महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-2, chapter-38, verse-20

को हि धर्मिणमात्मानं जानञ्ज्ञानवतां वरः ।
कुर्याद्यथा त्वया भीष्म कृतं धर्ममवेक्षता ॥२०॥

20. ko hi dharmiṇamātmānaṁ jānañjñānavatāṁ varaḥ ,
kuryādyathā tvayā bhīṣma kṛtaṁ dharmamavekṣatā.

20. kaḥ hi dharmiṇam ātmānam jānan jñānavatām varaḥ |
kuryāt yathā tvayā bhīṣma kṛtam dharmam avekṣatā

20. Indeed, who, being the best among the wise, would know his own self (ātman) to be a person of natural law (dharmin) and yet act as you, Bhīṣma, have done, despite being one who considers natural law (dharma)?

Words meanings summery:

• कः (kaḥ) - who (who, what)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for, because)

• धर्मिणम् (dharmiṇam) - a person of natural law (righteous, dutiful, possessing dharma)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his own self (self, soul, spirit, oneself)

• जानन् (jānan) - knowing (knowing, understanding)

• ज्ञानवताम् (jñānavatām) - of the wise (of the wise, of those possessing knowledge)

• वरः (varaḥ) - best (best, excellent, boon, choice)

• कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - would act (would do, should do, might do)

• यथा (yathā) - as (as, just as, according to)

• त्वया (tvayā) - by you

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma (Bhīṣma (proper name), terrible, formidable)

• कृतम् (kṛtam) - acted (lit. 'done') (done, made, performed)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law (dharma, duty, righteousness, constitution, natural law)

• अवेक्षता (avekṣatā) - despite considering (considering, observing, looking at (instrumental singular))

Words meanings and morphology

कः (kaḥ) - who (who, what)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, which, what

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for, because)

(indeclinable)

धर्मिणम् (dharmiṇam) - a person of natural law (righteous, dutiful, possessing dharma)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharmin

dharmin - righteous, dutiful, possessing dharma, principled

Derived from 'dharma' with possessive suffix '-in'.

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his own self (self, soul, spirit, oneself)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, oneself, the individual soul

जानन् (jānan) - knowing (knowing, understanding)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jānat

jānat - knowing, understanding

Present Active Participle

Derived from root jñā (to know).

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Functions adjectivally to describe 'who'.

ज्ञानवताम् (jñānavatām) - of the wise (of the wise, of those possessing knowledge)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of jñānavat

jñānavat - wise, learned, possessing knowledge

Derived from 'jñāna' with possessive suffix '-vat'.

वरः (varaḥ) - best (best, excellent, boon, choice)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vara

vara - best, excellent, choice, boon, bridegroom

Root: vṛ (class 5)

कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - would act (would do, should do, might do)

(verb)

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

Optative Mood, 3rd Person Singular

Root kṛ (Dhatupatha 8.10 - tanādi).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

यथा (yathā) - as (as, just as, according to)

(indeclinable)

त्वया (tvayā) - by you

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhīṣma (Bhīṣma (proper name), terrible, formidable)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhīṣma (proper name), terrible, formidable

कृतम् (kṛtam) - acted (lit. 'done') (done, made, performed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṛta

kṛta - done, made, performed, deed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root kṛ (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Functions as a noun in the phrase `tvayā kṛtam` (that which was done by you).

धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law (dharma, duty, righteousness, constitution, natural law)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness, moral order

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

अवेक्षता (avekṣatā) - despite considering (considering, observing, looking at (instrumental singular))

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of avekṣat

avekṣat - considering, observing, looking at

Present Active Participle

Derived from root īkṣ (to see, to look) with prefix 'ava'.

Prefix: ava

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

Note: Refers to 'you' (`tvayā`).

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