महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-199, verse-17

द्रष्टव्यं तु भवेत्प्राज्ञ क्रूरे कर्मणि वर्तता ।
कथं कर्म शुभं कुर्यां कथं मुच्ये पराभवात् ।
कर्मणस्तस्य घोरस्य बहुधा निर्णयो भवेत् ॥१७॥

17. draṣṭavyaṁ tu bhavetprājña krūre karmaṇi vartatā ,
kathaṁ karma śubhaṁ kuryāṁ kathaṁ mucye parābhavāt ,
karmaṇastasya ghorasya bahudhā nirṇayo bhavet.

17. draṣṭavyam tu bhavet prājña krūre
karmaṇi vartatā katham karma śubham kuryām
katham mucye parābhavāt karmaṇaḥ
tasya ghorasya bahudhā nirṇayaḥ bhavet

17. O wise one, for one who is engaged in cruel action (karma), it should be contemplated: 'How can I perform auspicious action (karma)? How can I be liberated from defeat?' A comprehensive deliberation on that dreadful action (karma) is thus required.

Words meanings summery:

• द्रष्टव्यम् (draṣṭavyam) - should be seen, should be considered, should be understood

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand

• भवेत् (bhavet) - it may be, it should be, let it be

• प्राज्ञ (prājña) - O wise one

• क्रूरे (krūre) - in cruel, in harsh

• कर्मणि (karmaṇi) - in action (karma), in duty

• वर्तता (vartatā) - by one who is engaged, by one who acts

• कथम् (katham) - how?

• कर्म (karma) - action (karma), deed, duty

• शुभम् (śubham) - good, auspicious, pure

• कुर्याम् (kuryām) - may I do, may I perform

• कथम् (katham) - how?

• मुच्ये (mucye) - may I be freed, may I be liberated

• पराभवात् (parābhavāt) - from defeat, from ruin, from humiliation

• कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - of action (karma), regarding action (karma)

• तस्य (tasya) - of that

• घोरस्य (ghorasya) - of dreadful, of terrible

• बहुधा (bahudhā) - in many ways, manifoldly

• निर्णयः (nirṇayaḥ) - determination, decision

• भवेत् (bhavet) - it may be, it should be, let it be

Words meanings and morphology

द्रष्टव्यम् (draṣṭavyam) - should be seen, should be considered, should be understood

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of draṣṭavya

draṣṭavya - to be seen, to be observed, to be considered

Gerundive (Potential Passive Participle)

Derived from √dṛś (to see) + tavya suffix

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Predicate to implied subject 'it'.

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

भवेत् (bhavet) - it may be, it should be, let it be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

Optative Active

3rd person singular, optative mood, active voice of √bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

प्राज्ञ (prājña) - O wise one

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of prājña

prājña - wise, intelligent, learned person

Root: jñā (class 9)

क्रूरे (krūre) - in cruel, in harsh

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of krūra

krūra - cruel, harsh, dreadful

Root: krūr (class 1)

Note: Agrees with karmaṇi.

कर्मणि (karmaṇi) - in action (karma), in duty

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, duty

Root: kṛ (class 8)

वर्तता (vartatā) - by one who is engaged, by one who acts

(participle)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of vartat

vartat - being, existing, acting

Present Active Participle (Ātmanepada)

Derived from √vṛt (to be, exist, turn) + śānac suffix

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: The agent of the action "should be seen/considered".

कथम् (katham) - how?

(indeclinable)

कर्म (karma) - action (karma), deed, duty

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, duty, fate

Root: kṛ (class 8)

शुभम् (śubham) - good, auspicious, pure

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śubha

śubha - auspicious, good, pure, beautiful

Root: śubh (class 1)

कुर्याम् (kuryām) - may I do, may I perform

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of kṛ

Optative Active

1st person singular, optative mood, active voice of √kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

कथम् (katham) - how?

(indeclinable)

मुच्ये (mucye) - may I be freed, may I be liberated

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle/passive, optative (vidhiliṅ) of muc

Optative Middle (Passive)

1st person singular, optative mood, middle/passive voice of √muc

Root: muc (class 6)

Note: From √muc, passive.

पराभवात् (parābhavāt) - from defeat, from ruin, from humiliation

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of parābhava

parābhava - defeat, humiliation, ruin

Derived from √bhū (to be) with upasarga parā-

Prefix: parā

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Denotes separation from.

कर्मणः (karmaṇaḥ) - of action (karma), regarding action (karma)

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of karma

karma - action, deed, duty

Root: kṛ (class 8)

तस्य (tasya) - of that

(pronoun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Agrees with karmaṇaḥ.

घोरस्य (ghorasya) - of dreadful, of terrible

(adjective)

Genitive, neuter, singular of ghora

ghora - dreadful, terrible, fearful

Root: ghūrṇ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with karmaṇaḥ.

बहुधा (bahudhā) - in many ways, manifoldly

(indeclinable)

निर्णयः (nirṇayaḥ) - determination, decision

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirṇaya

nirṇaya - determination, decision, ascertainment

Derived from √ṇī (to lead) with upasarga nis-

Prefix: nis

Root: ṇī (class 1)

भवेत् (bhavet) - it may be, it should be, let it be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of bhū

Optative Active

3rd person singular, optative mood, active voice of √bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)