महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-288, verse-33

यदि सन्तं सेवते यद्यसन्तं तपस्विनं यदि वा स्तेनमेव ।
वासो यथा रङ्गवशं प्रयाति तथा स तेषां वशमभ्युपैति ॥३३॥

33. yadi santaṁ sevate yadyasantaṁ; tapasvinaṁ yadi vā stenameva ,
vāso yathā raṅgavaśaṁ prayāti; tathā sa teṣāṁ vaśamabhyupaiti.

33. yadi santam sevate yadi asantam
tapasvinam yadi vā stenam eva
| vāsaḥ yathā raṅgavaśam prayāti
tathā sa teṣām vaśam abhyupaiti

33. yadi santam sevate,
yadi asantam,
yadi tapasvinam vā,
yadi stenam eva (sevate),
yathā vāsaḥ raṅgavaśam prayāti,
tathā sa teṣām vaśam abhyupaiti.

33. If one serves a good person, or an evil person, or an ascetic (tapasvin), or even a thief—just as a cloth takes on the color it is dyed with, so too does that individual come under their influence.

Words meanings summery:

• यदि (yadi) - if, whether

• सन्तम् (santam) - a good or virtuous individual (a good person, a virtuous person, existing, being)

• सेवते (sevate) - serves, attends to, frequents, honors

• यदि (yadi) - if, whether

• असन्तम् (asantam) - an evil or non-virtuous individual (a bad person, an evil person, non-existent, unreal)

• तपस्विनम् (tapasvinam) - an ascetic, one who practices austerities (tapas)

• यदि (yadi) - if, whether

• वा (vā) - or, either...or

• स्तेनम् (stenam) - a thief, robber

• एव (eva) - emphasizes 'even' in the translation (only, indeed, just)

• वासः (vāsaḥ) - cloth, garment

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in what manner

• रङ्गवशम् (raṅgavaśam) - under the influence of color, to the power of dye

• प्रयाति (prayāti) - is subjected to, takes on (the color) (goes forth, approaches, enters)

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that manner

• स (sa) - that individual person (from verse 96832) (he, that (person))

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - of those persons (good, evil, ascetic, thief) (of them)

• वशम् (vaśam) - control, power, influence, subjection

• अभ्युपैति (abhyupaiti) - comes under the control or influence (of others) (comes near, approaches, accepts, comes under the influence of)

Words meanings and morphology

यदि (yadi) - if, whether

(indeclinable)

सन्तम् (santam) - a good or virtuous individual (a good person, a virtuous person, existing, being)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sat

sat - good, virtuous, existing, real

Present Active Participle

From √as (to be). Functions as a noun here.

Root: as (class 2)

सेवते (sevate) - serves, attends to, frequents, honors

(verb)

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

Present middle indicative

Formed from root √sev (1st class) with no prefix.

Root: sev (class 1)

यदि (yadi) - if, whether

(indeclinable)

असन्तम् (asantam) - an evil or non-virtuous individual (a bad person, an evil person, non-existent, unreal)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of asat

asat - bad, evil, non-existent, unreal

Present Active Participle (negative)

From √as (to be) with negative prefix a-. Functions as a noun here.

Prefix: a

Root: as (class 2)

तपस्विनम् (tapasvinam) - an ascetic, one who practices austerities (tapas)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tapasvin

tapasvin - an ascetic, one who practices austerities (tapas), devotee

Derived from tapas (austerity).

यदि (yadi) - if, whether

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or, either...or

(indeclinable)

स्तेनम् (stenam) - a thief, robber

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of stena

stena - a thief, robber

एव (eva) - emphasizes 'even' in the translation (only, indeed, just)

(indeclinable)

वासः (vāsaḥ) - cloth, garment

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vāsa

vāsa - cloth, garment, dress

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in what manner

(indeclinable)

रङ्गवशम् (raṅgavaśam) - under the influence of color, to the power of dye

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of raṅgavaśa

raṅgavaśa - subject to color/dye, under the control of dye

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (raṅga+vaśa)

• raṅga – color, dye, stage, amusement
  noun (masculine)
  Root: rañj (class 1)
• vaśa – will, power, control, subjection
  noun (masculine)
  Root: vaś (class 2)

प्रयाति (prayāti) - is subjected to, takes on (the color) (goes forth, approaches, enters)

(verb)

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

Present active indicative

Formed from root √yā (2nd class) with prefix pra-.

Prefix: pra

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Subject is 'vāsaḥ'.

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that manner

(indeclinable)

स (sa) - that individual person (from verse 96832) (he, that (person))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Subject of abhyupaiti.

तेषाम् (teṣām) - of those persons (good, evil, ascetic, thief) (of them)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

वशम् (vaśam) - control, power, influence, subjection

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vaśa

vaśa - will, power, control, subjection

Root: vaś (class 2)

अभ्युपैति (abhyupaiti) - comes under the control or influence (of others) (comes near, approaches, accepts, comes under the influence of)

(verb)

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

Present active indicative

Formed from root √i (2nd class) with prefixes abhi- and upa-.

Prefixes: abhi+upa

Root: i (class 2)