महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-93, verse-4

भीष्म उवाच ।
मासार्धमासौ नोपवसेद्यत्तपो मन्यते जनः ।
आत्मतन्त्रोपघाती यो न तपस्वी न धर्मवित् ॥४॥

4. bhīṣma uvāca ,
māsārdhamāsau nopavasedyattapo manyate janaḥ ,
ātmatantropaghātī yo na tapasvī na dharmavit.

4. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca māsa-ardhamāsau na upavaset yat tapaḥ manyate
janaḥ ātma-tantra-upaghātī yaḥ na tapasvī na dharma-vit

4. Bhīṣma said: The person who considers fasting for a month or half a month to be an ascetic practice (tapas), but does not undertake it, is one who undermines his own self-governance (ātmatantra). He is neither an ascetic (tapasvī) nor a knower of natural law (dharma).

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma (name of a character)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• मास-अर्धमासौ (māsa-ardhamāsau) - a month or half a month

• न (na) - not, no

• उपवसेत् (upavaset) - one should fast (referring to the discipline of fasting) (one should fast, one should reside near)

• यत् (yat) - which, what

• तपः (tapaḥ) - asceticism, penance, heat

• मन्यते (manyate) - he thinks, he considers, he believes

• जनः (janaḥ) - a person, people

• आत्म-तन्त्र-उपघाती (ātma-tantra-upaghātī) - one who undermines his own spiritual discipline or self-reliance (one who injures/destroys his own system/self-governance)

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which

• न (na) - not, no

• तपस्वी (tapasvī) - ascetic, devotee, one who practices austerities

• न (na) - not, no

• धर्म-वित् (dharma-vit) - knower of natural law or intrinsic nature (knower of dharma, knower of righteousness)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma (name of a character)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - terrible, formidable; name of the son of Gaṅgā and Śāntanu

From root 'bhī' (to fear) + -ṣma suffix

Root: bhī (class 3)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

perfect active indicative

Irregular perfect form of 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

मास-अर्धमासौ (māsa-ardhamāsau) - a month or half a month

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, dual of māsārdhamāsa

māsārdhamāsa - a month or half a month

Dvandva compound of 'māsa' (month) and 'ardhamāsa' (half-month)

Compound type : dvandva (māsa+ardhamāsa)

• māsa – month, moon
  noun (masculine)
• ardhamāsa – half-month, fortnight
  noun (masculine)
  Tatpurusha compound of 'ardha' (half) and 'māsa' (month)

Note: Object of implied 'observing' or 'fasting'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

उपवसेत् (upavaset) - one should fast (referring to the discipline of fasting) (one should fast, one should reside near)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of upavas

optative active

3rd person singular optative of root 'vas' (to dwell) with prefix 'upa'

Prefix: upa

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Negated by 'na'.

यत् (yat) - which, what

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that

Relative pronoun

Note: Relative pronoun.

तपः (tapaḥ) - asceticism, penance, heat

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - heat, warmth; asceticism, penance; religious austerity

From root 'tap' (to heat, to perform austerities)

Root: tap (class 1)

मन्यते (manyate) - he thinks, he considers, he believes

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (lat) of man

present middle indicative

4th class verb

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Subject is 'janaḥ'.

जनः (janaḥ) - a person, people

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jana

jana - person, people, man

From root 'jan' (to be born)

Root: jan (class 4)

आत्म-तन्त्र-उपघाती (ātma-tantra-upaghātī) - one who undermines his own spiritual discipline or self-reliance (one who injures/destroys his own system/self-governance)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātmatantropaghātin

ātmatantropaghātin - one who injures or destroys their own system/independence/self-governance

Bahuvrīhi compound of 'ātman' (self), 'tantra' (system/principle), and 'upaghātin' (injurer).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (ātman+tantra+upaghātin)

• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence
  noun (masculine)
• tantra – system, doctrine, treatise, self-dependence
  noun (neuter)
  From root 'tan' (to extend, weave)
  Root: tan (class 8)
• upaghātin – injuring, destroying, harming
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun/adjective from verbal root
  From root 'han' (to strike, kill) with prefix 'upa'
  Prefix: upa
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: Predicate adjective, describing 'yaḥ'.

यः (yaḥ) - who, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, that

Relative pronoun

Note: Subject of the following negative statements.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

तपस्वी (tapasvī) - ascetic, devotee, one who practices austerities

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tapasvin

tapasvin - ascetic, devout, one who performs penance or austerities

From 'tapas' + possessive suffix '-vin'

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

धर्म-वित् (dharma-vit) - knower of natural law or intrinsic nature (knower of dharma, knower of righteousness)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharmavit

dharmavit - knowing duty, righteous, knower of natural law

Compound of 'dharma' (duty, natural law) + 'vit' (knower)

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+vid)

• dharma – righteousness, duty, natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature
  noun (masculine)
  From root 'dhṛ' (to uphold, support)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• vid – knower, understanding
  noun/adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun from root
  From root 'vid' (to know)
  Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Predicate nominative.