महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-200, verse-51

तपो निःश्रेयसं जन्तोस्तस्य मूलं शमो दमः ।
तेन सर्वानवाप्नोति कामान्यान्मनसेच्छति ॥५१॥

51. tapo niḥśreyasaṁ jantostasya mūlaṁ śamo damaḥ ,
tena sarvānavāpnoti kāmānyānmanasecchati.

51. tapaḥ niḥśreyasam jantoḥ tasya mūlam śamaḥ damaḥ
tena sarvān avāpnoti kāmān yān manasā icchati

51. Austerity (tapas) is the highest good for a living being; its foundation is mental tranquility (śama) and self-restraint (dama). Through these, one obtains all the desires that the mind wishes for.

Words meanings summery:

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity (tapas), penance, spiritual fervor

• निःश्रेयसम् (niḥśreyasam) - supreme good, final beatitude, liberation, ultimate bliss

• जन्तोः (jantoḥ) - of a living being, of a creature, of a person

• तस्य (tasya) - its, of that, of him

• मूलम् (mūlam) - root, foundation, origin

• शमः (śamaḥ) - tranquility, mental control, calmness, cessation of passions

• दमः (damaḥ) - self-control, control of the senses, restraint

• तेन (tena) - by mental tranquility and self-restraint (by that, by them)

• सर्वान् (sarvān) - all, every

• अवाप्नोति (avāpnoti) - attains, obtains, reaches

• कामान् (kāmān) - desires, wishes, objects of desire

• यान् (yān) - which

• मनसा (manasā) - with the mind, by the mind

• इच्छति (icchati) - desires, wishes, longs for

Words meanings and morphology

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity (tapas), penance, spiritual fervor

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, spiritual fervor (tapas)

Note: Visarga sandhi makes it 'tapo' before voiced consonants.

निःश्रेयसम् (niḥśreyasam) - supreme good, final beatitude, liberation, ultimate bliss

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of niḥśreyasa

niḥśreyasa - supreme good, final beatitude, liberation, ultimate bliss

Note: Agrees with tapaḥ.

जन्तोः (jantoḥ) - of a living being, of a creature, of a person

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of jantu

jantu - living being, creature, person, human

Note: Visarga becomes 'ṣ' before 't', and 't' becomes 'ṭ' after 'ṣ'.

तस्य (tasya) - its, of that, of him

(pronoun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to niḥśreyasam. Becomes 'ṭasya' due to sandhi with preceding 'ṣ'.

मूलम् (mūlam) - root, foundation, origin

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mūla

mūla - root, foundation, origin, basis

Note: Predicate nominative.

शमः (śamaḥ) - tranquility, mental control, calmness, cessation of passions

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śama

śama - tranquility, mental control, calmness, cessation of passions

Derived from root śam- (to be calm)

Root: śam (class 4)

Note: First part of the foundation. Visarga sandhi makes it 'śamo' before voiced consonants.

दमः (damaḥ) - self-control, control of the senses, restraint

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dama

dama - self-control, control of the senses, restraint

Derived from root dam- (to tame, control)

Root: dam (class 4)

Note: Second part of the foundation.

तेन (tena) - by mental tranquility and self-restraint (by that, by them)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to śama and dama as the means.

सर्वान् (sarvān) - all, every

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every

Note: Agrees with kāmān.

अवाप्नोति (avāpnoti) - attains, obtains, reaches

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of āp

Present Indicative

3rd person singular, Parasmaipada. With prefix ava-.

Prefix: ava

Root: āp (class 5)

कामान् (kāmān) - desires, wishes, objects of desire

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, object of desire

Derived from root kam- (to desire)

Root: kam (class 1)

Note: Direct object of avāpnoti. No vowel sandhi with 'yān'.

यान् (yān) - which

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: Relative pronoun, agrees with kāmān.

मनसा (manasā) - with the mind, by the mind

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of manas

manas - mind, intellect, thought

Note: Indicates the instrument of desiring. Fuses with 'icchati' due to vowel sandhi (ā+i=e).

इच्छति (icchati) - desires, wishes, longs for

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of iṣ

Present Indicative

3rd person singular, Parasmaipada, Class 6 verb (also class 4/9 in other meanings)

Root: iṣ (class 6)