महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-34, verse-12

वेदैष मार्गं स्वर्गस्य तथैव नरकस्य च ।
आगतानागते चोभे ब्राह्मणो द्विपदां वरः ।
ब्राह्मणो भरतश्रेष्ठ स्वधर्मं वेद मेधया ॥१२॥

12. vedaiṣa mārgaṁ svargasya tathaiva narakasya ca ,
āgatānāgate cobhe brāhmaṇo dvipadāṁ varaḥ ,
brāhmaṇo bharataśreṣṭha svadharmaṁ veda medhayā.

12. veda eṣa mārgam svargasya tathā eva
narakasya ca āgata anāgate ca ubhe
brāhmaṇaḥ dvipadām varaḥ brāhmaṇaḥ
bharataśreṣṭha svadharmam veda medhayā

12. eṣa veda mārgam svargasya tathā eva
narakasya ca brāhmaṇaḥ āgata anāgate ca
ubhe brāhmaṇaḥ dvipadām varaḥ bharataśreṣṭha
brāhmaṇaḥ svadharmam medhayā veda

12. This Brahmin knows the path to heaven and similarly to hell. He knows both past and future, and a Brahmin is the best among two-footed beings. O best of Bharatas, a Brahmin knows his own intrinsic nature (svadharma) through wisdom.

Words meanings summery:

• वेद (veda) - he knows

• एष (eṣa) - this Brahmin (this (one))

• मार्गम् (mārgam) - path, way

• स्वर्गस्य (svargasya) - of heaven

• तथा (tathā) - similarly, thus, and

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, very, exactly

• नरकस्य (narakasya) - of hell

• च (ca) - and, also

• आगत (āgata) - arrived, past (events)

• अनागते (anāgate) - not arrived, future (events)

• च (ca) - and, also

• उभे (ubhe) - both

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brahmin

• द्विपदाम् (dvipadām) - of humans (of two-footed beings)

• वरः (varaḥ) - best, excellent, boon

• ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brahmin

• भरतश्रेष्ठ (bharataśreṣṭha) - O best of Bharatas (an address, likely to Yudhiṣṭhira or Arjuna) (O best of Bharatas)

• स्वधर्मम् (svadharmam) - the specific natural law or duty of a Brahmin (his own natural law)

• वेद (veda) - he knows

• मेधया (medhayā) - by intelligence, with wisdom

Words meanings and morphology

वेद (veda) - he knows

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (liṭ (used as laṭ)) of vid

perfect tense (lakāra liṭ), but used as a present in classical Sanskrit

Irregular perfect formation of root `vid`. Used with present meaning.

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Its form is of the perfect `liṭ` but it has present meaning in classical Sanskrit.

एष (eṣa) - this Brahmin (this (one))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this

मार्गम् (mārgam) - path, way

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mārga

mārga - path, way, road

Root: mṛj (class 2)

स्वर्गस्य (svargasya) - of heaven

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of svarga

svarga - heaven, celestial world

तथा (tathā) - similarly, thus, and

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, very, exactly

(indeclinable)

नरकस्य (narakasya) - of hell

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of naraka

naraka - hell, underworld

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

आगत (āgata) - arrived, past (events)

(adjective)

neuter, dual of āgata

āgata - arrived, come, happened, past

Past Passive Participle

from `ā-gam` (to come)

Prefix: ā

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Paired with `anāgate` and `ubhe`.

अनागते (anāgate) - not arrived, future (events)

(adjective)

neuter, dual of anāgata

anāgata - not yet arrived, future

Past Passive Participle (negated)

`an-` (negative prefix) + `ā-gam` (to come)

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (an+āgata)

• an – not, un-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• āgata – arrived, come, past
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from `ā-gam`
  Prefix: ā
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Paired with `āgata` and `ubhe`.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

उभे (ubhe) - both

(pronoun)

neuter/feminine, dual of ubha

ubha - both

Note: Refers to `āgata` and `anāgata` as two distinct entities.

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brahmin

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin

द्विपदाम् (dvipadām) - of humans (of two-footed beings)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine/feminine, plural of dvipad

dvipad - two-footed, biped

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (dvi+pad)

• dvi – two
  numeral
• pad – foot
  noun (neuter/feminine)

Note: Refers to humans.

वरः (varaḥ) - best, excellent, boon

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, choicest, a boon

Root: vṛ (class 9)

ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a Brahmin

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa

brāhmaṇa - a Brahmin

भरतश्रेष्ठ (bharataśreṣṭha) - O best of Bharatas (an address, likely to Yudhiṣṭhira or Arjuna) (O best of Bharatas)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bharataśreṣṭha

bharataśreṣṭha - best among Bharatas

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (Genitive) (bharata+śreṣṭha)

• bharata – descendant of Bharata, an Indian
  proper noun (masculine)
• śreṣṭha – best, most excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  superlative of `praśasya`

Note: An address to a particular person, likely Yudhiṣṭhira or Arjuna.

स्वधर्मम् (svadharmam) - the specific natural law or duty of a Brahmin (his own natural law)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of svadharma

svadharma - one's own constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, prescribed duty

Compound type : Karma-dhāraya or Tatpuruṣa (sva+dharma)

• sva – own, self
  pronoun/adjective (masculine/neuter/feminine)
• dharma – constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, righteous conduct, duty
  noun (masculine)
  from root `dhṛ` (to uphold)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Refers to the specific natural law or duty of a Brahmin.

वेद (veda) - he knows

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (liṭ (used as laṭ)) of vid

perfect tense (lakāra liṭ), but used as a present in classical Sanskrit

Irregular perfect formation of root `vid`. Used with present meaning.

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Its form is of the perfect `liṭ` but it has present meaning in classical Sanskrit.

मेधया (medhayā) - by intelligence, with wisdom

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of medhā

medhā - intelligence, wisdom, sagacity

Root: mid (class 4)