महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-199, verse-29

अहिंसायां तु निरता यतयो द्विजसत्तम ।
कुर्वन्त्येव हि हिंसां ते यत्नादल्पतरा भवेत् ॥२९॥

29. ahiṁsāyāṁ tu niratā yatayo dvijasattama ,
kurvantyeva hi hiṁsāṁ te yatnādalpatarā bhavet.

29. ahiṃsāyām tu niratāḥ yatayaḥ dvijasattama |
kurvanti eva hi hiṃsām te yatnāt alpatarā bhavet

29. But even ascetics (yati) who are absorbed in non-violence (ahiṃsā), O best among the twice-born (dvija), certainly commit violence. They merely strive so that it may be as minimal as possible.

Words meanings summery:

• अहिंसायाम् (ahiṁsāyām) - in non-violence

• तु (tu) - but, however, indeed

• निरताः (niratāḥ) - devoted, absorbed, engaged in

• यतयः (yatayaḥ) - ascetics, renunciates

• द्विजसत्तम (dvijasattama) - O best among the twice-born

• कुर्वन्ति (kurvanti) - they do, they perform, they make

• एव (eva) - certainly, indeed, only

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, surely

• हिंसाम् (hiṁsām) - violence, injury, harm

• ते (te) - the ascetics (they)

• यत्नात् (yatnāt) - by effort, with effort

• अल्पतरा (alpatarā) - less, smaller, very little (comparative)

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

Words meanings and morphology

अहिंसायाम् (ahiṁsāyām) - in non-violence

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of ahiṃsā

ahiṁsā - non-harming, non-injury, non-violence

Negation 'a-' + 'hiṃsā' (harm)

तु (tu) - but, however, indeed

(indeclinable)

निरताः (niratāḥ) - devoted, absorbed, engaged in

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nirata

nirata - devoted to, absorbed in, engaged in, attached to

Past Passive Participle

From root 'ram' (to delight) with prefix 'nir'

Prefix: nir

Root: ram (class 1)

यतयः (yatayaḥ) - ascetics, renunciates

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yati

yati - ascetic, renunciate, strive, restrain

From root 'yat' (to strive, be assiduous)

Root: yat (class 1)

द्विजसत्तम (dvijasattama) - O best among the twice-born

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - best among the twice-born, excellent Brahmin

Compound type : tatpurusha (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born (Brahmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya), bird, tooth
  noun (masculine)
• sattama – best, excellent, most eminent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix -tama

कुर्वन्ति (kurvanti) - they do, they perform, they make

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of kṛ

Present Active

3rd person plural present active indicative

Root: kṛ (class 8)

एव (eva) - certainly, indeed, only

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - indeed, for, surely

(indeclinable)

हिंसाम् (hiṁsām) - violence, injury, harm

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of hiṃsā

hiṁsā - injury, harm, violence, destruction

From root 'hiṃs' (to injure)

Root: hiṃs (class 7)

ते (te) - the ascetics (they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that (pronoun), he, she, it, they

यत्नात् (yatnāt) - by effort, with effort

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of yatna

yatna - effort, exertion, endeavour, care

अल्पतरा (alpatarā) - less, smaller, very little (comparative)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of alpatara

alpatara - smaller, less, very little (comparative degree of 'alpa')

Comparative suffix -tara

Note: Agrees with implied 'hiṃsā'

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

(verb)

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

Optative Active

3rd person singular optative active

Root: bhū (class 1)