महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-307, verse-2

तपसा वा सुमहता कर्मणा वा श्रुतेन वा ।
रसायनप्रयोगैर्वा कैर्नोपैति जरान्तकौ ॥२॥

2. tapasā vā sumahatā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā ,
rasāyanaprayogairvā kairnopaiti jarāntakau.

2. tapasā vā sumahatā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā
rasāyanaprayogaiḥ vā kaiḥ na upaiti jarāntakau

2. sumahatā tapasā vā karmaṇā vā śrutena vā
rasāyanaprayogaiḥ vā kaiḥ jarāntakau na upaiti

2. By what means, whether by great asceticism (tapas), or by actions (karma), or by Vedic knowledge, or by the application of rejuvenating elixirs, does one not encounter old age and death?

Words meanings summery:

• तपसा (tapasā) - by asceticism, by penance

• वा (vā) - or

• सुमहता (sumahatā) - by great, by very great

• कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action, by deed

• वा (vā) - or

• श्रुतेन (śrutena) - by sacred knowledge, by Vedic lore, by what has been heard

• वा (vā) - or

• रसायनप्रयोगैः (rasāyanaprayogaiḥ) - by the applications of elixirs/rejuvenating remedies

• वा (vā) - or

• कैः (kaiḥ) - by what (means), by which

• न (na) - not

• उपैति (upaiti) - one approaches, one experiences, one undergoes

• जरान्तकौ (jarāntakau) - old age and death (dual)

Words meanings and morphology

तपसा (tapasā) - by asceticism, by penance

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - asceticism, penance, spiritual austerity, heat

Root: tap (class 1)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

सुमहता (sumahatā) - by great, by very great

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of sumahat

sumahat - very great, enormous, excellent

su (good/very) + mahat (great)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+mahat)

• su – good, well, very
  indeclinable
• mahat – great, large
  adjective (neuter)
  Present Active Participle
  stem of mahā
  Root: mah

कर्मणा (karmaṇā) - by action, by deed

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, ritual, fate, consequence of actions

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

श्रुतेन (śrutena) - by sacred knowledge, by Vedic lore, by what has been heard

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of śruta

śruta - heard, revealed, sacred knowledge (Veda), Vedic lore

Past Passive Participle

from root śru (to hear)

Root: śru (class 5)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

रसायनप्रयोगैः (rasāyanaprayogaiḥ) - by the applications of elixirs/rejuvenating remedies

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of rasāyanaprayoga

rasāyanaprayoga - application of elixirs, use of rejuvenating remedies

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (rasāyana+prayoga)

• rasāyana – elixir, rejuvenating remedy, mercury
  noun (neuter)
• prayoga – application, use, employment, experiment
  noun (masculine)
  from pra-yuj (to join, apply)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: yuj (class 7)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

कैः (kaiḥ) - by what (means), by which

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of kim

kim - who, what, which (interrogative pronoun)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

उपैति (upaiti) - one approaches, one experiences, one undergoes

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of upa-i

Prefix: upa

Root: i (class 2)

जरान्तकौ (jarāntakau) - old age and death (dual)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of jarāntaka

jarāntaka - old age and death (as a pair)

Compound type : dvandva (jarā+antaka)

• jarā – old age, decrepitude
  noun (feminine)
  Root: jṝ (class 9)
• antaka – ender, destroyer; death
  noun (masculine)
  from anta (end) + ka (agent suffix)
  Root: am (class 1)