महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-112, verse-13

मृतं शरीरमुत्सृज्य काष्ठलोष्टसमं जनाः ।
मुहूर्तमुपतिष्ठन्ति ततो यान्ति पराङ्मुखाः ।
तैस्तच्छरीरमुत्सृष्टं धर्म एकोऽनुगच्छति ॥१३॥

13. mṛtaṁ śarīramutsṛjya kāṣṭhaloṣṭasamaṁ janāḥ ,
muhūrtamupatiṣṭhanti tato yānti parāṅmukhāḥ ,
taistaccharīramutsṛṣṭaṁ dharma eko'nugacchati.

13. mṛtam śarīram utsṛjya kāṣṭhaloṣṭhasamam
janāḥ muhūrtam upatiṣṭhanti
tataḥ yānti parāṅmukhāḥ taiḥ tat śarīram
utsṛṣṭam dharmaḥ ekaḥ anugacchati

13. janāḥ kāṣṭhaloṣṭhasamam mṛtam śarīram
utsṛjya muhūrtam upatiṣṭhanti
tataḥ parāṅmukhāḥ yānti taiḥ utsṛṣṭam
tat śarīram dharmaḥ ekaḥ anugacchati

13. People abandon the dead body, which is like a log or a clod of earth, and remain (with it) for only a moment. Then they turn away. The righteousness (dharma) alone follows that body, abandoned by them.

Words meanings summery:

• मृतम् (mṛtam) - referring to the lifeless state of the body. (dead, deceased)

• शरीरम् (śarīram) - the physical body after death. (body)

• उत्सृज्य (utsṛjya) - refers to the act of leaving the body behind. (having abandoned, having given up)

• काष्ठलोष्ठसमम् (kāṣṭhaloṣṭhasamam) - emphasizing the inert, worthless nature of the dead body. (like a log or a clod of earth)

• जनाः (janāḥ) - refers to the living relatives and friends. (people, folk, men)

• मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - for a very brief period. (a moment, a short time, a particular division of time)

• उपतिष्ठन्ति (upatiṣṭhanti) - they stand by (the body). (stand near, attend, remain near, honor)

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, indicating a sequence of events. (thence, from that, then, afterwards)

• यान्ति (yānti) - they depart. (they go, they proceed)

• पराङ्मुखाः (parāṅmukhāḥ) - having turned their backs, i.e., leaving without looking back. (with faces turned away, averted, turned backwards)

• तैः (taiḥ) - by the people (relatives and friends). (by them)

• तत् (tat) - referring to the body just mentioned. (that)

• शरीरम् (śarīram) - the dead physical body. (body)

• उत्सृष्टम् (utsṛṣṭam) - having been left behind (by the people). (abandoned, discarded, given up)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - the accumulated merit or demerit from actions, which is the only thing that accompanies the soul. 'righteous action (dharma)'. (righteousness, natural law, duty, virtue, merit)

• एकः (ekaḥ) - emphasizing that dharma is the only thing that follows. (one, alone, sole)

• अनुगच्छति (anugacchati) - accompanies the soul even after the body is abandoned. (follows, goes after, accompanies)

Words meanings and morphology

मृतम् (mṛtam) - referring to the lifeless state of the body. (dead, deceased)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of mṛta

mṛta - dead, deceased

Past Passive Participle

from root mṛ (to die)

Root: mṛ (class 6)

Note: Adjectival form qualifying śarīram.

शरीरम् (śarīram) - the physical body after death. (body)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śarīra

śarīra - body

Note: Direct object of utsṛjya.

उत्सृज्य (utsṛjya) - refers to the act of leaving the body behind. (having abandoned, having given up)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

from root sṛj with prefix ut

Prefix: ut

Root: sṛj (class 6)

Note: Specifies action preceding the main verb.

काष्ठलोष्ठसमम् (kāṣṭhaloṣṭhasamam) - emphasizing the inert, worthless nature of the dead body. (like a log or a clod of earth)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kāṣṭhaloṣṭhasama

kāṣṭhaloṣṭhasama - like a log and a clod of earth

Compound type : dvandva-tatpuruṣa (kāṣṭha+loṣṭha+sama)

• kāṣṭha – wood, log
  noun (neuter)
• loṣṭha – clod of earth, lump of clay
  noun (masculine)
• sama – like, equal, similar
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Describes śarīram metaphorically.

जनाः (janāḥ) - refers to the living relatives and friends. (people, folk, men)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jana

jana - person, people, man, creature

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Subject of the actions.

मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - for a very brief period. (a moment, a short time, a particular division of time)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of muhūrta

muhūrta - a moment, a short space of time

Note: Functions adverbially to indicate duration.

उपतिष्ठन्ति (upatiṣṭhanti) - they stand by (the body). (stand near, attend, remain near, honor)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of sthā

Present active

from root sthā with prefix upa, 3rd person plural

Prefix: upa

Root: sthā (class 1)

ततः (tataḥ) - then, indicating a sequence of events. (thence, from that, then, afterwards)

(indeclinable)

ablative suffix -tas

यान्ति (yānti) - they depart. (they go, they proceed)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of yā

Present active

3rd person plural

Root: yā (class 2)

पराङ्मुखाः (parāṅmukhāḥ) - having turned their backs, i.e., leaving without looking back. (with faces turned away, averted, turned backwards)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of parāṅmukha

parāṅmukha - having the face turned away, averted, hostile

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (parāñc+mukha)

• parāñc – turned away, backward
  adjective (masculine)
• mukha – face, mouth
  noun (neuter)

Note: Describes janāḥ.

तैः (taiḥ) - by the people (relatives and friends). (by them)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Refers back to janāḥ.

तत् (tat) - referring to the body just mentioned. (that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Functions as an adjective for śarīram.

शरीरम् (śarīram) - the dead physical body. (body)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śarīra

śarīra - body

Note: Subject of the last clause.

उत्सृष्टम् (utsṛṣṭam) - having been left behind (by the people). (abandoned, discarded, given up)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of utsṛṣṭa

utsṛṣṭa - abandoned, discarded

Past Passive Participle

from root sṛj with prefix ut

Prefix: ut

Root: sṛj (class 6)

Note: Qualifies śarīram.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - the accumulated merit or demerit from actions, which is the only thing that accompanies the soul. 'righteous action (dharma)'. (righteousness, natural law, duty, virtue, merit)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - righteousness, duty, law, virtue, merit, intrinsic nature

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: A key concept in Indian philosophy, here referring to one's moral/spiritual balance.

एकः (ekaḥ) - emphasizing that dharma is the only thing that follows. (one, alone, sole)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of eka

eka - one, alone, single, sole

Note: Can also function as an adjective.

अनुगच्छति (anugacchati) - accompanies the soul even after the body is abandoned. (follows, goes after, accompanies)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of gam

Present active

from root gam with prefix anu, 3rd person singular

Prefix: anu

Root: gam (class 1)