महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-9, verse-21

अल्पं वास्वादु वा भोज्यं पूर्वालाभेन जातु चित् ।
अन्येष्वपि चरँल्लाभमलाभे सप्त पूरयन् ॥२१॥

21. alpaṁ vāsvādu vā bhojyaṁ pūrvālābhena jātu cit ,
anyeṣvapi caraँllābhamalābhe sapta pūrayan.

21. alpam vā asvādu vā bhojyam pūrvālābhena jātu
cit anyeṣu api caran lābham alābhe sapta pūrayan

21. bhojyam alpam vā asvādu vā (syāt) jātu cit pūrvālābhena (tat na tyajet) anyeṣu api lābham caran,
alābhe sapta pūrayan (gṛhṇīyāt)

21. Whether the food obtained is meager or tasteless, (one should accept it) never due to a prior lack of acquisition. Seeking alms among others (householders), when there is no gain, (one should continue) completing (the visit to) seven (houses).

Words meanings summery:

• अल्पम् (alpam) - little, meager, small

• वा (vā) - or, either

• अस्वादु (asvādu) - tasteless, unpalatable, not sweet

• वा (vā) - or, either

• भोज्यम् (bhojyam) - food, eatable; what is to be eaten

• पूर्वालाभेन (pūrvālābhena) - by a previous non-gain, due to a prior absence of acquisition

• जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time

• चित् (cit) - an enclitic particle making 'jātu' indefinite (ever); or used to emphasize (indeed)

• अन्येषु (anyeṣu) - among others, in other (places/people)

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• चरन् (caran) - moving, wandering, practicing, seeking

• लाभम् (lābham) - acquisition, gain, alms

• अलाभे (alābhe) - in case of no gain, when there is no acquisition

• सप्त (sapta) - (seven houses) (seven)

• पूरयन् (pūrayan) - (completing the visit to houses up to seven) (filling, completing, accomplishing)

Words meanings and morphology

अल्पम् (alpam) - little, meager, small

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of alpa

alpa - little, small, few

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

अस्वादु (asvādu) - tasteless, unpalatable, not sweet

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of asvādu

asvādu - tasteless, unpalatable

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+svādu)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
• svādu – sweet, pleasant, tasty
  adjective

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

भोज्यम् (bhojyam) - food, eatable; what is to be eaten

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhojya

bhojya - eatable, food, that which is to be enjoyed or eaten

Gerundive / Potential Passive Participle

Derived from root `bhuj` (to eat) with suffix `-ya`

Root: bhuj (class 7)

पूर्वालाभेन (pūrvālābhena) - by a previous non-gain, due to a prior absence of acquisition

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of pūrvālābha

pūrvālābha - prior absence of gain, previous non-acquisition

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pūrva+alābha)

• pūrva – previous, former, prior
  adjective
• alābha – non-gain, loss, absence of acquisition
  noun (masculine)

जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time

(indeclinable)

चित् (cit) - an enclitic particle making 'jātu' indefinite (ever); or used to emphasize (indeed)

(indeclinable)

अन्येषु (anyeṣu) - among others, in other (places/people)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, plural of anya

anya - other, another

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

चरन् (caran) - moving, wandering, practicing, seeking

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of car

car - to move, wander, perform, practice

Present Active Participle

Derived from root `car` (to move)

Root: car (class 1)

लाभम् (lābham) - acquisition, gain, alms

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of lābha

lābha - gain, acquisition, profit

अलाभे (alābhe) - in case of no gain, when there is no acquisition

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of alābha

alābha - non-gain, loss, absence of acquisition

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+lābha)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
• lābha – gain, acquisition, profit
  noun (masculine)

सप्त (sapta) - (seven houses) (seven)

(numeral)

पूरयन् (pūrayan) - (completing the visit to houses up to seven) (filling, completing, accomplishing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pūr

pūr - to fill, complete, accomplish

Present Active Participle (causative)

Derived from root `pṛ` (to fill) in causative form `pūrayati`

Root: pṛ (class 9)