महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-1, verse-21

लुब्धक उवाच ।
हत्वा लाभः श्रेय एवाव्ययं स्यात्सद्यो लाभो बलवद्भिः प्रशस्तः ।
कालाल्लाभो यस्तु सद्यो भवेत हते श्रेयः कुत्सिते त्वीदृशे स्यात् ॥२१॥

21. lubdhaka uvāca ,
hatvā lābhaḥ śreya evāvyayaṁ syā;tsadyo lābho balavadbhiḥ praśastaḥ ,
kālāllābho yastu sadyo bhaveta; hate śreyaḥ kutsite tvīdṛśe syāt.

21. lubdhakaḥ uvāca hatvā lābhaḥ śreyaḥ eva
avyayam syāt sadyaḥ lābhaḥ balavadbhiḥ
praśastaḥ kālāt lābhaḥ yaḥ tu sadyaḥ
bhavet hate śreyaḥ kutsite tu īdṛśe syāt

21. lubdhakaḥ uvāca hatvā avyayam śreyaḥ lābhaḥ eva syāt.
sadyaḥ lābhaḥ balavadbhiḥ praśastaḥ.
yaḥ lābhaḥ kālāt sadyaḥ bhavet tu,
īdṛśe kutsite hate śreyaḥ syāt.

21. The hunter said: 'Killing certainly yields an excellent, imperishable gain. Immediate gain is praised by the strong. If a gain that usually comes with time occurs immediately, then for such a despised creature, being killed is truly beneficial.'

Words meanings summery:

• लुब्धकः (lubdhakaḥ) - hunter, fowler

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke, told

• हत्वा (hatvā) - having killed, by killing, after killing

• लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - excellent result, beneficial outcome (good, welfare, prosperity, superior, excellent)

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly, certainly

• अव्ययम् (avyayam) - imperishable, eternal (imperishable, immutable, eternal, indeclinable (gram.))

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be, should be, may be

• सद्यः (sadyaḥ) - immediately, at once, instantaneously

• लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

• बलवद्भिः (balavadbhiḥ) - by the strong, by powerful ones

• प्रशस्तः (praśastaḥ) - highly valued, commended (praised, commended, excellent, auspicious)

• कालात् (kālāt) - over time, through time (from time, in course of time, by time)

• लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

• यः (yaḥ) - which, who, that

• तु (tu) - but, however, indeed, on the other hand

• सद्यः (sadyaḥ) - immediately, at once, instantaneously

• भवेत् (bhavet) - would be, should be, would happen, should happen

• हते (hate) - for the one who is killed (referring to the despised creature) (in the killed one, for the killed one, when killed)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - beneficial, good fortune (good, welfare, prosperity, superior, excellent)

• कुत्सिते (kutsite) - in a despised state, for a despised creature (despised, contemptible, censured, despicable)

• तु (tu) - but, however, indeed, on the other hand

• ईदृशे (īdṛśe) - in such a (despised) state, for such a (despised creature) (of such a kind, such, similar)

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be, should be, may be

Words meanings and morphology

लुब्धकः (lubdhakaḥ) - hunter, fowler

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of lubdhaka

lubdhaka - hunter, fowler, trapper

Root: lubh (class 4)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke, told

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

हत्वा (hatvā) - having killed, by killing, after killing

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Formed with -tvā suffix from the root han (to strike, kill)

Root: han (class 2)

लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of lābha

lābha - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

Derived from root labh (to obtain)

Root: labh (class 1)

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - excellent result, beneficial outcome (good, welfare, prosperity, superior, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - good, welfare, prosperity, superior, excellent

Comparative form of 'śrī' or 'śrīn'

Note: Used here as a substantive meaning 'the good' or 'benefit'

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just, exactly, certainly

(indeclinable)

अव्ययम् (avyayam) - imperishable, eternal (imperishable, immutable, eternal, indeclinable (gram.))

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of avyaya

avyaya - imperishable, immutable, eternal, indeclinable

Compound of 'a' (not) + 'vyaya' (perishable, expense)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (a+vyaya)

• a – not, un-, without
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• vyaya – perishable, expense, loss, decay
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from 'vi' + 'i' (to go)
  Prefix: vi
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'lābhaḥ śreyaḥ' (neuter 'śreyas' as a substantive)

स्यात् (syāt) - would be, should be, may be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

सद्यः (sadyaḥ) - immediately, at once, instantaneously

(indeclinable)

Note: Can also function as an adjective 'immediate'

लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of lābha

lābha - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

Derived from root labh (to obtain)

Root: labh (class 1)

बलवद्भिः (balavadbhiḥ) - by the strong, by powerful ones

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of balavat

balavat - strong, powerful, mighty

Formed with the possessive suffix -vat from 'bala' (strength)

Note: Used here as a substantive referring to 'the strong'

प्रशस्तः (praśastaḥ) - highly valued, commended (praised, commended, excellent, auspicious)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of praśasta

praśasta - praised, commended, excellent, auspicious

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root śas (to praise) with prefix pra

Prefix: pra

Root: śas (class 2)

कालात् (kālāt) - over time, through time (from time, in course of time, by time)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of kāla

kāla - time, period, season, death

लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of lābha

lābha - gain, profit, acquisition, advantage

Derived from root labh (to obtain)

Root: labh (class 1)

यः (yaḥ) - which, who, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, that

तु (tu) - but, however, indeed, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

सद्यः (sadyaḥ) - immediately, at once, instantaneously

(indeclinable)

Note: Can also function as an adjective 'immediate'

भवेत् (bhavet) - would be, should be, would happen, should happen

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

हते (hate) - for the one who is killed (referring to the despised creature) (in the killed one, for the killed one, when killed)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of hata

hata - killed, struck, destroyed

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root han (to strike, kill)

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Functions as a substantive referring to the killed creature.

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - beneficial, good fortune (good, welfare, prosperity, superior, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - good, welfare, prosperity, superior, excellent

Comparative form of 'śrī' or 'śrīn'

Note: Used here as a substantive meaning 'the good' or 'benefit'

कुत्सिते (kutsite) - in a despised state, for a despised creature (despised, contemptible, censured, despicable)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of kutsita

kutsita - despised, censured, contemptible, vile

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root kuts (to despise, reproach)

Root: kuts (class 10)

Note: Agrees with 'hate' and 'īdṛśe'.

तु (tu) - but, however, indeed, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

ईदृशे (īdṛśe) - in such a (despised) state, for such a (despised creature) (of such a kind, such, similar)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of īdṛśa

īdṛśa - of such a kind, such, similar

Note: Agrees with 'hate' and 'kutsite'.

स्यात् (syāt) - would be, should be, may be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)