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.

12. הו בְּרַהְמִין, ספר לי את האמת על דרך ההתנהגות של בן קסטת הלוחמים. הו בְּרַהְמִין, דרך היושר קשה מאוד להשגה עבור אדם אכזר ורע לב.

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'.

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