महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-284, verse-31

सुखे तु वर्तमानो वै दुःखे वापि नरोत्तम ।
स्ववृत्ताद्यो न चलति शास्त्रचक्षुः स मानवः ॥३१॥

31. sukhe tu vartamāno vai duḥkhe vāpi narottama ,
svavṛttādyo na calati śāstracakṣuḥ sa mānavaḥ.

31. sukhe tu vartamānaḥ vai duḥkhe vā api narottama
svavṛttāt yaḥ na calati śāstracakṣuḥ sa mānavaḥ

31. narottama,
yaḥ sukhe vā api duḥkhe vartamānaḥ,
svavṛttāt na calati,
saḥ mānavaḥ śāstracakṣuḥ vai

31. O best of men, that individual who, whether experiencing joy or sorrow, does not deviate from their own inherent nature or prescribed conduct, such a human being possesses the eye of scripture (śāstracakṣuḥ).

Words meanings summery:

• सुखे (sukhe) - whether experiencing joy (in happiness, in pleasure, in ease)

• तु (tu) - whether (introduces a contrasting clause) (but, indeed, however, on the other hand)

• वर्तमानः (vartamānaḥ) - experiencing (being in a state of) (being, existing, remaining, present)

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely, certainly (emphasizing particle)

• दुःखे (duḥkhe) - or sorrow (in suffering, in pain, in misery)

• वा (vā) - or (or, either)

• अपि (api) - even (emphasizing the 'or') (even, also, too)

• नरोत्तम (narottama) - O best of men

• स्ववृत्तात् (svavṛttāt) - from their own inherent nature or prescribed conduct (from one's own conduct, from one's own course of action, from one's own nature)

• यः (yaḥ) - that individual who (who, he who, which)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• चलति (calati) - deviate (moves, wavers, deviates, trembles)

• शास्त्रचक्षुः (śāstracakṣuḥ) - possesses the eye of scripture (śāstracakṣuḥ) (one whose eye is scripture, guided by scriptures, having knowledge from scriptures)

• स (sa) - such a human being (he, that)

• मानवः (mānavaḥ) - a human being (human being, man, descendant of Manu)

Words meanings and morphology

सुखे (sukhe) - whether experiencing joy (in happiness, in pleasure, in ease)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, pleasure, ease, comfort

तु (tu) - whether (introduces a contrasting clause) (but, indeed, however, on the other hand)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used here to introduce an alternative, similar to 'whether'.

वर्तमानः (vartamānaḥ) - experiencing (being in a state of) (being, existing, remaining, present)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vartamāna

vartamāna - being, existing, present, current, living

Present Middle Participle

From root √vṛt 'to be, to exist, to turn' (class 1)

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implicit subject 'he who' (yaḥ).

वै (vai) - indeed, surely, certainly (emphasizing particle)

(indeclinable)

दुःखे (duḥkhe) - or sorrow (in suffering, in pain, in misery)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of duḥkha

duḥkha - suffering, pain, sorrow, misery, difficulty

Opposite of sukha (ease, pleasure).

वा (vā) - or (or, either)

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even (emphasizing the 'or') (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used with 'vā' to form 'whether... or even...'

नरोत्तम (narottama) - O best of men

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of narottama

narottama - best among men, excellent man

Compound: nara (man) + uttama (best, highest).

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa or karmadhāraya (nara+uttama)

• nara – man, human being
  noun (masculine)
• uttama – best, highest, supreme, excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of ud (up).

स्ववृत्तात् (svavṛttāt) - from their own inherent nature or prescribed conduct (from one's own conduct, from one's own course of action, from one's own nature)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of svavṛtta

svavṛtta - one's own conduct, one's own course of action, one's own nature/duty

Compound: sva (own) + vṛtta (conduct, state, happening).

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa or karmadhāraya (sva+vṛtta)

• sva – own, self
  pronoun (neuter)
• vṛtta – conduct, behaviour, course of action, happening, existing
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √vṛt 'to be, to exist, to turn'
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

यः (yaḥ) - that individual who (who, he who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Relative pronoun.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

चलति (calati) - deviate (moves, wavers, deviates, trembles)

(verb)

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

Present active form from √cal (class 1).

Root: cal (class 1)

शास्त्रचक्षुः (śāstracakṣuḥ) - possesses the eye of scripture (śāstracakṣuḥ) (one whose eye is scripture, guided by scriptures, having knowledge from scriptures)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śāstracakṣus

śāstracakṣus - one whose eye is scripture, guided by scriptures, having knowledge from scriptures

Bahuvrīhi compound: śāstra (scripture) + cakṣus (eye).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (śāstra+cakṣus)

• śāstra – scripture, treatise, rule, science
  noun (neuter)
  From √śās 'to teach, to instruct'.
  Root: śās (class 2)
• cakṣus – eye, sight, vision
  noun (neuter)
  From √cakṣ 'to see'.
  Root: cakṣ (class 2)

स (sa) - such a human being (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

मानवः (mānavaḥ) - a human being (human being, man, descendant of Manu)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mānava

mānava - human being, man, descendant of Manu

Derived from Manu (mythical progenitor of mankind) with suffix -a.