महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-17, chapter-1, verse-16

नैवं कर्तव्यमिति ते तदोचुस्ते नराधिपम् ।
न च राजा तथाकार्षीत्कालपर्यायधर्मवित् ॥१६॥

16. naivaṁ kartavyamiti te tadocuste narādhipam ,
na ca rājā tathākārṣītkālaparyāyadharmavit.

16. na evam kartavyam iti te tadā ūcuḥ te nṛ-adhipam
na ca rājā tathā akārṣīt kālaparyāyadharmavit

16. "This should not be done," they said to the king then. However, the king, understanding the natural law (dharma) of the changing times, did not act in that manner.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner, so

• कर्तव्यम् (kartavyam) - should be done, ought to be done, proper to be done

• इति (iti) - thus, in this manner (marks end of quotation)

• ते (te) - they

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• ऊचुः (ūcuḥ) - they said, they spoke

• ते (te) - they

• नृ-अधिपम् (nṛ-adhipam) - to the king, sovereign

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also, but

• राजा (rājā) - king, ruler

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner

• अकार्षीत् (akārṣīt) - he did, he made

• कालपर्यायधर्मवित् (kālaparyāyadharmavit) - knower of the natural law of changing times

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner, so

(indeclinable)

कर्तव्यम् (kartavyam) - should be done, ought to be done, proper to be done

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kartavya

kartavya - to be done, proper to be done, duty

gerundive

Gerundive (kṛtya) from root kṛ-

Root: kṛ (class 8)

इति (iti) - thus, in this manner (marks end of quotation)

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - they

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, he, she, it, they

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

ऊचुः (ūcuḥ) - they said, they spoke

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (Lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

ते (te) - they

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those, he, she, it, they

Note: This pronoun 'te' appears to be redundant or grammatically unusual in this position, as the subject of 'ūcuḥ' is already 'te'. It might be an emphatic particle or a vocative, but given 'nṛ-adhipam' (accusative singular), its function is ambiguous. For the purpose of word-by-word analysis, it is treated as a nominative plural pronoun.

नृ-अधिपम् (nṛ-adhipam) - to the king, sovereign

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nṛ-adhipa

nṛ-adhipa - lord of men, king

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nṛ+adhipa)

• nṛ – man, person
  noun (masculine)
• adhipa – lord, ruler, king
  noun (masculine)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also, but

(indeclinable)

राजा (rājā) - king, ruler

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, monarch, ruler

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner

(indeclinable)

अकार्षीत् (akārṣīt) - he did, he made

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, aorist (Luṅ) of kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

कालपर्यायधर्मवित् (kālaparyāyadharmavit) - knower of the natural law of changing times

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kālaparyāyadharmavid

kālaparyāyadharmavid - one who knows the natural law of the passage or change of time

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kāla+paryāya+dharma+vid)

• kāla – time, season
  noun (masculine)
• paryāya – course, sequence, change, turn
  noun (masculine)
• dharma – natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• vid – knower, knowing
  noun (masculine)
  agent noun
  Agent noun from root vid-
  Root: vid (class 2)