महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-196, verse-12

क्षत्रधर्मसमाचारं तथ्यं चाख्याहि मे द्विज ।
धर्मः सुदुर्लभो विप्र नृशंसेन दुरात्मना ॥१२॥

12. kṣatradharmasamācāraṁ tathyaṁ cākhyāhi me dvija ,
dharmaḥ sudurlabho vipra nṛśaṁsena durātmanā.

12. kṣatradharmasamācāram tathyam ca ākhyāhi me dvija
dharmaḥ sudurlabhaḥ vipra nṛśaṃsena durātmanā

12. O Brahmin (dvija)! Please tell me the truth about the conduct of a warrior's (kṣatra) intrinsic nature (dharma). O learned one (vipra)! Such natural law (dharma) is extremely difficult to obtain for a cruel and evil-minded person.

Words meanings summery:

• क्षत्रधर्मसमाचारम् (kṣatradharmasamācāram) - the conduct according to the intrinsic nature (dharma) of a warrior/Kshatriya

• तथ्यम् (tathyam) - truth, reality, fact

• च (ca) - and

• आख्याहि (ākhyāhi) - tell, relate, explain

• मे (me) - to me

• द्विज (dvija) - O twice-born one (Brahmin)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, intrinsic nature, duty

• सुदुर्लभः (sudurlabhaḥ) - extremely difficult to obtain/achieve

• विप्र (vipra) - O learned one, O Brahmin

• नृशंसेन (nṛśaṁsena) - by a cruel person, for a cruel person

• दुरात्मना (durātmanā) - by an evil-minded person, for an evil-minded person

Words meanings and morphology

क्षत्रधर्मसमाचारम् (kṣatradharmasamācāram) - the conduct according to the intrinsic nature (dharma) of a warrior/Kshatriya

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kṣatradharmasamācāra

kṣatradharmasamācāra - conduct befitting a warrior's (dharma) duty, warrior's custom

Compound noun.

Compound type : tatpurusha (kṣatra+dharma+samācāra)

• kṣatra – warrior, member of the Kshatriya caste, rule, power
  noun (neuter)
• dharma – natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution, religious ordinance
  noun (masculine)
  From root dhṛ (to uphold, sustain).
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• samācāra – conduct, custom, usage, practice
  noun (masculine)
  From sam-ā-car (to behave, practice).
  Prefixes: sam+ā
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Object of 'ākhyāhi'.

तथ्यम् (tathyam) - truth, reality, fact

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tathya

tathya - truth, reality, fact, true, real

From tat (that).

Note: Object of 'ākhyāhi'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

Note: Connects 'kṣatradharmasamācāram' and 'tathyam'.

आख्याहि (ākhyāhi) - tell, relate, explain

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of ākhyā

Imperative 2nd person singular, from ā-khyā (to tell).

Prefix: ā

Root: khyā (class 2)

Note: Addressed to 'dvija'.

मे (me) - to me

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, my, me

Personal pronoun, 1st person.

Note: Indirect object of 'ākhyāhi'.

द्विज (dvija) - O twice-born one (Brahmin)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of dvija

dvija - twice-born (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya), bird, tooth

From dvi (two) + jan (to be born).

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Addressed to the listener.

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, intrinsic nature, duty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution, religious ordinance

From root dhṛ (to uphold, sustain).

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

सुदुर्लभः (sudurlabhaḥ) - extremely difficult to obtain/achieve

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sudurlabha

sudurlabha - very difficult to obtain, very rare, hard to achieve

From su (good, very) + dur (difficult) + labh (to obtain).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+durlabha)

• su – good, well, very, easily
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating goodness or ease.
• durlabha – difficult to obtain, rare, unattainable
  adjective (masculine)
  Gerundive
  From dur (difficult) + labh (to obtain).
  Prefix: dur
  Root: labh (class 1)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'dharmaḥ'.

विप्र (vipra) - O learned one, O Brahmin

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vipra

vipra - Brahmin, learned, inspired, sage

From root vip (to tremble, to be inspired).

Root: vip (class 1)

Note: Another address to the listener, similar to 'dvija'.

नृशंसेन (nṛśaṁsena) - by a cruel person, for a cruel person

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of nṛśaṃsa

nṛśaṁsa - cruel, wicked, savage, murderous, a cruel person

From nṛ (man) + śaṃsa (praising, reviling), meaning one who abuses men.

Compound type : tatpurusha (nṛ+śaṃsa)

• nṛ – man, person
  noun (masculine)
• śaṃsa – praise, eulogy, curse
  noun (masculine)
  From root śaṃs (to praise, to curse).
  Root: śaṃs (class 1)

Note: Dative sense of "for whom" or instrumental "by whom". Here, 'for'.

दुरात्मना (durātmanā) - by an evil-minded person, for an evil-minded person

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of durātman

durātman - evil-minded, wicked, malicious, a wicked person

From dur (bad) + ātman (self, soul).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (dur+ātman)

• dur – bad, difficult, ill-
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating difficulty or badness.
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, individual (ātman)
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'nṛśaṃsena', also in a dative sense 'for'.