महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-281, verse-21

स चाप्यग्न्याहितो विप्रः क्रिया यस्य न हीयते ।
श्रेयो ह्यनाहिताग्नित्वमग्निहोत्रं न निष्क्रियम् ॥२१॥

21. sa cāpyagnyāhito vipraḥ kriyā yasya na hīyate ,
śreyo hyanāhitāgnitvamagnihotraṁ na niṣkriyam.

21. saḥ ca api agnyāhitaḥ vipraḥ kriyā yasya na hīyate
śreyaḥ hi anāhitāgnitvam agnihotram na niṣkriyam

21. ca saḥ vipraḥ agnyāhitaḥ,
yasya kriyā na hīyate,
[saḥ praśastaḥ].
hi anāhitāgnitvam śreyaḥ [asti],
na [ca śreyas] niṣkriyam agnihotram

21. And that Brahmin (vipra) for whom the sacred fires (agnyāhita) have been established, and whose ritual actions (kriyā) do not fail, is truly commendable. Indeed, the state of not having established sacred fires (anāhitāgnitva) is better than an Agnihotra (Vedic fire ritual) which is inactive or improperly performed.

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• च (ca) - and, also

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• अग्न्याहितः (agnyāhitaḥ) - one who has established the sacred fires (agnyāhita) (one for whom the sacred fire has been established)

• विप्रः (vipraḥ) - Brahmin (vipra) (Brahmin, sage, inspired one)

• क्रिया (kriyā) - ritual actions (kriyā) (action, ritual action, activity, performance)

• यस्य (yasya) - whose, of whom

• न (na) - not

• हीयते (hīyate) - is diminished, fails, is lost, is abandoned

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, welfare, good, superior

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• अनाहिताग्नित्वम् (anāhitāgnitvam) - the state of not having established sacred fires (anāhitāgnitva) (the state of not having established sacred fires)

• अग्निहोत्रम् (agnihotram) - the Agnihotra (Vedic fire ritual) (Agnihotra (Vedic fire ritual), offering to fire)

• न (na) - not

• निष्क्रियम् (niṣkriyam) - inactive or improperly performed (inactive, actionless, without ritual action, useless)

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it (demonstrative pronoun)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects this Brahmin with the previous context of worthy individuals.

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

अग्न्याहितः (agnyāhitaḥ) - one who has established the sacred fires (agnyāhita) (one for whom the sacred fire has been established)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of agnyāhita

agnyāhita - one for whom the fire (agni) has been established (āhita), a person who has set up and maintains the sacred fires for Vedic rituals

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (agni+āhita)

• agni – fire, sacred fire
  noun (masculine)
• āhita – placed, established, performed
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From ā-dhā (to place, establish)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Modifies 'vipraḥ'.

विप्रः (vipraḥ) - Brahmin (vipra) (Brahmin, sage, inspired one)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vipra

vipra - Brahmin, priest, sage, inspired, learned

From root 'vip' (to tremble, inspire)

Root: vip (class 1)

Note: Subject of the first clause.

क्रिया (kriyā) - ritual actions (kriyā) (action, ritual action, activity, performance)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kriyā

kriyā - action, deed, performance, ritual, verb

From root 'kṛ' (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of the relative clause.

यस्य (yasya) - whose, of whom

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what (relative pronoun)

Note: Refers back to the 'vipraḥ'.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

हीयते (hīyate) - is diminished, fails, is lost, is abandoned

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of hī

From root 'hā' (to abandon, forsake) in passive voice, or root 'hī' (to go, move, decay). Here, passive of 'hā'.

Root: hā (class 3)

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, welfare, good, superior

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, more excellent, superior, welfare, good fortune

Comparative form of 'śrī' (beauty, prosperity) or 'praśasta' (excellent).

Note: Predicative adjective.

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

अनाहिताग्नित्वम् (anāhitāgnitvam) - the state of not having established sacred fires (anāhitāgnitva) (the state of not having established sacred fires)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anāhitāgnitva

anāhitāgnitva - the state or condition of not having established (ana-āhita) the sacred fires (agni)

Derived from 'anāhitāgni' + suffix '-tva'. 'Anāhitāgni' is a compound of 'an' (not) + 'āhita' (established) + 'agni' (fire).

Compound type : nañ-bahuvrīhi (an+āhita+agni)

• an – not, un-
  indeclinable
• āhita – placed, established
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From ā-dhā (to place, establish)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: dhā (class 3)
• agni – fire, sacred fire
  noun (masculine)
• tva – state of being, -ness
  suffix (neuter)
  Suffix forming neuter nouns indicating abstract quality.

अग्निहोत्रम् (agnihotram) - the Agnihotra (Vedic fire ritual) (Agnihotra (Vedic fire ritual), offering to fire)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of agnihotra

agnihotra - Agnihotra, a daily Vedic fire ritual, offering to fire

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (agni+hotra)

• agni – fire, sacred fire
  noun (masculine)
• hotra – offering, oblation, ritual of offering
  noun (neuter)
  From root 'hu' (to offer)
  Root: hu (class 3)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

निष्क्रियम् (niṣkriyam) - inactive or improperly performed (inactive, actionless, without ritual action, useless)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of niṣkriya

niṣkriya - inactive, actionless, without activity, without ritual performance, useless

Compound of 'nis' (without) + 'kriyā' (action).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nis+kriyā)

• nis – out, forth, without, negation
  indeclinable
• kriyā – action, ritual, activity
  noun (feminine)
  From root 'kṛ' (to do)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)