महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-281, verse-24

एकस्य धर्मेण सतां मतेन सर्वे स्म तं मार्गमनुप्रपन्नाः ।
मा वै द्वितीयं मा तृतीयं च वाञ्छे तस्मात्सन्तो धर्ममाहुः प्रधानम् ॥२४॥

24. ekasya dharmeṇa satāṁ matena; sarve sma taṁ mārgamanuprapannāḥ ,
mā vai dvitīyaṁ mā tṛtīyaṁ ca vāñche; tasmātsanto dharmamāhuḥ pradhānam.

24. ekasya dharmeṇa satām matena sarve
sma tam mārgam anuprāpannāḥ mā vai
dvitīyam mā tṛtīyam ca vāñche
tasmāt santaḥ dharmam āhuḥ pradhānam

24. By the one natural law (dharma) and the considered opinion of the wise, all of us have indeed followed that path. May I surely not desire a second, nor a third (path). Therefore, the wise proclaim natural law (dharma) as supreme.

Words meanings summery:

• एकस्य (ekasya) - of one, of a single

• धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - by natural law, by intrinsic nature

• सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the wise, of the virtuous

• मतेन (matena) - by the opinion, by the view, by the doctrine

• सर्वे (sarve) - all (of us)

• स्म (sma) - indeed, certainly (particle indicating past tense with present verb)

• तम् (tam) - that

• मार्गम् (mārgam) - path, way, road

• अनुप्रापन्नाः (anuprāpannāḥ) - having followed, having reached, having attained

• मा (mā) - not (prohibitive particle)

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely

• द्वितीयम् (dvitīyam) - a second, the second

• मा (mā) - not (prohibitive particle)

• तृतीयम् (tṛtīyam) - a third, the third

• च (ca) - and, also

• वाञ्छे (vāñche) - I desire, I long for

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

• सन्तः (santaḥ) - the good, the wise

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law, intrinsic nature

• आहुः (āhuḥ) - they declare, they say

• प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - supreme, primary, principal

Words meanings and morphology

एकस्य (ekasya) - of one, of a single

(numeral)

Note: Refers to a single path or principle.

धर्मेण (dharmeṇa) - by natural law, by intrinsic nature

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Indicates the means or cause.

सताम् (satām) - of the good, of the wise, of the virtuous

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sant

sant - good, virtuous, wise, existent, being

Present Active Participle

From root as (to be).

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'matena' implicitly.

मतेन (matena) - by the opinion, by the view, by the doctrine

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of mata

mata - opinion, view, doctrine, thought

Past Passive Participle

From root man (to think), meaning 'thought, opinion'.

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Indicates the means or manner.

सर्वे (sarve) - all (of us)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, complete

Note: Subject of the verb (implied 'we').

स्म (sma) - indeed, certainly (particle indicating past tense with present verb)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used with present participle to imply past action.

तम् (tam) - that

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Qualifies 'mārgam'.

मार्गम् (mārgam) - path, way, road

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mārga

mārga - path, way, road, course, track

From root mṛg (to seek).

Root: mṛg (class 1)

अनुप्रापन्नाः (anuprāpannāḥ) - having followed, having reached, having attained

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of anu-pra-āpanna

anu-pra-āpanna - followed, attained, arrived at, approached

Past Passive Participle

From root āp (to obtain) with prefixes anu and pra.

Prefixes: anu+pra

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Functions as a predicate adjective with 'sma'.

मा (mā) - not (prohibitive particle)

(indeclinable)

Note: Prohibitive particle.

वै (vai) - indeed, surely

(indeclinable)

द्वितीयम् (dvitīyam) - a second, the second

(numeral)

Note: Object of 'vāñche'.

मा (mā) - not (prohibitive particle)

(indeclinable)

Note: Prohibitive particle.

तृतीयम् (tṛtīyam) - a third, the third

(numeral)

Note: Object of 'vāñche'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

वाञ्छे (vāñche) - I desire, I long for

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, injunctive (liṅ) of vāñch

Root: vāñch (class 1)

Note: Used with prohibitive particle 'mā'.

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

(pronoun)

Ablative, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Used as an indeclinable adverb meaning 'therefore'.

सन्तः (santaḥ) - the good, the wise

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sant

sant - good, virtuous, wise, existent, being

Present Active Participle

From root as (to be).

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Subject of 'āhuḥ'.

धर्मम् (dharmam) - natural law, intrinsic nature

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Object of 'āhuḥ'.

आहुः (āhuḥ) - they declare, they say

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (lit) of ā-ah

Prefix: ā

Root: ah (class 2)

Note: Used in place of present tense.

प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - supreme, primary, principal

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pradhāna

pradhāna - chief, principal, primary, supreme, important thing

From prefix pra + root dhā.

Prefix: pra

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Predicate adjective for 'dharmam'.