महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-35, verse-14

तं संधिमास्थाय सतां सकाशे को नाम जह्यादिह राज्यहेतोः ।
आर्यस्य मन्ये मरणाद्गरीयो यद्धर्ममुत्क्रम्य महीं प्रशिष्यात् ॥१४॥

14. taṁ saṁdhimāsthāya satāṁ sakāśe; ko nāma jahyādiha rājyahetoḥ ,
āryasya manye maraṇādgarīyo; yaddharmamutkramya mahīṁ praśiṣyāt.

14. tam sandhim āsthāya satām sakāśe
kaḥ nāma jahyāt iha rājyahetoḥ
āryasya manye maraṇāt garīyaḥ yat
dharmam utkramya mahīm praśiṣyāt

14. Who, after having established that peace treaty in the presence of virtuous people, would then abandon it for the sake of a kingdom in this world? I believe that for a noble person, ruling the earth by transgressing one's duty (dharma) is worse than death.

Words meanings summery:

• तम् (tam) - that (referring to the peace treaty) (that, him, it)

• सन्धिम् (sandhim) - the peace treaty (made between parties) (peace, treaty, agreement, junction)

• आस्थाय (āsthāya) - having adopted (the treaty) (having resorted to, having adopted, having undertaken)

• सताम् (satām) - in the presence of virtuous people (of the good, of the virtuous, of the existing)

• सकाशे (sakāśe) - in the presence of (good people) (in the presence of, near, in sight of)

• कः (kaḥ) - who (would do such a thing) (who)

• नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, by name, what is called)

• जह्यात् (jahyāt) - would give up, would forsake (the treaty) (one would abandon, one would give up, one would forsake)

• इह (iha) - in this world, in this situation (here, in this world)

• राज्यहेतोः (rājyahetoḥ) - for the sake of acquiring a kingdom (for the sake of a kingdom, on account of a kingdom)

• आर्यस्य (āryasya) - for a noble person (of a noble person, of a worthy one)

• मन्ये (manye) - I believe (speaker's opinion) (I think, I believe, I consider)

• मरणात् (maraṇāt) - than death (for comparison) (from death, than death)

• गरीयः (garīyaḥ) - more grievous, worse (than death) (heavier, more grievous, worse)

• यत् (yat) - that (introduces a clause explaining what is worse than death) (that which, because, that)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - one's inherent duty (dharma) (righteousness, duty, law, constitution (dharma))

• उत्क्रम्य (utkramya) - having violated, disregarding (one's duty) (having transgressed, having violated, having stepped over)

• महीम् (mahīm) - the kingdom, the earth (the earth, land, kingdom)

• प्रशिष्यात् (praśiṣyāt) - one would rule (the kingdom) (one would rule, one would govern, one would instruct)

Words meanings and morphology

तम् (tam) - that (referring to the peace treaty) (that, him, it)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, it

Accusative singular masculine

Note: Agrees with 'sandhim'.

सन्धिम् (sandhim) - the peace treaty (made between parties) (peace, treaty, agreement, junction)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sandhi

sandhi - union, junction, agreement, peace, treaty

Derived from 'sam' + root 'dhā' (to place, join)

Prefix: sam

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Object of 'āsthāya'.

आस्थाय (āsthāya) - having adopted (the treaty) (having resorted to, having adopted, having undertaken)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from 'ā' + root 'sthā' (to stand)

Prefix: ā

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Implies completion of action before the main verb.

सताम् (satām) - in the presence of virtuous people (of the good, of the virtuous, of the existing)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of sat

sat - good, virtuous, existing, true

Present Active Participle

Derived from root 'as' (to be). Genitive plural masculine/feminine/neuter.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Qualifies the implied people in whose presence the treaty was made.

सकाशे (sakāśe) - in the presence of (good people) (in the presence of, near, in sight of)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of sakāśa

sakāśa - presence, proximity, vicinity

कः (kaḥ) - who (would do such a thing) (who)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

Interrogative pronoun, masculine nominative singular

Note: Subject of 'jahyāt'.

नाम (nāma) - indeed (emphasizing the rhetorical question) (indeed, by name, what is called)

(indeclinable)

जह्यात् (jahyāt) - would give up, would forsake (the treaty) (one would abandon, one would give up, one would forsake)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of hā

Optative 3rd person singular

Root: hā (class 3)

इह (iha) - in this world, in this situation (here, in this world)

(indeclinable)

राज्यहेतोः (rājyahetoḥ) - for the sake of acquiring a kingdom (for the sake of a kingdom, on account of a kingdom)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of rājyahetu

rājyahetu - cause of kingdom, sake of kingdom

Compound 'rājya' (kingdom) + 'hetu' (cause/sake). Genitive singular.

Compound type : tatpurusha (rājya+hetu)

• rājya – kingdom, sovereignty
  noun (neuter)
  Root: rāj (class 1)
• hetu – cause, reason, motive, sake
  noun (masculine)
  Root: hi (class 5)

Note: Functions adverbially to denote purpose.

आर्यस्य (āryasya) - for a noble person (of a noble person, of a worthy one)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ārya

ārya - noble, respectable, worthy

Note: Genitive of possession, 'for the noble one'.

मन्ये (manye) - I believe (speaker's opinion) (I think, I believe, I consider)

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of man

Present 1st person singular, middle voice

Root: man (class 4)

Note: The speaker is expressing their personal conviction.

मरणात् (maraṇāt) - than death (for comparison) (from death, than death)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of maraṇa

maraṇa - death, dying

Derived from root 'mṛ' (to die)

Root: mṛ (class 6)

Note: Used with 'garīyaḥ'.

गरीयः (garīyaḥ) - more grievous, worse (than death) (heavier, more grievous, worse)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of garīyas

garīyas - heavier, greater, worse, more grievous

Comparative degree of 'guru' (heavy, important). Neuter nominative singular.

Note: Predicate adjective.

यत् (yat) - that (introduces a clause explaining what is worse than death) (that which, because, that)

(indeclinable)

Relative pronoun used as a conjunction.

Note: Connects the main clause with the subordinate clause.

धर्मम् (dharmam) - one's inherent duty (dharma) (righteousness, duty, law, constitution (dharma))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

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

Derived from root 'dhṛ' (to uphold)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Object of 'utkramya'.

उत्क्रम्य (utkramya) - having violated, disregarding (one's duty) (having transgressed, having violated, having stepped over)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from 'ud' + root 'kram' (to step, go)

Prefix: ud

Root: kram (class 1)

Note: Precedes the action of ruling.

महीम् (mahīm) - the kingdom, the earth (the earth, land, kingdom)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mahī

mahī - earth, land, ground, kingdom

Root: mah (class 1)

Note: Object of 'praśiṣyāt'.

प्रशिष्यात् (praśiṣyāt) - one would rule (the kingdom) (one would rule, one would govern, one would instruct)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of praśiṣ

Optative 3rd person singular

Prefix: pra

Root: śās (class 2)

Note: Subject is implied (the one who rules).