महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-122, verse-38

आत्मानं तक्षति ह्येष वनं परशुना यथा ।
यः सम्यग्वर्तमानेषु मिथ्या राजन्प्रवर्तते ॥३८॥

38. ātmānaṁ takṣati hyeṣa vanaṁ paraśunā yathā ,
yaḥ samyagvartamāneṣu mithyā rājanpravartate.

38. ātmānam takṣati hi eṣa vanam paraśunā yathā
yaḥ samyak vartamāneṣu mithyā rājan pravartate

38. Indeed, O King, whoever acts wrongly towards those who conduct themselves properly wounds his own self (ātman), just as one fells a forest with an axe.

Words meanings summery:

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his own inner being or essence (his own self, the soul (ātman))

• तक्षति (takṣati) - he cuts, he wounds, he harms

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

• एष (eṣa) - this one, he

• वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

• परशुना (paraśunā) - with an axe

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

• यः (yaḥ) - whoever, he who

• सम्यक् (samyak) - properly, rightly, completely

• वर्तमानेषु (vartamāneṣu) - among those who are conducting themselves (properly) (among those who are existing, among those who are behaving)

• मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, wrongly, incorrectly

• राजन् (rājan) - O King

• प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - he acts, he behaves, he proceeds

Words meanings and morphology

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his own inner being or essence (his own self, the soul (ātman))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit

Root: an

तक्षति (takṣati) - he cuts, he wounds, he harms

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of √takṣ

Root: takṣ (class 1)

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because

(indeclinable)

एष (eṣa) - this one, he

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove

Root: van

परशुना (paraśunā) - with an axe

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of paraśu

paraśu - axe, hatchet

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)

यः (yaḥ) - whoever, he who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, whatever

सम्यक् (samyak) - properly, rightly, completely

(indeclinable)

From sam-añc (to go together)

Prefix: sam

Root: añc (class 1)

वर्तमानेषु (vartamāneṣu) - among those who are conducting themselves (properly) (among those who are existing, among those who are behaving)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, plural of vartamāna

vartamāna - being, existing, behaving, present

Present Active Participle

From √vṛt (to be, to exist, to turn) + śānac

Root: vṛt (class 1)

मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, wrongly, incorrectly

(indeclinable)

राजन् (rājan) - O King

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Root: rāj

प्रवर्तते (pravartate) - he acts, he behaves, he proceeds

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of √pravṛt

From pra-√vṛt (to turn, to exist)

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: ātmanepada form