महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-32, verse-23

अफालो यदि धर्मः स्याच्चरितो धर्मचारिभिः ।
अप्रतिष्ठे तमस्येतज्जगन्मज्जेदनिन्दिते ॥२३॥

23. aphālo yadi dharmaḥ syāccarito dharmacāribhiḥ ,
apratiṣṭhe tamasyetajjaganmajjedanindite.

23. afalaḥ yadi dharmaḥ syāt caritaḥ dharmacāribhiḥ
apratiṣṭhe tamasi etat jagat majjet anindite

23. If the practice of natural law (dharma) by those who uphold it were to be fruitless, then, O blameless one, this world would plunge into an unsupported darkness.

Words meanings summery:

• अfअलः (afalaḥ) - yielding no positive outcome (fruitless, without reward, ineffective)

• यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma), intrinsic nature of existence (natural law, duty, righteousness, virtue, constitution)

• स्यात् (syāt) - were to be (would be, might be, should be)

• चरितः (caritaḥ) - practiced, performed (practiced, performed, traversed, behaved)

• धर्मचारिभिः (dharmacāribhiḥ) - by those who uphold natural law (by those who practice dharma, by righteous people)

• अप्रतिष्ठे (apratiṣṭhe) - in an unsupported (darkness) (in a foundationless, unsupported, unstable (state/darkness))

• तमसि (tamasi) - in darkness

• एतत् (etat) - this

• जगत् (jagat) - world (world, universe, moving)

• मज्जेत् (majjet) - would plunge (would sink, would be submerged, would drown)

• अनिन्दिते (anindite) - O blameless one (O blameless one, O faultless one)

Words meanings and morphology

अfअलः (afalaḥ) - yielding no positive outcome (fruitless, without reward, ineffective)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of afala

afala - fruitless, barren, unprofitable, without reward

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+phala)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, reward, outcome
  noun (neuter)

यदि (yadi) - if (if, in case)

(indeclinable)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma), intrinsic nature of existence (natural law, duty, righteousness, virtue, constitution)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, duty, righteousness, virtue, custom, religion, constitution, essential quality

From root `dhṛ` (to hold, support)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

स्यात् (syāt) - were to be (would be, might be, should be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of as

Optative mood, 3rd person singular

From root `as` (class 2), optative `syāt`

Root: as (class 2)

चरितः (caritaḥ) - practiced, performed (practiced, performed, traversed, behaved)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of carita

carita - practiced, performed, traversed, moved, behaved

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root `car` (to move, to perform, to behave)

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Qualifies `dharmaḥ`

धर्मचारिभिः (dharmacāribhiḥ) - by those who uphold natural law (by those who practice dharma, by righteous people)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of dharmacārin

dharmacārin - practicing dharma, virtuous, righteous, following natural law

Compound noun ending in `cārin` (from `car` "to move/practice")

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (dharma+cārin)

• dharma – natural law, duty, righteousness, virtue, constitution
  noun (masculine)
  From root `dhṛ` (to hold, support)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• cārin – moving, going, practicing, performing, following
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun/adjective
  Derived from root `car` (to move, practice) + suffix `-in`
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Agent of the action `caritaḥ`

अप्रतिष्ठे (apratiṣṭhe) - in an unsupported (darkness) (in a foundationless, unsupported, unstable (state/darkness))

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of apratiṣṭha

apratiṣṭha - without foundation, unsupported, unstable, not fixed

nañ-tatpuruṣa compound of `a` (not) + `pratiṣṭha` (foundation)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+pratiṣṭha)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• pratiṣṭha – foundation, support, stability, standing firm
  noun (feminine)
  From `prati-` + root `sthā` (to stand)
  Prefix: prati
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Agrees with `tamasi`

तमसि (tamasi) - in darkness

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of tamas

tamas - darkness, gloom, ignorance, quality of inertia/obscurity

Root: tam (class 4)

एतत् (etat) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one, here

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Refers to `jagat`

जगत् (jagat) - world (world, universe, moving)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jagat

jagat - world, universe, what moves, moving

Present Active Participle

From root `gam` (to go) + reduplication, forming `ja-gam-t` (moving). Used as a noun.

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Subject of `majjet`

मज्जेत् (majjet) - would plunge (would sink, would be submerged, would drown)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of majj

Optative mood, 3rd person singular

From root `majj` (class 6), optative `majjet`

Root: majj (class 6)

अनिन्दिते (anindite) - O blameless one (O blameless one, O faultless one)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of anindita

anindita - blameless, faultless, irreproachable, not censured

nañ-tatpuruṣa compound of `a` (not) + `nindita` (blamed), PPP from `nind`

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+nindita)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• nindita – blamed, censured, despised
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root `nind` (to blame, censure)
  Root: nind (class 1)

Note: Vocative addressing an unstated interlocutor.