महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-114, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
अहिंसा वैदिकं कर्म ध्यानमिन्द्रियसंयमः ।
तपोऽथ गुरुशुश्रूषा किं श्रेयः पुरुषं प्रति ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
ahiṁsā vaidikaṁ karma dhyānamindriyasaṁyamaḥ ,
tapo'tha guruśuśrūṣā kiṁ śreyaḥ puruṣaṁ prati.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ahiṃsā vaidikaṃ karma dhyānam
indriyasaṃyamaḥ tapaḥ atha guruśuśrūṣā kim śreyaḥ puruṣam prati

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca puruṣam prati ahiṃsā vaidikaṃ karma
dhyānam indriyasaṃyamaḥ tapaḥ atha guruśuśrūṣā kim śreyaḥ

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'What is more beneficial for a person among non-violence, Vedic ritual (karma), meditation (dhyāna), control of the senses, austerity (tapas), and service to one's teacher (guruśuśrūṣā)?'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence, non-harming

• वैदिकं (vaidikaṁ) - Vedic, pertaining to the Vedas

• कर्म (karma) - Vedic ritual (karma) (action, deed, work, ritual)

• ध्यानम् (dhyānam) - meditation (dhyāna) (meditation, contemplation)

• इन्द्रियसंयमः (indriyasaṁyamaḥ) - control of the senses

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity (tapas) (austerity, penance, heat)

• अथ (atha) - and (then, now, and, moreover)

• गुरुशुश्रूषा (guruśuśrūṣā) - service to one's teacher (guruśuśrūṣā) (service to the guru/teacher)

• किम् (kim) - what? which?

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - more beneficial (more auspicious, better, more beneficial)

• पुरुषम् (puruṣam) - for a person (person, man, male)

• प्रति (prati) - for (towards, against, in regard to, for)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle, firm in fight; name of the eldest Pāṇḍava prince

Compound type : aluk tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle, in fight
  noun (feminine)
• sthira – firm, steady, constant
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'uvāca'

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect Active Indicative

Root verb vac, Class 2, Parasmaipada

Root: vac (class 2)

अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence, non-harming

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ahiṃsā

ahiṁsā - non-violence, non-injury, non-harming, harmlessness

From a- (negation) + hiṃsā (injury)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+hiṃsā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• hiṃsā – injury, harm, violence
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root hiṃs
  Root: hiṃs (class 7)

Note: One of the practices being compared

वैदिकं (vaidikaṁ) - Vedic, pertaining to the Vedas

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vaidika

vaidika - Vedic, relating to the Vedas, prescribed by the Vedas

Note: Adjective agreeing with 'karma'

कर्म (karma) - Vedic ritual (karma) (action, deed, work, ritual)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, religious rite or ritual, consequence of action

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: One of the practices being compared

ध्यानम् (dhyānam) - meditation (dhyāna) (meditation, contemplation)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dhyāna

dhyāna - meditation, contemplation, deep thought

Root: dhyai (class 1)

Note: One of the practices being compared

इन्द्रियसंयमः (indriyasaṁyamaḥ) - control of the senses

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of indriyasaṃyama

indriyasaṁyama - control of the senses, self-control

Compound noun

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (indriya+saṃyama)

• indriya – belonging to Indra; an organ of sense or action, faculty
  noun (neuter)
• saṃyama – restraint, control, checking, self-control
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root yam with prefix sam
  Prefix: sam
  Root: yam (class 1)

Note: One of the practices being compared

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity (tapas) (austerity, penance, heat)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - heat, warmth; spiritual fervor, asceticism, austerity, penance

Root: tap (class 1)

Note: One of the practices being compared

अथ (atha) - and (then, now, and, moreover)

(indeclinable)

गुरुशुश्रूषा (guruśuśrūṣā) - service to one's teacher (guruśuśrūṣā) (service to the guru/teacher)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of guruśuśrūṣā

guruśuśrūṣā - desire to hear; service to a teacher or elderly person, obedience

Compound noun

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (guru+śuśrūṣā)

• guru – heavy, weighty; venerable, teacher, preceptor
  noun (masculine)
• śuśrūṣā – desire to hear; obedience, service, attendance
  noun (feminine)
  Desiderative noun
  Derived from root śru (to hear)
  Root: śru (class 5)

Note: One of the practices being compared

किम् (kim) - what? which?

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - who? what? which?

Note: Question word

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - more beneficial (more auspicious, better, more beneficial)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - more auspicious, better, excellent, superior, beneficial, welfare

Comparative form of śrī

Note: Predicate adjective for 'kim'

पुरुषम् (puruṣam) - for a person (person, man, male)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, human being, person, male, cosmic person (Puruṣa)

Note: Governed by 'prati'

प्रति (prati) - for (towards, against, in regard to, for)

(indeclinable)

Preposition governing the accusative case