महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-308, verse-152

तदल्पसुखमत्यर्थं बहुदुःखमसारवत् ।
को राज्यमभिपद्येत प्राप्य चोपशमं लभेत् ॥१५२॥

152. tadalpasukhamatyarthaṁ bahuduḥkhamasāravat ,
ko rājyamabhipadyeta prāpya copaśamaṁ labhet.

152. tat alpasukham atyartham bahuduḥkham asāravat
kaḥ rājyam abhipadyeta prāpya ca upaśamam labhet

152. tat atyartham alpasukham bahuduḥkham asāravat
rājyam kaḥ abhipadyeta ca prāpya upaśamam labhet

152. That kingdom, which offers little happiness, is exceedingly full of suffering, and lacks any true essence or worth – who would seek to obtain such a kingdom and then find peace or tranquility?

Words meanings summery:

• तत् (tat) - that

• अल्पसुखम् (alpasukham) - having little happiness, with meager joy

• अत्यर्थम् (atyartham) - exceedingly, greatly, very much

• बहुदुःखम् (bahuduḥkham) - having much suffering, full of great pain

• असारवत् (asāravat) - without essence, unsubstantial, worthless

• कः (kaḥ) - who?

• राज्यम् (rājyam) - kingdom, sovereignty

• अभिपद्येत (abhipadyeta) - would obtain, would reach, would attain

• प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained, having reached

• च (ca) - and

• उपशमम् (upaśamam) - peace, tranquility, cessation, calming down

• लभेत् (labhet) - would attain, would find, would gain

Words meanings and morphology

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, this

Demonstrative pronoun, neuter singular nominative/accusative.

अल्पसुखम् (alpasukham) - having little happiness, with meager joy

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of alpasukha

alpasukha - having little happiness

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (alpa+sukha)

• alpa – little, small, few
  adjective (masculine)
• sukha – happiness, comfort, ease, joy
  noun (neuter)

अत्यर्थम् (atyartham) - exceedingly, greatly, very much

(indeclinable)

From 'ati' (beyond, excessively) + 'artha' (meaning, purpose, wealth). Here functions adverbially.

बहुदुःखम् (bahuduḥkham) - having much suffering, full of great pain

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bahuduḥkha

bahuduḥkha - full of much suffering/pain

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bahu+duḥkha)

• bahu – many, much
  adjective (masculine)
• duḥkha – suffering, pain, misery
  noun (neuter)

असारवत् (asāravat) - without essence, unsubstantial, worthless

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asāravat

asāravat - without substance, worthless, unessential

From 'a' (not) + 'sāra' (essence, substance) + 'vat' (possessing, having). Nañ-tatpuruṣa then matup suffix.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa + matup suffix (a+sāra)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• sāravat – essential, substantial, valuable
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from 'sāra' (essence) with the 'matup' suffix (possessing).

कः (kaḥ) - who?

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun.

राज्यम् (rājyam) - kingdom, sovereignty

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of rājya

rājya - kingdom, sovereignty, royal power

From 'rājan' (king) + 'ya' suffix.

Root: rāj (class 1)

अभिपद्येत (abhipadyeta) - would obtain, would reach, would attain

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (liṅ) of abhi-pad

Optative mood, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada.

From root 'pad' (to go, fall) with prefix 'abhi'.

Prefix: abhi

Root: pad (class 4)

प्राप्य (prāpya) - having obtained, having reached

(indeclinable)

Gerund (absolutive)

From prefix 'pra' + root 'āp' (to obtain, reach) + suffix 'lyaP'.

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

उपशमम् (upaśamam) - peace, tranquility, cessation, calming down

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of upaśama

upaśama - cessation, quietude, tranquility, peace, calming down

From 'upa' (near) + root 'śam' (to be tranquil, cease).

Prefix: upa

Root: śam (class 4)

लभेत् (labhet) - would attain, would find, would gain

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (liṅ) of labh

Optative mood, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada.

From root 'labh' (to obtain).

Root: labh (class 1)