महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-181, verse-5

कर्मणः पुरुषः कर्ता शुभस्याप्यशुभस्य च ।
स्वफलं तदुपाश्नाति कथं कर्ता स्विदीश्वरः ॥५॥

5. karmaṇaḥ puruṣaḥ kartā śubhasyāpyaśubhasya ca ,
svaphalaṁ tadupāśnāti kathaṁ kartā svidīśvaraḥ.

5. karmaṇaḥ puruṣaḥ kartā śubhasya api aśubhasya ca
svaphalam tat upāśnāti katham kartā svit īśvaraḥ

5. A person (puruṣa) is the doer of both auspicious and inauspicious actions (karma). He experiences the results of his own actions. How, then, can the Lord (īśvara) be the doer?

Words meanings summery:

• कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - of action, of karma

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - the individual embodied being (person, man, the cosmic being (puruṣa))

• कर्ता (kartā) - doer, agent, creator

• शुभस्य (śubhasya) - of good, of auspicious

• अपि (api) - even, also

• अशुभस्य (aśubhasya) - of inauspicious, of bad

• च (ca) - and

• स्वफलम् (svaphalam) - one's own fruit, result

• तत् (tat) - that, this

• उपाश्नाति (upāśnāti) - experiences, enjoys, partakes of

• कथम् (katham) - how? why?

• कर्ता (kartā) - doer, agent

• स्वित् (svit) - indeed, perhaps, pray (particle of interrogation)

• ईश्वरः (īśvaraḥ) - the Lord, controller, master (īśvara)

Words meanings and morphology

कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - of action, of karma

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual action, destiny (karma)

from kṛ (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - the individual embodied being (person, man, the cosmic being (puruṣa))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, human being, person, soul, spirit, the supreme cosmic person (puruṣa)

कर्ता (kartā) - doer, agent, creator

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kartṛ

kartṛ - doer, agent, creator, author

agent noun from kṛ (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

शुभस्य (śubhasya) - of good, of auspicious

(adjective)

Genitive, neuter, singular of śubha

śubha - auspicious, good, beautiful, bright, fortunate

Note: agreeing with karmaṇaḥ (implied)

अपि (api) - even, also

(indeclinable)

अशुभस्य (aśubhasya) - of inauspicious, of bad

(adjective)

Genitive, neuter, singular of aśubha

aśubha - inauspicious, bad, evil, unfortunate

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+śubha)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
• śubha – auspicious, good
  adjective (neuter)

Note: agreeing with karmaṇaḥ (implied)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

स्वफलम् (svaphalam) - one's own fruit, result

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of svaphala

svaphala - one's own result/fruit, consequence of one's own actions

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (sva+phala)

• sva – own, one's own
  pronoun
• phala – fruit, result, consequence, reward
  noun (neuter)

Note: object of upāśnāti

तत् (tat) - that, this

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, it

Note: refers to svaphalam

उपाश्नाति (upāśnāti) - experiences, enjoys, partakes of

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of upāś

Present Active Indicative

3rd person singular

Prefix: upa

Root: aś (class 5)

कथम् (katham) - how? why?

(indeclinable)

Note: interrogative adverb

कर्ता (kartā) - doer, agent

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kartṛ

kartṛ - doer, agent, creator, author

agent noun from kṛ (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

स्वित् (svit) - indeed, perhaps, pray (particle of interrogation)

(indeclinable)

Note: emphasizes the question

ईश्वरः (īśvaraḥ) - the Lord, controller, master (īśvara)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of īśvara

īśvara - lord, master, controller, ruler, the supreme being (īśvara)

from īś (to rule, control)

Root: īś (class 2)