महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-131, verse-13

अलातं तिन्दुकस्येव मुहूर्तमपि विज्वल ।
मा तुषाग्निरिवानर्चिः काकरङ्खा जिजीविषुः ।
मुहूर्तं ज्वलितं श्रेयो न तु धूमायितं चिरम् ॥१३॥

13. alātaṁ tindukasyeva muhūrtamapi vijvala ,
mā tuṣāgnirivānarciḥ kākaraṅkhā jijīviṣuḥ ,
muhūrtaṁ jvalitaṁ śreyo na tu dhūmāyitaṁ ciram.

13. alātam tindukasya iva muhūrtam api
vijvala mā tuṣāgniḥ iva anarciḥ
kākaraṅkhā jijīviṣuḥ muhūrtam
jvalitam śreyaḥ na tu dhūmāyitam ciram

13. tindukasya alātam iva muhūrtam api vijvala.
anarciḥ kākaraṅkhā tuṣāgniḥ iva jijīviṣuḥ mā (bhava).
muhūrtam jvalitam śreyaḥ; tu ciram dhūmāyitam na.

13. Blaze brightly even for a moment, like a tinduka firebrand. Do not wish to live long like a smoldering chaff-fire, flameless and full of smoke. It is better to have blazed intensely for a brief moment than to have merely smoldered for a long time.

Words meanings summery:

• अलातम् (alātam) - a glowing piece of wood (firebrand, glowing coal)

• तिन्दुकस्य (tindukasya) - of the tinduka tree (Diospyros embryopteris) (of the tinduka tree)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - even for a brief moment (moment, instant, for a moment)

• अपि (api) - even, also, too

• विज्वल (vijvala) - you blaze brightly (blaze brightly, shine forth, glow intensely)

• मा (mā) - prohibitive particle: 'do not' (not, don't)

• तुषाग्निः (tuṣāgniḥ) - chaff-fire, fire of husks

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• अनर्चिः (anarciḥ) - without a visible flame, merely smoldering (flameless, without flame)

• काकरङ्खा (kākaraṅkhā) - emitting thick, dark smoke (producing much smoke, smoky, crow-colored smoke)

• जिजीविषुः (jijīviṣuḥ) - one who wishes to live (a long life) (desirous of living, wishing to live)

• मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - for a brief moment (moment, instant, for a moment)

• ज्वलितम् (jvalitam) - having blazed intensely (blazed, shone, inflamed)

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - is better (better, preferable, good, excellent)

• न (na) - not, no

• तु (tu) - but rather, in contrast (but, on the other hand, indeed)

• धूमायितम् (dhūmāyitam) - having smoldered without flame (smoked, smoldered, full of smoke)

• चिरम् (ciram) - for a long time, long

Words meanings and morphology

अलातम् (alātam) - a glowing piece of wood (firebrand, glowing coal)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of alāta

alāta - a firebrand, a glowing coal, a piece of wood consumed by fire

तिन्दुकस्य (tindukasya) - of the tinduka tree (Diospyros embryopteris) (of the tinduka tree)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tinduka

tinduka - the tinduka tree (Diospyros embryopteris), a species of ebony tree

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - even for a brief moment (moment, instant, for a moment)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of muhūrta

muhūrta - a moment, an instant, a short time (a unit of time, traditionally 48 minutes)

Note: Used adverbially to indicate duration.

अपि (api) - even, also, too

(indeclinable)

विज्वल (vijvala) - you blaze brightly (blaze brightly, shine forth, glow intensely)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of vijval

Imperative Mood

Root √jval (1st conjugation, Parasmaipada), with prefix vi-

Prefix: vi

Root: jval (class 1)

मा (mā) - prohibitive particle: 'do not' (not, don't)

(indeclinable)

तुषाग्निः (tuṣāgniḥ) - chaff-fire, fire of husks

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tuṣāgni

tuṣāgni - a fire of husks or chaff

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tuṣa+agni)

• tuṣa – husk, chaff, grain cover
  noun (masculine)
• agni – fire, god of fire
  noun (masculine)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

अनर्चिः (anarciḥ) - without a visible flame, merely smoldering (flameless, without flame)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anarcis

anarcis - flameless, without light or luster

Negative compound with 'an' (not) and 'arcis' (flame).

Compound type : avyayībhāva (an+arcis)

• an – not, un-
  indeclinable
• arcis – flame, ray, light
  noun (masculine)

काकरङ्खा (kākaraṅkhā) - emitting thick, dark smoke (producing much smoke, smoky, crow-colored smoke)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kākaraṅkhā

kākaraṅkhā - producing much smoke, smoky, crow-colored smoke

Note: Often used to describe a smoldering fire that produces more smoke than flame.

जिजीविषुः (jijīviṣuḥ) - one who wishes to live (a long life) (desirous of living, wishing to live)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jijīviṣu

jijīviṣu - desirous of living, wishing to live, longing for life

Desiderative Participle

Derived from the desiderative stem of √jīv (to live).

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Implied subject 'you' (singular).

मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - for a brief moment (moment, instant, for a moment)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of muhūrta

muhūrta - a moment, an instant, a short time (a unit of time, traditionally 48 minutes)

Note: Used adverbially to indicate duration.

ज्वलितम् (jvalitam) - having blazed intensely (blazed, shone, inflamed)

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of jvalita

jvalita - blazed, lit, glowing, shining, inflamed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √jval (to blaze, to shine).

Root: jval (class 1)

Note: Used here substantively.

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - is better (better, preferable, good, excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, more excellent, superior, auspicious, happiness, good fortune

Comparative form of śrī (prosperity, excellence) or from √śrī.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

तु (tu) - but rather, in contrast (but, on the other hand, indeed)

(indeclinable)

धूमायितम् (dhūmāyitam) - having smoldered without flame (smoked, smoldered, full of smoke)

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dhūmāyita

dhūmāyita - smoked, smoldered, enveloped in smoke

Past Passive Participle

Derived from the denominative verb dhūmāy (to smoke, to smolder), from dhūma (smoke).

Root: dhūmāy

Note: Used here substantively.

चिरम् (ciram) - for a long time, long

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'for a long time'.