महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-96, verse-14

तस्माद्धर्मेण योद्धव्यं मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् ।
सत्सु नित्यं सतां धर्मस्तमास्थाय न नाशयेत् ॥१४॥

14. tasmāddharmeṇa yoddhavyaṁ manuḥ svāyaṁbhuvo'bravīt ,
satsu nityaṁ satāṁ dharmastamāsthāya na nāśayet.

14. tasmāt dharmeṇa yoddhavyam manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvaḥ abravīt
satsu nityam satām dharmaḥ tam āsthāya na nāśayet

14. tasmāt svāyaṃbhuvaḥ manuḥ dharmeṇa yoddhavyam iti abravīt.
satsu nityam satām dharmaḥ (asti); tam āsthāya na nāśayet.

14. Therefore, Manu, the self-born (Svāyambhuva), declared that one should fight in accordance with natural law (dharma). The natural law (dharma) of the virtuous eternally exists among the good; by taking refuge in that (dharma), one should not bring about one's own ruin.

Words meanings summery:

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore (therefore, from that, hence)

• धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - in accordance with natural law (dharma) (by natural law (dharma), with righteousness, in accordance with duty)

• योद्धव्यम् (yoddhavyam) - one should fight (to be fought, one should fight)

• मनुः (manuḥ) - Manu, the lawgiver (Manu (a primordial man, lawgiver))

• स्वायंभुवः (svāyaṁbhuvaḥ) - the self-born (Svāyambhuva) (self-existent, son of Svayambhū (Brahma))

• अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - declared (said, spoke, declared)

• सत्सु (satsu) - among the good (among the virtuous, among the good, in good people)

• नित्यम् (nityam) - eternally, always (always, perpetually, eternally, constantly)

• सताम् (satām) - of the virtuous (of the good, of the virtuous, of the existing)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, religion)

• तम् (tam) - that (dharma) (that, him, it)

• आस्थाय (āsthāya) - by taking refuge in that (having resorted to, having taken refuge in, having adopted, having stood on)

• न (na) - not (not, no, nor)

• नाशयेत् (nāśayet) - should bring about one's own ruin (should destroy, should cause to perish, should ruin)

Words meanings and morphology

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore (therefore, from that, hence)

(indeclinable)

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'therefore'.

धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - in accordance with natural law (dharma) (by natural law (dharma), with righteousness, in accordance with duty)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, cosmic order, religion, intrinsic nature

From √dhṛ 'to uphold, sustain'.

Root: dhṛ (class 3)

Note: Denotes means or manner.

योद्धव्यम् (yoddhavyam) - one should fight (to be fought, one should fight)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yoddhavya

yoddhavya - to be fought, worth fighting

Gerundive (-tavya)

Gerundive of √yudh 'to fight'.

Root: yudh (class 4)

Note: The active meaning 'one should fight' is derived from this passive construction.

मनुः (manuḥ) - Manu, the lawgiver (Manu (a primordial man, lawgiver))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of manu

manu - man, human being, Manu (mythological progenitor of mankind, lawgiver)

Root: man (class 4)

स्वायंभुवः (svāyaṁbhuvaḥ) - the self-born (Svāyambhuva) (self-existent, son of Svayambhū (Brahma))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of svāyaṃbhuva

svāyaṁbhuva - self-existent, born of Svayambhū (epithet of Manu, referring to his divine origin from Brahma)

Derived from Svayambhū (self-existent).

Note: Qualifies manuḥ.

अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - declared (said, spoke, declared)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of bru

imperfect tense, 3rd person singular

From root √bru 'to speak'.

Root: bru (class 2)

सत्सु (satsu) - among the good (among the virtuous, among the good, in good people)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, plural of sat

sat - existing, true, good, virtuous, real

Present Active Participle

Present participle of √as 'to be'.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Refers to virtuous people collectively.

नित्यम् (nityam) - eternally, always (always, perpetually, eternally, constantly)

(indeclinable)

From ni + √i 'to go'.

Note: Adverbial form.

सताम् (satām) - of the virtuous (of the good, of the virtuous, of the existing)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - existing, true, good, virtuous, real

Present Active Participle

Present participle of √as 'to be'.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Denotes possession.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, religion)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, cosmic order, religion, intrinsic nature

From √dhṛ 'to uphold, sustain'.

Root: dhṛ (class 3)

Note: Subject of the second clause.

तम् (tam) - that (dharma) (that, him, it)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Object of āsthāya.

आस्थाय (āsthāya) - by taking refuge in that (having resorted to, having taken refuge in, having adopted, having stood on)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Absolutive of √sthā 'to stand' with prefix ā-.

Prefix: ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

न (na) - not (not, no, nor)

(indeclinable)

नाशयेत् (nāśayet) - should bring about one's own ruin (should destroy, should cause to perish, should ruin)

(verb)

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

optative mood, causative, 3rd person singular

Causative of √naś 'to perish'.

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: The implied subject is 'one' (agent of āsthāya).