महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-200, verse-28

अपुण्यशीलाश्च भवन्ति पुण्या नरोत्तमाः पापकृतो भवन्ति ।
नरोऽनुयातस्त्विह कर्मभिः स्वैस्ततः समुत्पद्यति भावितस्तैः ॥२८॥

28. apuṇyaśīlāśca bhavanti puṇyā; narottamāḥ pāpakṛto bhavanti ,
naro'nuyātastviha karmabhiḥ svai;stataḥ samutpadyati bhāvitastaiḥ.

28. apuṇyaśīlāḥ ca bhavanti puṇyāḥ
narottamāḥ pāpakṛtaḥ bhavanti naraḥ
anuyātaḥ tu iha karmabhiḥ svaiḥ
tataḥ samutpadyati bhāvitaḥ taiḥ

28. And those of impious character can become virtuous, while even the best of men can become evildoers. Indeed, a person in this world is always accompanied by their own actions (karma); consequently, they are reborn, conditioned by those actions.

Words meanings summery:

• अपुण्यशीलाः (apuṇyaśīlāḥ) - those of impious character, immoral ones

• च (ca) - and, also

• भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they become, they are

• पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - pious ones, virtuous ones

• नरोत्तमाः (narottamāḥ) - best among men, noble men

• पापकृतः (pāpakṛtaḥ) - evildoers, doers of sin

• भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they become, they are

• नरः (naraḥ) - a man, a person

• अनुयातः (anuyātaḥ) - followed, pursued, accompanied

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, however

• इह (iha) - here, in this world

• कर्मभिः (karmabhiḥ) - by actions (karma), by deeds

• स्वैः (svaiḥ) - by his own

• ततः (tataḥ) - thereupon, then, from that, hence

• समुत्पद्यति (samutpadyati) - he is born, arises, originates

• भावितः (bhāvitaḥ) - permeated, conditioned, affected, imbued

• तैः (taiḥ) - by them

Words meanings and morphology

अपुण्यशीलाः (apuṇyaśīlāḥ) - those of impious character, immoral ones

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of apuṇyaśīla

apuṇyaśīla - of impious character, immoral, unvirtuous

Compound. From a (negation) + puṇya (merit) + śīla (nature, character)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+puṇya+śīla)

• a – not, non-, un-
  prefix
  Negative prefix
• puṇya – merit, virtue, auspicious, good, pious
  noun (neuter)
• śīla – character, nature, conduct, habit
  noun (neuter)
  From √śīl (to practice, to serve)
  Root: śīl (class 10)

Note: Refers to individuals

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Conjunction

भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they become, they are

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (Laṭ) of bhū

Present active

3rd person plural, Present active indicative

Root: bhū (class 1)

पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - pious ones, virtuous ones

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of puṇya

puṇya - virtuous, righteous, pious, meritorious

Note: Predicate adjective agreeing with apuṇyaśīlāḥ

नरोत्तमाः (narottamāḥ) - best among men, noble men

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of narottama

narottama - best of men, excellent man, chief among men

Compound. Nara (man) + uttama (best)

Compound type : tatpurusha (nara+uttama)

• nara – man, human, person
  noun (masculine)
• uttama – best, excellent, highest, supreme
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of ud (up) / praśasya (excellent)

Note: Subject of the second clause

पापकृतः (pāpakṛtaḥ) - evildoers, doers of sin

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pāpakṛt

pāpakṛt - doer of evil, sinner

Compound. Pāpa (sin) + kṛt (doer)

Compound type : tatpurusha (pāpa+kṛt)

• pāpa – sin, evil, wickedness
  noun (neuter)
  From √pā (to protect), but here means "evil"
• kṛt – doer, maker, performing
  noun (masculine)
  From root √kṛ (to do, make)
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Predicate nominative agreeing with narottamāḥ

भवन्ति (bhavanti) - they become, they are

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (Laṭ) of bhū

Present active

3rd person plural, Present active indicative

Root: bhū (class 1)

नरः (naraḥ) - a man, a person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, human being, person

अनुयातः (anuyātaḥ) - followed, pursued, accompanied

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anuyāta

anuyāta - followed, pursued, accompanied, gone after

Past Passive Participle

From anu- + √yā (to go)

Prefix: anu

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Describes the state of the person

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, however

(indeclinable)

Conjunction/particle

इह (iha) - here, in this world

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place/time

कर्मभिः (karmabhiḥ) - by actions (karma), by deeds

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of karma

karma - action, deed, work, destiny

From root √kṛ (to do, make), with suffix -man

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Indicates the means by which one is followed

स्वैः (svaiḥ) - by his own

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of sva

sva - own, one's own

Possessive adjective

Note: Emphasizes "one's own" actions

ततः (tataḥ) - thereupon, then, from that, hence

(indeclinable)

Adverb of consequence or origin

Note: Refers to the consequences of karma

समुत्पद्यति (samutpadyati) - he is born, arises, originates

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (Laṭ) of sam-ud-pad

Present active

3rd person singular, Present active indicative

Prefixes: sam+ud

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Implies rebirth

भावितः (bhāvitaḥ) - permeated, conditioned, affected, imbued

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhāvita

bhāvita - caused to be, produced, thought of, conditioned, permeated

Past Passive Participle

From causative of √bhū (to be), or from √bhāv (to imagine, conceive)

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Describes the state of being influenced by karma

तैः (taiḥ) - by them

(pronoun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Refers to the karmas