महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-203, verse-4

मोहात्मकं तमस्तेषां रज एषां प्रवर्तकम् ।
प्रकाशबहुलत्वाच्च सत्त्वं ज्याय इहोच्यते ॥४॥

4. mohātmakaṁ tamasteṣāṁ raja eṣāṁ pravartakam ,
prakāśabahulatvācca sattvaṁ jyāya ihocyate.

4. mohātmakam tamas teṣām rajaḥ eṣām pravartakam |
prakāśabahulatvāt ca sattvam jyāyaḥ iha ucyate

4. Among these, tamas is of the nature of delusion, and rajas is the promoter of activity. And here, sattva is considered superior due to its abundance of illumination.

Words meanings summery:

• मोहात्मकम् (mohātmakam) - of the nature of delusion, delusive, illusion-making

• तमस् (tamas) - darkness, inertia, ignorance, the quality of darkness/inertia (one of the three guṇas)

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - of them

• रजः (rajaḥ) - rajas, passion, activity

• एषाम् (eṣām) - of these

• प्रवर्तकम् (pravartakam) - instigator, promoter, that which causes activity

• प्रकाशबहुलत्वात् (prakāśabahulatvāt) - due to the abundance of light/illumination

• च (ca) - and

• सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - sattva, goodness, purity

• ज्यायः (jyāyaḥ) - superior, greater, better, older

• इह (iha) - here, in this context, now

• उच्यते (ucyate) - is said, is called, is declared

Words meanings and morphology

मोहात्मकम् (mohātmakam) - of the nature of delusion, delusive, illusion-making

(adjective)

neuter, singular of mohātmaka

mohātmaka - of the nature of delusion, delusive

Compound type : tatpurusha (moha+ātman)

• moha – delusion, illusion, infatuation
  noun (masculine)
  Root: muh (class 4)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature, essence
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with `tamas`.

तमस् (tamas) - darkness, inertia, ignorance, the quality of darkness/inertia (one of the three guṇas)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tamas

tamas - darkness, inertia, ignorance, the quality of darkness/inertia (one of the three guṇas)

तेषाम् (teṣām) - of them

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Refers to the collective qualities or beings influenced by them.

रजः (rajaḥ) - rajas, passion, activity

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rajas

rajas - passion, activity, dust, impurity, the quality of passion/activity (one of the three guṇas)

एषाम् (eṣām) - of these

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Note: Refers to the guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas).

प्रवर्तकम् (pravartakam) - instigator, promoter, that which causes activity

(noun)

neuter, singular of pravartaka

pravartaka - instigator, promoter, causing to act, inciting

Agent Noun

From root vṛt with prefix pra, causative, then agentive suffix -aka.

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

प्रकाशबहुलत्वात् (prakāśabahulatvāt) - due to the abundance of light/illumination

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of prakāśabahulatva

prakāśabahulatva - abundance of light, predominance of illumination

Compound type : tatpurusha (prakāśa+bahulatva)

• prakāśa – light, illumination, clarity
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: kāś (class 1)
• bahulatva – abundance, predominance, profusion (abstract noun from bahula)
  noun (neuter)
  Suffix -tva indicating abstract noun

Note: Indicates cause or reason.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

सत्त्वम् (sattvam) - sattva, goodness, purity

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sattva

sattva - goodness, purity, existence, reality, essential nature, being, the quality of goodness (one of the three guṇas)

ज्यायः (jyāyaḥ) - superior, greater, better, older

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jyāyas

jyāyas - superior, greater, better, older

Comparative degree

Comparative suffix -īyas (older form -yās) applied to an implicit root or 'jya'.

Note: Agrees with `sattvam`.

इह (iha) - here, in this context, now

(indeclinable)

उच्यते (ucyate) - is said, is called, is declared

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of vac

Present Passive

root vac (irregular passive stem ucyā-), Present, 3rd Person, Singular, Passive Voice

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: The passive voice indicates 'is said/called'.