महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-32, verse-25

तपश्च ब्रह्मचर्यं च यज्ञः स्वाध्याय एव च ।
दानमार्जवमेतानि यदि स्युरफलानि वै ॥२५॥

25. tapaśca brahmacaryaṁ ca yajñaḥ svādhyāya eva ca ,
dānamārjavametāni yadi syuraphalāni vai.

25. tapaḥ ca brahmacaryam ca yajñaḥ svādhyāyaḥ eva
ca | dānam ārjavam etāni yadi syuḥ aphalāni vai

25. tapaḥ ca brahmacaryam ca yajñaḥ ca svādhyāyaḥ
eva ca dānam ārjavam etāni yadi vai aphalāni syuḥ

25. What if these — austerity (tapas), celibacy (brahmacarya), the performance of Vedic rituals (yajña), self-study of scriptures (svādhyāya), charity (dāna), and straightforwardness (ārjavam) — were to be fruitless?

Words meanings summery:

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, heat

• च (ca) - and, also

• ब्रह्मचर्यम् (brahmacaryam) - celibacy, studenthood, spiritual conduct

• च (ca) - and, also

• यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, sacrifice

• स्वाध्यायः (svādhyāyaḥ) - self-study of scriptures (self-study, recitation of sacred texts)

• एव (eva) - just, only, indeed, alone

• च (ca) - and, also

• दानम् (dānam) - charity, giving, donation

• आर्जवम् (ārjavam) - straightforwardness, sincerity, honesty

• एतानि (etāni) - these

• यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

• स्युः (syuḥ) - they were to be (they may be, they should be, they were)

• अफलानि (aphalāni) - fruitless, without result

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly, surely

Words meanings and morphology

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, heat

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity, penance, heat, spiritual fervor

Root: tap (class 1)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects items in a list.

ब्रह्मचर्यम् (brahmacaryam) - celibacy, studenthood, spiritual conduct

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of brahmacarya

brahmacarya - celibacy, religious student life, spiritual conduct

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (brahman+carya)

• brahman – Veda, sacred knowledge, the Absolute Reality
  noun (neuter)
  Root: bṛh (class 1)
• carya – conduct, practice, observance
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root car (to move, to act).
  Root: car (class 1)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects items in a list.

यज्ञः (yajñaḥ) - Vedic ritual, sacrifice

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajña

yajña - Vedic ritual, sacrifice, worship

Derived from root yaj (to worship, sacrifice).

Root: yaj (class 1)

स्वाध्यायः (svādhyāyaḥ) - self-study of scriptures (self-study, recitation of sacred texts)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of svādhyāya

svādhyāya - self-study, study of the Vedas, recitation of scriptures

Compound of sva (self) and adhyāya (study).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+adhyāya)

• sva – self, own
  pronoun (masculine)
• adhyāya – study, reading, lesson, chapter
  noun (masculine)
  From adhi + i (to go, to learn).
  Prefix: adhi
  Root: i (class 2)

एव (eva) - just, only, indeed, alone

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes the preceding word.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects items in a list.

दानम् (dānam) - charity, giving, donation

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dāna

dāna - charity, giving, donation, gift

Derived from root dā (to give).

Root: dā (class 3)

आर्जवम् (ārjavam) - straightforwardness, sincerity, honesty

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ārjava

ārjava - straightforwardness, sincerity, uprightness, honesty

Derived from ṛju (straight).

एतानि (etāni) - these

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Note: Refers to the preceding list of virtues.

यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a conditional clause.

स्युः (syuḥ) - they were to be (they may be, they should be, they were)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Used to express a potential or hypothetical situation.

अफलानि (aphalāni) - fruitless, without result

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, plural of aphala

aphala - fruitless, without result, ineffective

Negative compound with 'a-' prefix.

Compound type : nañ-bahuvrīhi (a+phala)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, consequence
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with etāni.

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly, surely

(indeclinable)