महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-115, verse-5

यथा सर्वश्चतुष्पादस्त्रिभिः पादैर्न तिष्ठति ।
तथैवेयं महीपाल प्रोच्यते कारणैस्त्रिभिः ॥५॥

5. yathā sarvaścatuṣpādastribhiḥ pādairna tiṣṭhati ,
tathaiveyaṁ mahīpāla procyate kāraṇaistribhiḥ.

5. yathā sarvaḥ catuḥ-pādaḥ tribhiḥ pādaiḥ na tiṣṭhati
| tathā eva iyam mahīpāla procyate kāraṇaiḥ tribhiḥ

5. mahīpāla yathā sarvaḥ catuḥ-pādaḥ tribhiḥ pādaiḥ na
tiṣṭhati tathā eva iyam tribhiḥ kāraṇaiḥ procyate

5. Just as a quadruped does not stand firmly on three feet, so too, O protector of the earth, this (non-violence) is declared to be by three causes (or modes).

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, in which way)

• सर्वः (sarvaḥ) - all (all, every, whole)

• चतुः-पादः (catuḥ-pādaḥ) - a quadruped (a quadruped, four-footed animal)

• त्रिभिः (tribhiḥ) - by three (by three (instrumental))

• पादैः (pādaiḥ) - on (three) feet (by feet, by legs)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - stands (stands, remains, stays)

• तथा (tathā) - so also (so, thus, in that way)

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

• इयम् (iyam) - this (referring to non-violence) (this (feminine))

• महीपाल (mahīpāla) - O king (O protector of the earth, O king)

• प्रोच्यते (procyate) - is declared (is said, is declared, is spoken)

• कारणैः (kāraṇaiḥ) - by causes (or modes) (by causes, by reasons, by instruments)

• त्रिभिः (tribhiḥ) - by three (by three (instrumental))

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, as, in which way)

(indeclinable)

Relative adverb.

सर्वः (sarvaḥ) - all (all, every, whole)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, complete

चतुः-पादः (catuḥ-pādaḥ) - a quadruped (a quadruped, four-footed animal)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of catuṣpāda

catuṣpāda - four-footed, a quadruped

Compound: catur (four) + pāda (foot).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (catur+pāda)

• catur – four
  numeral
• pāda – foot, leg, quarter, part
  noun (masculine)
  From root pad (to go, walk).
  Root: pad (class 4)

त्रिभिः (tribhiḥ) - by three (by three (instrumental))

(numeral)

पादैः (pādaiḥ) - on (three) feet (by feet, by legs)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of pāda

pāda - foot, leg, quarter, part, ray

From root pad (to go).

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Instrumental plural.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - stands (stands, remains, stays)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of sthā

Present active

From root sthā (to stand). Reduplicated present stem.

Root: sthā (class 1)

तथा (tathā) - so also (so, thus, in that way)

(indeclinable)

Correlative adverb to yathā.

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

(indeclinable)

इयम् (iyam) - this (referring to non-violence) (this (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of idam

idam - this, that

Demonstrative pronoun.

महीपाल (mahīpāla) - O king (O protector of the earth, O king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahīpāla

mahīpāla - protector of the earth, king, ruler

Compound: mahī (earth) + pāla (protector).

Compound type : tatpurusha (mahī+pāla)

• mahī – earth, ground
  noun (feminine)
  From mahat (great).
• pāla – protector, guardian, keeper
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun
  From root pā (to protect).
  Root: pā (class 2)

प्रोच्यते (procyate) - is declared (is said, is declared, is spoken)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of vac

Prefix: pra

Root: vac (class 2)

कारणैः (kāraṇaiḥ) - by causes (or modes) (by causes, by reasons, by instruments)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of kāraṇa

kāraṇa - cause, reason, instrument, motive

From root kṛ (to do) + ṇal suffix.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

त्रिभिः (tribhiḥ) - by three (by three (instrumental))

(numeral)