महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-108, verse-13

न ज्येष्ठानवमन्येत दुष्कृतः सुकृतोऽपि वा ।
यदि स्त्री यद्यवरजः श्रेयः पश्येत्तथाचरेत् ।
धर्मं हि श्रेय इत्याहुरिति धर्मविदो विदुः ॥१३॥

13. na jyeṣṭhānavamanyeta duṣkṛtaḥ sukṛto'pi vā ,
yadi strī yadyavarajaḥ śreyaḥ paśyettathācaret ,
dharmaṁ hi śreya ityāhuriti dharmavido viduḥ.

13. na jyeṣṭhān avamanyeta duṣkṛtaḥ sukṛtaḥ
api vā yadi strī yadi avarajaḥ
śreyaḥ paśyet tathā ācaret dharmam hi
śreyaḥ iti āhuḥ iti dharmavidaḥ viduḥ

13. jyeṣṭhān duṣkṛtaḥ sukṛtaḥ api vā na
avamanyeta yadi strī yadi avarajaḥ
śreyaḥ paśyet tathā ācaret hi dharmam
śreyaḥ iti āhuḥ iti dharmavidaḥ viduḥ

13. One should not disrespect elders, whether they have acted improperly or properly. If a woman or a junior person perceives what is beneficial, one should act accordingly. For indeed, those familiar with natural law (dharma) declare that it is the ultimate good, and thus the knowers of natural law (dharma) comprehend this.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• ज्येष्ठान् (jyeṣṭhān) - elders, superiors

• अवमन्येत (avamanyeta) - one should disrespect, one should despise

• दुष्कृतः (duṣkṛtaḥ) - even if they have acted improperly (one who has done evil, by evil deeds, ill-behaved)

• सुकृतः (sukṛtaḥ) - even if they have acted properly (one who has done good, by good deeds, well-behaved)

• अपि (api) - also, even, too

• वा (vā) - or

• यदि (yadi) - if

• स्त्री (strī) - a woman

• यदि (yadi) - if

• अवरजः (avarajaḥ) - a junior person (a younger brother, a junior)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - what is beneficial (welfare, prosperity, the better course, ultimate good)

• पश्येत् (paśyet) - one should see, one should perceive

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, accordingly

• आचरेत् (ācaret) - one should act, one should practice

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law (dharma) (natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, intrinsic nature)

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the ultimate good (welfare, prosperity, the better course, ultimate good)

• इति (iti) - thus, so, in this way

• आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say, they declare

• इति (iti) - thus, so, in this way

• धर्मविदः (dharmavidaḥ) - knowers of natural law (dharma) (knowers of natural law, experts in righteousness)

• विदुः (viduḥ) - they know, they understand

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

ज्येष्ठान् (jyeṣṭhān) - elders, superiors

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of jyeṣṭha

jyeṣṭha - eldest, oldest, chief, principal, superior

Superlative degree of 'vṛddha' (old)

Note: Used substantively as 'elders'.

अवमन्येत (avamanyeta) - one should disrespect, one should despise

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (vidhiliṅ) of avaman

Prefix: ava

Root: man (class 4)

दुष्कृतः (duṣkṛtaḥ) - even if they have acted improperly (one who has done evil, by evil deeds, ill-behaved)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of duṣkṛta

duṣkṛta - one who has done evil, evil-doer, wicked, improper act

Past Passive Participle

From 'duṣ' (bad) + 'kṛta' (done)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dus+kṛta)

• dus – bad, difficult, ill
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, performed
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root kṛ (to do)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Used here in nominative plural, referring to 'elders'.

सुकृतः (sukṛtaḥ) - even if they have acted properly (one who has done good, by good deeds, well-behaved)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sukṛta

sukṛta - one who has done good, virtuous, proper act

Past Passive Participle

From 'su' (good) + 'kṛta' (done)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (su+kṛta)

• su – good, well, excellent
  indeclinable
• kṛta – done, made, performed
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root kṛ (to do)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Used here in nominative plural, referring to 'elders'.

अपि (api) - also, even, too

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

यदि (yadi) - if

(indeclinable)

स्त्री (strī) - a woman

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of strī

strī - woman, female

यदि (yadi) - if

(indeclinable)

अवरजः (avarajaḥ) - a junior person (a younger brother, a junior)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of avaraja

avaraja - born after, younger brother, junior

From ava (down, after) + rajan (born)

Prefix: ava

Root: jan (class 4)

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - what is beneficial (welfare, prosperity, the better course, ultimate good)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - good, better, best, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good

Comparative form of śrī (good fortune, beauty), used as a noun meaning 'ultimate good'

Note: The word śreyas can be used as an adjective (better, best) or a noun (welfare, ultimate good). Here, it functions as a noun, the object of paśyet.

पश्येत् (paśyet) - one should see, one should perceive

(verb)

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

Root: dṛś (class 1)

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, accordingly

(indeclinable)

आचरेत् (ācaret) - one should act, one should practice

(verb)

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

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law (dharma) (natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, intrinsic nature)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution, intrinsic nature, religious merit

From root dhṛ (to uphold, to sustain)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

(indeclinable)

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - the ultimate good (welfare, prosperity, the better course, ultimate good)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - good, better, best, welfare, prosperity, ultimate good

Comparative form of śrī (good fortune, beauty), used as a noun meaning 'ultimate good'

Note: Here in nominative, referring to 'dharma'.

इति (iti) - thus, so, in this way

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the preceding statement as a quote or assertion.

आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say, they declare

(verb)

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

Root: vac (class 2)

इति (iti) - thus, so, in this way

(indeclinable)

Note: Marks the preceding statement as a quote or assertion.

धर्मविदः (dharmavidaḥ) - knowers of natural law (dharma) (knowers of natural law, experts in righteousness)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dharmavid

dharmavid - knower of natural law, one learned in law or duty, expert in righteousness

Compound of 'dharma' (natural law) and 'vid' (knower, from root vid 'to know')

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+vid)

• dharma – natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
  From root dhṛ (to uphold, sustain)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• vid – knower, one who knows
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from root vid (to know)
  Root: vid (class 2)

विदुः (viduḥ) - they know, they understand

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of vid

Root: vid (class 2)