of)

Compound type : tatpurusha (jīvita+īpsu)

• jīvita – life, livelihood, living
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root 'jīv' (to live)
  Root: jīv (class 1)
• īpsu – desirous of, wishing for
  adjective (masculine)
  Desiderative nominal derivative
  Desiderative form of root 'āp' (to obtain, reach)
  Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Used substantively.

व्यवधावेत् (vyavadhāvet) - one should flee (one should run away, one should flee)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of vi-ava-dhā

Prefixes: vi+ava

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Impersonal construction, 'one should flee'.

ततः (tataḥ) - from that place (from there, thence, then)

(indeclinable)

Ablative suffix -tas added to pronoun 'tad'

तूर्णम् (tūrṇam) - swiftly (quickly, swiftly, immediately)

(indeclinable)

Past Passive Participle of root 'tvar' (to hasten), used adverbially

Root: tvar (class 1)

Note: Functions as an adverb here.

ससर्पात् (sasarpāt) - from a snake-infested (place) (from a snake-infested (place), from a place with snakes)

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of sasarpa

sasarpa - with snakes, snake-infested

Bahuvrihi compound 'sa' (with) + 'sarpa' (snake)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sa+sarpa)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
  Prefixed to form Bahuvrihi compounds
• sarpa – snake, serpent
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'sṛp' (to creep)
  Root: sṛp (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'śaraṇāt'.

शरणात् (śaraṇāt) - from a dwelling (from a shelter, from a refuge, from a dwelling)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of śaraṇa

śaraṇa - shelter, refuge, dwelling, protection

From root 'śṛ' (to protect)

Root: śṛ (class 9)

इव (iva) - just as (as if, like, similar to)

(indeclinable)