महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-178, verse-4

सर्प उवाच ।
दाने रतत्वं सत्यं च अहिंसा प्रियमेव च ।
एषां कार्यगरीयस्त्वाद्दृश्यते गुरुलाघवम् ॥४॥

4. sarpa uvāca ,
dāne ratatvaṁ satyaṁ ca ahiṁsā priyameva ca ,
eṣāṁ kāryagarīyastvāddṛśyate gurulāghavam.

4. sarpaḥ uvāca dāne ratatvam satyam ca ahiṃsā priyam
eva ca eṣām kāryagarīyastvāt dṛśyate gurulāghavam

4. The serpent said: Devotion to giving (dāna), truthfulness (satya), non-violence (ahiṃsā), and pleasantness (priyam)—their relative importance (gurulāghavam) is determined by the gravity of their effects.

4. הנחש אמר, יש התמסרות לנתינה, ויש אמת, אי פגיעה ודיבור נעים. הכובד והקלות שלהם נראים לפי חשיבות המעשה.

Words meanings summery:

• सर्पः (sarpaḥ) - The serpent Nahuṣa. (The serpent)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• दाने (dāne) - in giving, in donation

• रतत्वम् (ratatvam) - devotion, attachment, being intent on

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truth, truthfulness (satya)

• च (ca) - and

• अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence, non-injury (ahiṃsā)

• प्रियम् (priyam) - pleasant speech or action. (pleasantness, that which is dear/pleasant)

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

• च (ca) - and

• एषाम् (eṣām) - Of these qualities (dāna, satya, ahiṃsā, priyam). (of these (masculine/neuter plural))

• कार्यगरीयस्त्वात् (kāryagarīyastvāt) - from the gravity of effects, due to the superiority of consequences

• दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen, is considered, appears

• गुरुलाघवम् (gurulāghavam) - relative importance (heaviness and lightness), relative weight

Words meanings and morphology

सर्पः (sarpaḥ) - The serpent Nahuṣa. (The serpent)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarpa

sarpa - serpent, snake

From root sṛp (to creep) with suffix -a.

Root: sṛp (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vac

perfect active, 3rd person singular

From root vac, reduplicated perfect.

Root: vac (class 2)

दाने (dāne) - in giving, in donation

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - giving, donation, gift (dāna)

From root dā (to give) with suffix -ana.

Root: dā (class 3)

रतत्वम् (ratatvam) - devotion, attachment, being intent on

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ratatva

ratatva - devotion, attachment, intentness

From rata (attached, devoted) + tva (suffix for abstract noun).

Root: ram (class 1)

सत्यम् (satyam) - truth, truthfulness (satya)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, reality, truthfulness (satya)

From sat (being, existing) + ya suffix.

Root: as (class 2)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

अहिंसा (ahiṁsā) - non-violence, non-injury (ahiṃsā)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ahiṃsā

ahiṁsā - non-violence, non-injury (ahiṃsā)

From a- (not) + hiṃsā (violence).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+hiṃsā)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• hiṃsā – violence, injury
  noun (feminine)
  From root hiṃs (to injure)
  Root: hiṃs (class 7)

प्रियम् (priyam) - pleasant speech or action. (pleasantness, that which is dear/pleasant)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of priya

priya - dear, beloved, pleasant, pleasing speech

From root prī (to please).

Root: prī (class 9)

Note: Noun form 'pleasantness' or 'that which is pleasant'.

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

एषाम् (eṣām) - Of these qualities (dāna, satya, ahiṃsā, priyam). (of these (masculine/neuter plural))

(pronoun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Demonstrative pronoun.

कार्यगरीयस्त्वात् (kāryagarīyastvāt) - from the gravity of effects, due to the superiority of consequences

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of kāryagarīyastva

kāryagarīyastva - the state of having graver effects/consequences

Compound of kārya (effect, consequence), garīyas (graver, weightier), and tva (abstract noun suffix).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kārya+garīyas+tva)

• kārya – action, duty, effect, consequence
  noun (neuter)
  Gerundive
  From root kṛ (to do) + -ya suffix, meaning 'to be done' or 'that which is to be done/effected'.
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• garīyas – graver, weightier, more important (comparative of guru)
  adjective (neuter)
  Comparative form of guru (heavy/important).
• tva – suffix forming abstract nouns, -ness, -hood
  suffix (neuter)

दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen, is considered, appears

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (lat) of dṛś

present passive, 3rd person singular

From root dṛś, passive formation.

Root: dṛś (class 1)

गुरुलाघवम् (gurulāghavam) - relative importance (heaviness and lightness), relative weight

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of gurulāghava

gurulāghava - heaviness and lightness, importance and insignificance, relative weight

From guru (heavy) and lāghava (lightness).

Compound type : dvandva (guru+lāghava)

• guru – heavy, important
  adjective (masculine)
• lāghava – lightness, insignificance, quickness
  noun (neuter)
  From laghu (light) + aṇ suffix.

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