महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-95, verse-8

तक्षत्यात्मानमेवैष वनं परशुना यथा ।
यः सम्यग्वर्तमानेषु स्वेषु मिथ्या प्रवर्तते ॥८॥

8. takṣatyātmānamevaiṣa vanaṁ paraśunā yathā ,
yaḥ samyagvartamāneṣu sveṣu mithyā pravartate.

8. takṣati ātmanam eva eṣaḥ vanam paraśunā yathā
yaḥ samyak vartamāneṣu sveṣu mithyā pravartate

8. yathā (kaścit) vanam paraśunā takṣati,
tathā eṣaḥ ātmanam eva (takṣati) yaḥ sveṣu samyak vartamāneṣu mithyā pravartate

8. Just as a person cuts down a forest with an axe, so too does one who acts falsely towards his own people, even though they are behaving properly, destroy his own self (ātman).

Words meanings summery:

• तक्षति (takṣati) - he cuts, carves, destroys

• आत्मनम् (ātmanam) - his own self (ātman), soul

• एव (eva) - only, indeed, precisely

• एषः (eṣaḥ) - this one, he

• वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

• परशुना (paraśunā) - with an axe

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

• यः (yaḥ) - who, he who

• सम्यक् (samyak) - properly, correctly, completely

• वर्तमानेषु (vartamāneṣu) - among those who are behaving, acting

• स्वेषु (sveṣu) - among his own (people), towards his own

• मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, wrongly, improperly

• प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - he behaves, acts, proceeds

Words meanings and morphology

तक्षति (takṣati) - he cuts, carves, destroys

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of takṣ

Root: takṣ (class 1)

Note: Implied subject is 'one'.

आत्मनम् (ātmanam) - his own self (ātman), soul

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, essence

Note: Object of `takṣati`.

एव (eva) - only, indeed, precisely

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes `ātmanam`.

एषः (eṣaḥ) - this one, he

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this, that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the person described by `yaḥ`.

वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove

Note: Object of implied 'cuts'.

परशुना (paraśunā) - with an axe

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of paraśu

paraśu - axe, hatchet

Note: Instrument of action.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces the simile.

यः (yaḥ) - who, he who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: Subject of `pravartate`.

सम्यक् (samyak) - properly, correctly, completely

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies `vartamāneṣu`.

वर्तमानेषु (vartamāneṣu) - among those who are behaving, acting

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, plural of vartamāna

vartamāna - being, existing, behaving, acting

Present Middle Participle

From √vṛt (to be, exist, behave)

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Refers to 'sveṣu' (his own people).

स्वेषु (sveṣu) - among his own (people), towards his own

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, plural of sva

sva - one's own, kinsmen, property

Note: 'towards' in this context meaning 'in relation to'.

मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, wrongly, improperly

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies `pravartate`.

प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - he behaves, acts, proceeds

(verb)

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

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: `pra` + `√vṛt`