महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-33, verse-4

एतत्कृत्यतमं राज्ञो नित्यमेवेति लक्षयेत् ।
यथात्मानं यथा पुत्रांस्तथैतान्परिपालयेत् ॥४॥

4. etatkṛtyatamaṁ rājño nityameveti lakṣayet ,
yathātmānaṁ yathā putrāṁstathaitānparipālayet.

4. etat kṛtyatamam rājñaḥ nityam eva iti lakṣayet
yathā ātmānam yathā putrān tathā etān paripālayet

4. rājñaḥ etat nityam eva kṛtyatamam iti lakṣayet
yathā ātmānam yathā putrān tathā etān paripālayet

4. A king should always consider this to be his most crucial duty. Just as he protects himself (ātman) and his sons, so too should he protect these (citizens and learned Brahmins).

Words meanings summery:

• एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the honoring of people) (this; that)

• कृत्यतमम् (kṛtyatamam) - most crucial duty (most dutiful; most important duty; the most to be done)

• राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - for a king (of a king; for a king)

• नित्यम् (nityam) - always (always; constantly; perpetually)

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

• इति (iti) - thus (indicating what should be considered) (thus; so; in this manner; (marks direct or indirect speech/thought))

• लक्षयेत् (lakṣayet) - one should consider (one should perceive; one should consider; one should mark)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as; just as; according as)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - oneself (ātman) (self; soul; essence)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as; just as)

• पुत्रान् (putrān) - sons (sons; children)

• तथा (tathā) - so too (thus; so; similarly)

• एतान् (etān) - these (people from the previous verse) (these)

• परिपालयेत् (paripālayet) - one should protect (one should protect; one should nourish; one should guard)

Words meanings and morphology

एतत् (etat) - this (referring to the honoring of people) (this; that)

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, that

Note: Functions as the subject or object of lakṣayet.

कृत्यतमम् (kṛtyatamam) - most crucial duty (most dutiful; most important duty; the most to be done)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of kṛtyatama

kṛtyatama - most important duty, most proper thing to be done

Gerundive (kṛtya) + superlative suffix (tama)

Superlative of kṛtya (that which should be done, duty), derived from root kṛ (to do) with suffix -ya and tamaṭ suffix.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Refers to etat.

राज्ञः (rājñaḥ) - for a king (of a king; for a king)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, sovereign, ruler

n-stem noun.

Root: rāj (class 1)

Note: Denotes possession or relation to kṛtyatamam.

नित्यम् (nityam) - always (always; constantly; perpetually)

(indeclinable)

Used adverbially.

Note: Modifies lakṣayet.

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

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

इति (iti) - thus (indicating what should be considered) (thus; so; in this manner; (marks direct or indirect speech/thought))

(indeclinable)

लक्षयेत् (lakṣayet) - one should consider (one should perceive; one should consider; one should mark)

(verb)

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

Denominative from lakṣa (mark, aim). Causal of √lakṣ (to see, perceive).

Root: lakṣ (class 10)

Note: Implies a royal duty.

यथा (yathā) - just as (as; just as; according as)

(indeclinable)

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - oneself (ātman) (self; soul; essence)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, essence, individual soul, the supreme (ātman)

n-stem noun.

Note: Object of implied verb 'protect'.

यथा (yathā) - just as (as; just as)

(indeclinable)

Note: Repetition emphasizes parallel.

पुत्रान् (putrān) - sons (sons; children)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of putra

putra - son, child

Note: Object of implied verb 'protect'.

तथा (tathā) - so too (thus; so; similarly)

(indeclinable)

एतान् (etān) - these (people from the previous verse) (these)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, that

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Object of paripālayet.

परिपालयेत् (paripālayet) - one should protect (one should protect; one should nourish; one should guard)

(verb)

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

From pari (around, completely) + root pāl (to protect).

Prefix: pari

Root: pāl (class 10)

Note: Implies a royal duty.