महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-287, verse-17

न धर्मकालः पुरुषस्य निश्चितो न चापि मृत्युः पुरुषं प्रतीक्षते ।
क्रिया हि धर्मस्य सदैव शोभना यदा नरो मृत्युमुखेऽभिवर्तते ॥१७॥

17. na dharmakālaḥ puruṣasya niścito; na cāpi mṛtyuḥ puruṣaṁ pratīkṣate ,
kriyā hi dharmasya sadaiva śobhanā; yadā naro mṛtyumukhe'bhivartate.

17. na dharmakālaḥ puruṣasya niścitaḥ
na ca api mṛtyuḥ puruṣam pratīkṣate
kriyā hi dharmasya sadaiva śobhanā
yadā naraḥ mṛtyumukhe abhivartate

17. puruṣasya dharmakālaḥ na niścitaḥ
ca api mṛtyuḥ puruṣam na pratīkṣate
hi yadā naraḥ mṛtyumukhe abhivartate
dharmasya kriyā sadaiva śobhanā

17. A person's time for practicing their natural law (dharma) is not fixed, nor does death wait for anyone. Therefore, performing one's natural law (dharma) is always commendable, especially when a person is approaching the jaws of death.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• धर्मकालः (dharmakālaḥ) - time for intrinsic nature/duty

• पुरुषस्य (puruṣasya) - of a person, of a human being

• निश्चितः (niścitaḥ) - fixed, determined, certain

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also, moreover

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• मृत्युः (mṛtyuḥ) - death

• पुरुषम् (puruṣam) - a person, a human being

• प्रतीक्षते (pratīkṣate) - waits for, expects

• क्रिया (kriyā) - action, activity, performance

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

• धर्मस्य (dharmasya) - of natural law, of duty

• सदैव (sadaiva) - always, ever

• शोभना (śobhanā) - auspicious, beautiful, good, commendable

• यदा (yadā) - when

• नरः (naraḥ) - a man, a person

• मृत्युमुखे (mṛtyumukhe) - in the mouth of death, at the jaws of death

• अभिवर्तते (abhivartate) - approaches, turns towards, exists

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

धर्मकालः (dharmakālaḥ) - time for intrinsic nature/duty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmakāla

dharmakāla - time for natural law, time for duty

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+kāla)

• dharma – natural law, duty, righteousness, constitution
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• kāla – time, season
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kal (class 10)

पुरुषस्य (puruṣasya) - of a person, of a human being

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, person, human being, spirit

Root: pṛ

निश्चितः (niścitaḥ) - fixed, determined, certain

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niścita

niścita - fixed, ascertained, determined

Past Passive Participle

derived from root ści with prefix nis

Prefix: nis

Root: ści (class 1)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also, moreover

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

मृत्युः (mṛtyuḥ) - death

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛtyu

mṛtyu - death

Root: mṛ (class 6)

पुरुषम् (puruṣam) - a person, a human being

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, person, human being, spirit

Root: pṛ

प्रतीक्षते (pratīkṣate) - waits for, expects

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of īkṣ

Present Tense

Middle voice, 3rd person singular, with prefix prati

Prefix: prati

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

क्रिया (kriyā) - action, activity, performance

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kriyā

kriyā - action, deed, ritual, performance

Root: kṛ (class 8)

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

(indeclinable)

धर्मस्य (dharmasya) - of natural law, of duty

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, duty, righteousness, constitution

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

सदैव (sadaiva) - always, ever

(indeclinable)

sandhi of sadā + eva

शोभना (śobhanā) - auspicious, beautiful, good, commendable

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śobhana

śobhana - beautiful, auspicious, good

Root: śubh (class 1)

यदा (yadā) - when

(indeclinable)

नरः (naraḥ) - a man, a person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person

Root: nṛ

मृत्युमुखे (mṛtyumukhe) - in the mouth of death, at the jaws of death

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of mṛtyumukha

mṛtyumukha - mouth of death, jaws of death

Compound type : tatpurusha (mṛtyu+mukha)

• mṛtyu – death
  noun (masculine)
  Root: mṛ (class 6)
• mukha – mouth, face, opening
  noun (neuter)

अभिवर्तते (abhivartate) - approaches, turns towards, exists

(verb)

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

Present Tense

Middle voice, 3rd person singular, with prefix abhi

Prefix: abhi

Root: vṛt (class 1)