महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-37, verse-34

काष्ठैरार्द्रैर्यथा वह्निरुपस्तीर्णो न दीप्यते ।
तपःस्वाध्यायचारित्रैरेवं हीनः प्रतिग्रही ॥३४॥

34. kāṣṭhairārdrairyathā vahnirupastīrṇo na dīpyate ,
tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritrairevaṁ hīnaḥ pratigrahī.

34. kāṣṭhaiḥ ārdraiḥ yathā vahniḥ upastīrṇaḥ na dīpyate
tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritraiḥ evam hīnaḥ pratigrahī

34. yathā ārdraiḥ kāṣṭhaiḥ upastīrṇaḥ vahniḥ na dīpyate evam
tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritraiḥ hīnaḥ pratigrahī (n dīpyate)

34. Just as fire, covered with wet wood, does not blaze, similarly a receiver who is devoid of asceticism (tapas), self-study (svādhyāya), and good conduct (caritra) does not shine (or gain spiritual benefit).

Words meanings summery:

• काष्ठैः (kāṣṭhaiḥ) - by pieces of wood (as fuel for fire) (by wood, by logs, by sticks)

• आर्द्रैः (ārdraiḥ) - by wet or damp (wood) (by wet, by moist, by damp)

• यथा (yathā) - just as, introducing a simile (just as, as, like)

• वह्निः (vahniḥ) - fire (that is supposed to burn) (fire, Agni (god of fire))

• उपस्तीर्णः (upastīrṇaḥ) - covered or layered with (wet wood) (covered, spread over, strewn)

• न (na) - not, no

• दीप्यते (dīpyate) - does not ignite or burn brightly (shines, blazes, burns brightly)

• तपःस्वाध्यायचारित्रैः (tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritraiḥ) - by the virtues of ascetic practice (tapas), scriptural study (svādhyāya), and moral integrity (caritra) (by asceticism, self-study, and good conduct)

• एवम् (evam) - similarly, making the comparison (thus, in this manner, similarly)

• हीनः (hīnaḥ) - lacking or deprived of (the specified qualities) (devoid of, deficient in, inferior, abandoned)

• प्रतिग्रही (pratigrahī) - a person who receives (dāna) (receiver, acceptor (of a gift))

Words meanings and morphology

काष्ठैः (kāṣṭhaiḥ) - by pieces of wood (as fuel for fire) (by wood, by logs, by sticks)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of kāṣṭha

kāṣṭha - wood, log, stick, fuel

Note: Accompanies 'ārdraiḥ'.

आर्द्रैः (ārdraiḥ) - by wet or damp (wood) (by wet, by moist, by damp)

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of ārdra

ārdra - wet, moist, damp, fresh

Note: Qualifies 'kāṣṭhaiḥ'.

यथा (yathā) - just as, introducing a simile (just as, as, like)

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlates with 'evam'.

वह्निः (vahniḥ) - fire (that is supposed to burn) (fire, Agni (god of fire))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vahni

vahni - fire, flame, Agni

Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'dīpyate'.

उपस्तीर्णः (upastīrṇaḥ) - covered or layered with (wet wood) (covered, spread over, strewn)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of upastīrṇa

upastīrṇa - covered, spread, laid over

Past Passive Participle

From root stṛ (to spread) with prefix upa

Prefix: upa

Root: stṛ (class 9)

Note: Qualifies 'vahniḥ'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'dīpyate'.

दीप्यते (dīpyate) - does not ignite or burn brightly (shines, blazes, burns brightly)

(verb)

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

Present Indicative

3rd person singular, middle voice

Root: dīp (class 4)

Note: The root dīp is class 4, and often used in middle voice.

तपःस्वाध्यायचारित्रैः (tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritraiḥ) - by the virtues of ascetic practice (tapas), scriptural study (svādhyāya), and moral integrity (caritra) (by asceticism, self-study, and good conduct)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritra

tapaḥsvādhyāyacāritra - asceticism, self-study, and good conduct

Compound type : dvandva (tapas+svādhyāya+caritra)

• tapas – asceticism, penance, austerity
  noun (neuter)
  Root: tap (class 1)
• svādhyāya – self-study, study of the Vedas
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: su
  Root: dhyā (class 1)
• caritra – conduct, character, behavior
  noun (neuter)
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Instrumental plural, indicating the means by which a receiver is characterized as 'hīnaḥ' (devoid).

एवम् (evam) - similarly, making the comparison (thus, in this manner, similarly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlates with 'yathā'.

हीनः (hīnaḥ) - lacking or deprived of (the specified qualities) (devoid of, deficient in, inferior, abandoned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hīna

hīna - left, abandoned, devoid of, deficient in, inferior

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root hā (to abandon, to leave)

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'pratigrahī'.

प्रतिग्रही (pratigrahī) - a person who receives (dāna) (receiver, acceptor (of a gift))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pratigrahin

pratigrahin - receiver, acceptor

Agent noun

From root grah (to take) with prefix prati, suffix -in

Prefix: prati

Root: grah (class 9)

Note: Subject of the implied verb.