महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-1, verse-68

यथा छायातपौ नित्यं सुसंबद्धौ निरन्तरम् ।
तथा कर्म च कर्ता च संबद्धावात्मकर्मभिः ॥६८॥

68. yathā chāyātapau nityaṁ susaṁbaddhau nirantaram ,
tathā karma ca kartā ca saṁbaddhāvātmakarmabhiḥ.

68. yathā chāyā-ātapau nityam su-sambaddhau nirantaram
tathā karma ca kartā ca sambandhau ātma-karmabhiḥ

68. yathā chāyā-ātapau nityam nirantaram su-sambaddhau,
tathā karma ca kartā ca ātma-karmabhiḥ sambandhau (bhavataḥ).

68. Just as shade and sunshine are always closely and continuously connected, so too are action (karma) and the doer linked together by their individual actions (karma).

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, according to)

• छाया-आतपौ (chāyā-ātapau) - shade and sunshine (shade and sunshine (dual))

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

• सु-सम्बद्धौ (su-sambaddhau) - closely connected (well-connected, closely united)

• निरन्तरम् (nirantaram) - continuously (uninterrupted, continuous, without interval)

• तथा (tathā) - so too (so, thus, in that manner)

• कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, work, fate, consequence of actions)

• च (ca) - and

• कर्ता (kartā) - the doer (doer, maker, agent)

• च (ca) - and

• सम्बन्धौ (sambandhau) - linked together (connected, related, bound (dual))

• आत्म-कर्मभिः (ātma-karmabhiḥ) - by their individual actions (karma) (by one's own actions, by the actions of the self)

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, according to)

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlates with 'tathā'.

छाया-आतपौ (chāyā-ātapau) - shade and sunshine (shade and sunshine (dual))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of chāyā-ātapa

chāyā-ātapa - shade and sunshine

Compound type : dvandva (chāyā+ātapa)

• chāyā – shade, shadow, reflection
  noun (feminine)
• ātapa – sunshine, heat of the sun
  noun (masculine)
  From ā- + √tap (to heat)
  Prefix: ā
  Root: tap (class 1)

Note: Subject of the comparison.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying the connection.

सु-सम्बद्धौ (su-sambaddhau) - closely connected (well-connected, closely united)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of su-sambaddha

su-sambaddha - well-connected, closely united

Past Passive Participle

Compound type : pradi-samāsa (su+sambaddha)

• su – good, well, excellent
  indeclinable
• sambaddha – connected, bound, united
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From sam- + √bandh (to bind)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: bandh (class 9)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'chāyā-ātapau'.

निरन्तरम् (nirantaram) - continuously (uninterrupted, continuous, without interval)

(indeclinable)

From nir- + antara (interval)

Compound type : avyayibhāva (nis+antara)

• nis – out, forth, without
  indeclinable
  Prefix
• antara – interval, space between, difference
  noun (neuter)

Note: Adverb modifying the connection.

तथा (tathā) - so too (so, thus, in that manner)

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlates with 'yathā'.

कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, work, fate, consequence of actions)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, work, fate, consequence of actions

Derived from root √kṛ (to do, make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: One of the subjects linked by 'ca...ca'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction.

कर्ता (kartā) - the doer (doer, maker, agent)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kartṛ

kartṛ - doer, maker, agent, creator

Agent Noun

Derived from root √kṛ (to do, make) with -tṛc suffix

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: The other subject linked by 'ca...ca'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction for 'karma' and 'kartā'.

सम्बन्धौ (sambandhau) - linked together (connected, related, bound (dual))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of sambandha

sambandha - connection, relation, tie

From sam- + √bandh (to bind)

Prefix: sam

Root: bandh (class 9)

Note: Predicate nominative in dual, referring to 'karma' and 'kartā'.

आत्म-कर्मभिः (ātma-karmabhiḥ) - by their individual actions (karma) (by one's own actions, by the actions of the self)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of ātma-karma

ātma-karma - one's own action, action of the self

Compound type : tatpurusha (ātman+karma)

• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)
• karma – action, deed, work
  noun (neuter)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Indicates the means by which the connection is made.