महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-4, chapter-36, verse-26

बृहन्नडोवाच ।
नैष पूर्वैः स्मृतो धर्मः क्षत्रियस्य पलायनम् ।
श्रेयस्ते मरणं युद्धे न भीतस्य पलायनम् ॥२६॥

26. bṛhannaḍovāca ,
naiṣa pūrvaiḥ smṛto dharmaḥ kṣatriyasya palāyanam ,
śreyaste maraṇaṁ yuddhe na bhītasya palāyanam.

26. bṛhannalā uvāca na eṣa pūrvaiḥ smṛtaḥ dharmaḥ kṣatriyasya
palāyanam śreyaḥ te maraṇam yuddhe na bhītasya palāyanam

26. Bṛhannalā said: The elders have not considered this flight to be the natural law (dharma) for a warrior (kṣatriya). It is better for you to die in battle, rather than to flee out of fear.

Words meanings summery:

• बृहन्नला (bṛhannalā) - Bṛhannalā (name of Arjuna in disguise)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• न (na) - not, no

• एष (eṣa) - this, this one

• पूर्वैः (pūrvaiḥ) - by the ancients, by the elders

• स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness

• क्षत्रियस्य (kṣatriyasya) - of a warrior, of a kshatriya

• पलायनम् (palāyanam) - flight, retreat, running away

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, more auspicious, superior

• ते (te) - for you, your

• मरणम् (maraṇam) - death

• युद्धे (yuddhe) - in battle, in war

• न (na) - not, no

• भीतस्य (bhītasya) - of the frightened one, of him who is afraid

• पलायनम् (palāyanam) - flight, retreat, running away

Words meanings and morphology

बृहन्नला (bṛhannalā) - Bṛhannalā (name of Arjuna in disguise)

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bṛhannalā

bṛhannalā - Bṛhannalā

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect Active

Perfect 3rd person singular of √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

एष (eṣa) - this, this one

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

पूर्वैः (pūrvaiḥ) - by the ancients, by the elders

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of pūrva

pūrva - former, ancient, preceding

स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of smṛta

smṛta - remembered, considered

Past Passive Participle

Past Passive Participle of √smṛ

Root: smṛ (class 1)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, righteousness

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

क्षत्रियस्य (kṣatriyasya) - of a warrior, of a kshatriya

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kṣatriya

kṣatriya - warrior, member of the kshatriya caste

पलायनम् (palāyanam) - flight, retreat, running away

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of palāyana

palāyana - flight, retreat, running away

Noun derived from √ay with prefix parā

Prefix: parā

Root: i (class 2)

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, more auspicious, superior

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, more auspicious, superior

Comparative degree of śrī

ते (te) - for you, your

(pronoun)

singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you, your

Note: Enclitic form of the 2nd person pronoun.

मरणम् (maraṇam) - death

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of maraṇa

maraṇa - death, dying

Noun derived from √mṛ

Root: mṛ (class 6)

युद्धे (yuddhe) - in battle, in war

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of yuddha

yuddha - battle, war

Root: yudh (class 4)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

भीतस्य (bhītasya) - of the frightened one, of him who is afraid

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of bhīta

bhīta - frightened, afraid

Past Passive Participle

Past Passive Participle of √bhī

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Used substantively.

पलायनम् (palāyanam) - flight, retreat, running away

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of palāyana

palāyana - flight, retreat, running away

Noun derived from √ay with prefix parā

Prefix: parā

Root: i (class 2)