महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-280, verse-5

वर्णोत्कर्षमवाप्नोति नरः पुण्येन कर्मणा ।
दुर्लभं तमलब्धा हि हन्यात्पापेन कर्मणा ॥५॥

5. varṇotkarṣamavāpnoti naraḥ puṇyena karmaṇā ,
durlabhaṁ tamalabdhā hi hanyātpāpena karmaṇā.

5. varṇotkarṣam avāpnoti naraḥ puṇyena karmaṇā
durlabham tam alabdhvā hi hanyāt pāpena karmaṇā

5. naraḥ puṇyena karmaṇā varṇotkarṣam avāpnoti hi
tam durlabham alabdhvā pāpena karmaṇā hanyāt

5. A person attains social excellence (varṇa) by meritorious actions (karma). Indeed, failing to achieve that rare state, one would destroy oneself by sinful deeds.

Words meanings summery:

• वर्णोत्कर्षम् (varṇotkarṣam) - excellence in social standing, elevation of class/varna

• अवाप्नोति (avāpnoti) - attains, reaches, obtains

• नरः (naraḥ) - man, person, human being

• पुण्येन (puṇyena) - by virtuous, by meritorious, by good

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

• दुर्लभम् (durlabham) - difficult to obtain, rare, hard to achieve

• तम् (tam) - that (excellence, varṇotkarṣa) (that)

• अलब्ध्वा (alabdhvā) - not having obtained, without having achieved

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

• हन्यात् (hanyāt) - would destroy oneself (intransitive sense of destruction) (would kill, would destroy, should destroy)

• पापेन (pāpena) - by sinful, by evil

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

Words meanings and morphology

वर्णोत्कर्षम् (varṇotkarṣam) - excellence in social standing, elevation of class/varna

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of varṇotkarṣa

varṇotkarṣa - excellence of varna/class, elevation of social status

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (varṇa+utkarṣa)

• varṇa – color, outer appearance, social class, letter, sound
  noun (masculine)
  Root: vṛ (class 5)
• utkarṣa – excellence, elevation, superiority, increase
  noun (masculine)
  From ut-kṛṣ (to draw up)
  Prefix: ut
  Root: kṛṣ (class 1)

अवाप्नोति (avāpnoti) - attains, reaches, obtains

(verb)

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

present indicative

From root āp with prefix ava

Prefix: ava

Root: āp (class 5)

नरः (naraḥ) - man, person, human being

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, human being

Root: nṛ

पुण्येन (puṇyena) - by virtuous, by meritorious, by good

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of puṇya

puṇya - virtuous, meritorious, good, auspicious

Root: puṇ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with karmaṇā.

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

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, fate, ritual

From root kṛ (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

दुर्लभम् (durlabham) - difficult to obtain, rare, hard to achieve

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of durlabha

durlabha - difficult to obtain, rare, hard to find/achieve

From dus (difficult) + labh (to obtain)

Compound type : prādi-samāsa (dur+labha)

• dur – bad, ill, difficult, hard
  indeclinable
• labha – obtaining, acquisition, gain
  noun (masculine)
  From root labh (to obtain)
  Root: labh (class 1)

Note: Agrees with tam (which refers to varṇotkarṣam).

तम् (tam) - that (excellence, varṇotkarṣa) (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to varṇotkarṣam.

अलब्ध्वा (alabdhvā) - not having obtained, without having achieved

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Formed with suffix -tvā after negating prefix 'a-'. From root labh.

Prefix: a

Root: labh (class 1)

Note: Expresses a preceding action that is not performed.

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

(indeclinable)

हन्यात् (hanyāt) - would destroy oneself (intransitive sense of destruction) (would kill, would destroy, should destroy)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of han

optative mood

From root han.

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Implies a potential or conditional action.

पापेन (pāpena) - by sinful, by evil

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of pāpa

pāpa - sinful, evil, wicked; sin, evil

Note: Agrees with karmaṇā.

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

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, fate, ritual

From root kṛ (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)