महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-38, verse-9

मुधा दानं मुधा यज्ञो मुधाधीतं मुधा व्रतम् ।
मुधा प्रतिग्रहश्चैव मुधा धर्मो मुधा तपः ॥९॥

9. mudhā dānaṁ mudhā yajño mudhādhītaṁ mudhā vratam ,
mudhā pratigrahaścaiva mudhā dharmo mudhā tapaḥ.

9. mudhā dānam mudhā yajñaḥ mudhā adhītam mudhā vratam
mudhā pratigrahaḥ ca eva mudhā dharmaḥ mudhā tapaḥ

9. mudhā dānam mudhā yajñaḥ mudhā adhītam mudhā vratam
mudhā pratigrahaḥ ca eva mudhā dharmaḥ mudhā tapaḥ

9. Giving is fruitless, a Vedic ritual (yajña) is fruitless, study is fruitless, a vow is fruitless. Likewise, accepting gifts is fruitless, one's natural law (dharma) is fruitless, and austerity (tapas) is fruitless.

Words meanings summery:

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

• दानम् (dānam) - giving, charity, gift

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

• यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, devotion

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

• अधीतम् (adhītam) - study, learning

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

• व्रतम् (vratam) - vow, observance, religious duty

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

• प्रतिग्रहः (pratigrahaḥ) - acceptance of gifts

• च (ca) - and

• एव (eva) - indeed, only

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

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

• मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance

Words meanings and morphology

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

दानम् (dānam) - giving, charity, gift

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - giving, gift, charity

from root dā 'to give'

Root: dā (class 3)

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, devotion

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, devotion, worship

from root yaj 'to worship'

Root: yaj (class 1)

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

अधीतम् (adhītam) - study, learning

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of adhīta

adhīta - studied, learned; study, learning (as noun)

Past Passive Participle

from adhi + i 'to go'

Prefix: adhi

Root: i (class 2)

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

व्रतम् (vratam) - vow, observance, religious duty

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vrata

vrata - vow, sacred observance, religious duty

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

प्रतिग्रहः (pratigrahaḥ) - acceptance of gifts

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pratigraha

pratigraha - acceptance, receiving gifts (especially from inferiors)

from prati + grah 'to seize, accept'

Prefix: prati

Root: grah (class 9)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only

(indeclinable)

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, duty, righteousness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness, virtue

from root dhṛ 'to uphold, support'

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

मुधा (mudhā) - in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly

(indeclinable)

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, heat

from root tap 'to heat, to perform austerity'

Root: tap (class 1)