महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-2, chapter-38, verse-31

धर्मं चरत माधर्ममिति तस्य वचः किल ।
पक्षिणः शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं धर्मवादिनः ॥३१॥

31. dharmaṁ carata mādharmamiti tasya vacaḥ kila ,
pakṣiṇaḥ śuśruvurbhīṣma satataṁ dharmavādinaḥ.

31. dharmam carata mādharmam iti tasya vacaḥ kila
pakṣiṇaḥ śuśruvuḥ bhīṣma satatam dharmavādinaḥ

31. They say that his words were: 'Practice natural law (dharma), do not practice unrighteousness (adharma)!' O Bhishma, the birds, who themselves constantly spoke of natural law (dharma), heard him.

Words meanings summery:

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

• चरत (carata) - practice, follow, behave

• माधर्मम् (mādharmam) - unrighteousness, impropriety, that which is not natural law (dharma)

• इति (iti) - thus, so, (quotative particle)

• तस्य (tasya) - his, of him, of that

• वचः (vacaḥ) - word, speech, saying

• किल (kila) - indeed, they say, it is said

• पक्षिणः (pakṣiṇaḥ) - birds

• शुश्रुवुः (śuśruvuḥ) - they heard

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - O Bhishma

• सततम् (satatam) - always, constantly, perpetually

• धर्मवादिनः (dharmavādinaḥ) - speakers of natural law (dharma), those who talk about righteousness

Words meanings and morphology

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

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law (dharma), constitution, duty, righteousness, virtue

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

चरत (carata) - practice, follow, behave

(verb)

2nd person , plural, active, imperative (loṭ) of car

Root: car (class 1)

माधर्मम् (mādharmam) - unrighteousness, impropriety, that which is not natural law (dharma)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mādharma

mādharma - unrighteousness, that which is not natural law (dharma)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (mā+dharma)

• mā – not, do not (prohibitive particle, here forming a compound)
  indeclinable
• dharma – natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)

इति (iti) - thus, so, (quotative particle)

(indeclinable)

तस्य (tasya) - his, of him, of that

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it (demonstrative pronoun)

वचः (vacaḥ) - word, speech, saying

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vacas

vacas - word, speech, voice, saying

Root: vac (class 2)

किल (kila) - indeed, they say, it is said

(indeclinable)

पक्षिणः (pakṣiṇaḥ) - birds

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pakṣin

pakṣin - bird (literally 'having wings')

शुश्रुवुः (śuśruvuḥ) - they heard

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (liṭ) of śru

Root: śru (class 5)

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - O Bhishma

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a proper name, particularly in the Mahabharata)

सततम् (satatam) - always, constantly, perpetually

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of satata

satata - continuous, constant, perpetual

धर्मवादिनः (dharmavādinaḥ) - speakers of natural law (dharma), those who talk about righteousness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dharmavādin

dharmavādin - speaking righteousness, propounding natural law (dharma), a speaker of dharma

Derived from 'dharma' + 'vādin' (from root 'vad' with suffix -in).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+vādin)

• dharma – natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
• vādin – speaking, telling, one who speaks
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from root 'vad'.
  Root: vad (class 1)