महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-148, verse-15

होमकाले यथा वह्निः कालमेव प्रतीक्षते ।
ऋतुकाले तथा नारी ऋतुमेव प्रतीक्षते ।
न चान्यां गच्छते यस्तु ब्रह्मचर्यं हि तत्स्मृतम् ॥१५॥

15. homakāle yathā vahniḥ kālameva pratīkṣate ,
ṛtukāle tathā nārī ṛtumeva pratīkṣate ,
na cānyāṁ gacchate yastu brahmacaryaṁ hi tatsmṛtam.

15. homakāle yathā vahniḥ kālam eva
pratīkṣate ṛtukāle tathā nārī ṛtum
eva pratīkṣate na ca anyām gacchate
yaḥ tu brahmacaryam hi tat smṛtam

15. yathā homakāle vahniḥ kālam eva pratīkṣate,
tathā ṛtukāle nārī ṛtum eva pratīkṣate.
yaḥ tu anyām na gacchate,
tat hi brahmacaryam smṛtam

15. Just as the ritual fire (vahni) awaits its designated time for the (Vedic fire ritual (homa)), so too does a woman await her fertile season (ṛtu). And the man who does not approach another woman is indeed understood to be practicing chaste conduct (brahmacarya).

Words meanings summery:

• होमकाले (homakāle) - at the time of the fire ritual, during the (homa) period

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

• वह्निः (vahniḥ) - the ritual fire (fire, Agni (god of fire))

• कालम् (kālam) - time, designated time, season

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

• प्रतीक्षते (pratīkṣate) - waits, awaits, expects

• ऋतुकाले (ṛtukāle) - during the woman's fertile period (in the fertile season, at the proper time)

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, similarly

• नारी (nārī) - woman, female

• ऋतुम् (ṛtum) - the fertile period of a woman (season, fertile period)

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

• प्रतीक्षते (pratīkṣate) - waits, awaits, expects

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also

• अन्याम् (anyām) - another woman (another, other)

• गच्छते (gacchate) - approaches (sexually) (goes, approaches)

• यः (yaḥ) - the man who (who, which)

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, indeed

• ब्रह्मचर्यम् (brahmacaryam) - chaste conduct, faithfulness to one's spouse (chaste conduct, student life, celibacy)

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• तत् (tat) - that (conduct of not approaching another woman) (that, it)

• स्मृतम् (smṛtam) - remembered, considered, enjoined

Words meanings and morphology

होमकाले (homakāle) - at the time of the fire ritual, during the (homa) period

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of homakāla

homakāla - time of the (Vedic fire ritual (homa))

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (homa+kāla)

• homa – Vedic fire ritual, oblation into fire
  noun (masculine)
  action noun
  from root hu (to offer)
  Root: hu (class 3)
• kāla – time, period, season
  noun (masculine)

Note: Adverbial locative.

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a simile.

वह्निः (vahniḥ) - the ritual fire (fire, Agni (god of fire))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vahni

vahni - fire, flame, Agni

from root vah (to carry)

Root: vah (class 1)

Note: Subject of the first clause.

कालम् (kālam) - time, designated time, season

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kāla

kāla - time, period, season

Note: Object of pratīkṣate.

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

प्रतीक्षते (pratīkṣate) - waits, awaits, expects

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of pratīkṣ

Prefix: prati

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

Note: Ātmanepada verb.

ऋतुकाले (ṛtukāle) - during the woman's fertile period (in the fertile season, at the proper time)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of ṛtukāla

ṛtukāla - fertile season, proper season, specific period

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (ṛtu+kāla)

• ṛtu – season, proper time, fertile period (of a woman)
  noun (masculine)
• kāla – time, period, season
  noun (masculine)

Note: Adverbial locative.

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, similarly

(indeclinable)

नारी (nārī) - woman, female

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of nārī

nārī - woman, wife, female

Note: Subject of the second clause.

ऋतुम् (ṛtum) - the fertile period of a woman (season, fertile period)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ṛtu

ṛtu - season, proper time, fertile period (of a woman)

Note: Object of pratīkṣate.

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

प्रतीक्षते (pratīkṣate) - waits, awaits, expects

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of pratīkṣ

Prefix: prati

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

Note: Ātmanepada verb.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अन्याम् (anyām) - another woman (another, other)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of anya

anya - other, another, different

Note: Refers to 'nārī' (implied 'woman').

गच्छते (gacchate) - approaches (sexually) (goes, approaches)

(verb)

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

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Parasmaipada root conjugated in Ātmanepada, often seen in epic Sanskrit.

यः (yaḥ) - the man who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Relative pronoun referring to the implied man.

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, indeed

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic or adversative particle.

ब्रह्मचर्यम् (brahmacaryam) - chaste conduct, faithfulness to one's spouse (chaste conduct, student life, celibacy)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of brahmacarya

brahmacarya - chaste conduct, celibacy, student life (living according to the (brahman)'s path)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+carya)

• brahman – sacred knowledge, sacred utterance, the Absolute
  noun (neuter)
• carya – conduct, practice, custom
  noun (neuter)
  gerundive/action noun
  from root car (to move, to behave)
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative for 'tat'.

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle, provides reason.

तत् (tat) - that (conduct of not approaching another woman) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the prior clause.

स्मृतम् (smṛtam) - remembered, considered, enjoined

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of smṛta

smṛta - remembered, recollected, enjoined by tradition

past passive participle

from root smṛ (to remember)

Root: smṛ (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'tat'.