महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-8, verse-26

न चेद्धर्तव्यमन्यस्य कथं तद्धर्ममारभेत् ।
एतावानेव वेदेषु निश्चयः कविभिः कृतः ॥२६॥

26. na ceddhartavyamanyasya kathaṁ taddharmamārabhet ,
etāvāneva vedeṣu niścayaḥ kavibhiḥ kṛtaḥ.

26. na cet dhartavyam anyasya katham tat dharmam
ārabhet etāvān eva vedeṣu niścayaḥ kavibhiḥ kṛtaḥ

26. cet anyasya dhartavyam na,
katham tat dharmam ārabhet? etāvān eva niścayaḥ vedeṣu kavibhiḥ kṛtaḥ [asti].

26. If one's responsibility is not to uphold the rights of another, how can one initiate that natural law (dharma)? This much indeed is the settled conclusion established by the sages (kavi) in the Vedas.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• चेत् (cet) - if

• धर्तव्यम् (dhartavyam) - to be upheld, to be borne, to be supported, to be maintained

• अन्यस्य (anyasya) - of another, belonging to another

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• तत् (tat) - that

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty, virtue

• आरभेत् (ārabhet) - should begin, should undertake, should engage in

• एतावान् (etāvān) - so much, this much, of this extent

• एव (eva) - only, indeed, just

• वेदेषु (vedeṣu) - in the Vedas

• निश्चयः (niścayaḥ) - conclusion, ascertainment, firm decision, certainty

• कविभिः (kavibhiḥ) - by the wise, by the sages, by the poets

• कृतः (kṛtaḥ) - made, done, accomplished, established

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

चेत् (cet) - if

(indeclinable)

धर्तव्यम् (dhartavyam) - to be upheld, to be borne, to be supported, to be maintained

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dhartavya

dhartavya - to be borne, to be supported, to be maintained, to be upheld

Gerundive

Formed from root dhṛ with suffix -tavya

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Functions as a predicative adjective, implying 'it is to be upheld'.

अन्यस्य (anyasya) - of another, belonging to another

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of anya

anya - other, another, different

Note: Refers to another person or entity.

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty, virtue

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

आरभेत् (ārabhet) - should begin, should undertake, should engage in

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of ā-rabh

Optative

Third person singular, active voice

Prefix: ā

Root: rabh (class 1)

एतावान् (etāvān) - so much, this much, of this extent

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etāvat

etāvat - so much, this much, of this extent, thus far

Note: Qualifies 'niścayaḥ'.

एव (eva) - only, indeed, just

(indeclinable)

वेदेषु (vedeṣu) - in the Vedas

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of veda

veda - Veda, sacred knowledge

Root: vid (class 2)

निश्चयः (niścayaḥ) - conclusion, ascertainment, firm decision, certainty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niścaya

niścaya - conclusion, ascertainment, firm decision, certainty

Derived from ni-√ci (to gather, perceive)

Prefix: ni

Root: ci (class 5)

कविभिः (kavibhiḥ) - by the wise, by the sages, by the poets

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of kavi

kavi - wise person, sage, poet, seer

Root: kū (class 1)

Note: Agent in a passive construction (kṛtaḥ).

कृतः (kṛtaḥ) - made, done, accomplished, established

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kṛta

kṛta - made, done, accomplished, established

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)