महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-13, verse-10

व्रतं यज्ञान्नियमान्ध्यानयोगान्कामेन यो नारभते विदित्वा ।
यद्यद्ध्ययं कामयते स धर्मो न यो धर्मो नियमस्तस्य मूलम् ॥१०॥

10. vrataṁ yajñānniyamāndhyānayogā;nkāmena yo nārabhate viditvā ,
yadyaddhyayaṁ kāmayate sa dharmo; na yo dharmo niyamastasya mūlam.

10. vratam yajñān niyamān dhyānayogān
kāmena yaḥ na ārabhate viditvā
yat yat dhyeyam kāmayate sa dharmaḥ
na yaḥ dharmaḥ niyamaḥ tasya mūlam

10. yaḥ kāmena vratam yajñān niyamān
dhyānayogān viditvā na ārabhate sa
yat yat dhyeyam kāmayate dharmaḥ
na yaḥ dharmaḥ tasya mūlam niyamaḥ

10. One who, knowing that they are motivated by desire, does not undertake vows, Vedic rituals (yajña), disciplines, or meditative practices – for such a person, whatever they desire becomes their natural law (dharma), and that is not a natural law (dharma) whose origin is merely a rule.

Words meanings summery:

• व्रतम् (vratam) - vows (vow, sacred observance, religious practice)

• यज्ञान् (yajñān) - Vedic rituals (yajña) (Vedic rituals, sacrifices)

• नियमान् (niyamān) - disciplines (restraints, rules, disciplines)

• ध्यानयोगान् (dhyānayogān) - meditative practices (yogas of meditation, meditative practices)

• कामेन (kāmena) - by desire (by desire, through desire)

• यः (yaḥ) - one who (who, which)

• न (na) - does not (not, no)

• आरभते (ārabhate) - undertakes (undertakes, begins, commences)

• विदित्वा (viditvā) - knowing (having known, knowing)

• यत् (yat) - whatever (whatever, which, that)

• यत् (yat) - whatever (reduplicated for emphasis) (whatever, which, that)

• ध्येयम् (dhyeyam) - desirable thing (to be meditated upon, object of meditation, desirable)

• कामयते (kāmayate) - desires (desires, wishes, loves)

• स (sa) - such a person, that (he, that)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (righteousness, natural law, duty, constitution)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• यः (yaḥ) - whose (who, which)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (righteousness, natural law, duty, constitution)

• नियमः (niyamaḥ) - rule (rule, restraint, discipline)

• तस्य (tasya) - whose (his, its)

• मूलम् (mūlam) - root, origin (root, origin, basis)

Words meanings and morphology

व्रतम् (vratam) - vows (vow, sacred observance, religious practice)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vrata

vrata - vow, sacred observance, religious practice, rule, law

from root vṛ (to choose, vow)

Root: vṛ (class 5)

यज्ञान् (yajñān) - Vedic rituals (yajña) (Vedic rituals, sacrifices)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, sacrifice, worship

from root yaj

Root: yaj (class 1)

नियमान् (niyamān) - disciplines (restraints, rules, disciplines)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of niyama

niyama - restraint, rule, discipline, observance, regulation

from ni + yam + ghañ suffix

Prefix: ni

Root: yam (class 1)

ध्यानयोगान् (dhyānayogān) - meditative practices (yogas of meditation, meditative practices)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of dhyānayoga

dhyānayoga - meditation yoga, yoga of meditation

compound of dhyāna and yoga

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dhyāna+yoga)

• dhyāna – meditation, contemplation
  noun (neuter)
  from root dhyai
  Root: dhyai (class 1)
• yoga – union, spiritual discipline, practice, joining
  noun (masculine)
  from root yuj
  Root: yuj (class 7)

कामेन (kāmena) - by desire (by desire, through desire)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of kāma

kāma - desire, love, pleasure, wish

Root: kam (class 1)

यः (yaḥ) - one who (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, that

relative pronoun

Note: Refers to the person performing/not performing actions.

न (na) - does not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

आरभते (ārabhate) - undertakes (undertakes, begins, commences)

(verb)

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

present indicative

root rabh with prefix ā, middle voice

Prefix: ā

Root: rabh (class 1)

विदित्वा (viditvā) - knowing (having known, knowing)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

from root vid + ktvā suffix

Root: vid (class 2)

यत् (yat) - whatever (whatever, which, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, that

relative pronoun

Note: Used in reduplication 'yat yat' for 'whatever'.

यत् (yat) - whatever (reduplicated for emphasis) (whatever, which, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, that

relative pronoun (reduplicated)

Note: Used in reduplication 'yat yat' for 'whatever'.

ध्येयम् (dhyeyam) - desirable thing (to be meditated upon, object of meditation, desirable)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dhyeya

dhyeya - to be meditated upon, object of meditation, desirable, goal

Gerundive (Potential Passive Participle)

from root dhyai + yat suffix

Root: dhyai (class 1)

कामयते (kāmayate) - desires (desires, wishes, loves)

(verb)

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

present indicative

denominative verb from kāma, middle voice

Root: kāma (class 10)

स (sa) - such a person, that (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

demonstrative pronoun

Note: Refers back to 'yaḥ'.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (righteousness, natural law, duty, constitution)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, custom

from root dhṛ (to uphold)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

यः (yaḥ) - whose (who, which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, that

relative pronoun

Note: Begins a relative clause defining the 'dharma' that is NOT meant.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma) (righteousness, natural law, duty, constitution)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue, custom

from root dhṛ (to uphold)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Refers to a type of dharma that is rejected.

नियमः (niyamaḥ) - rule (rule, restraint, discipline)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niyama

niyama - restraint, rule, discipline, observance, regulation

from ni + yam + ghañ suffix

Prefix: ni

Root: yam (class 1)

Note: Predicate nominative to tasya mūlam.

तस्य (tasya) - whose (his, its)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

demonstrative pronoun

Note: Refers to the 'dharma' of the previous clause.

मूलम् (mūlam) - root, origin (root, origin, basis)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mūla

mūla - root, origin, basis, foundation

Note: Predicate nominative to niyamaḥ.