महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-34, verse-46

शीलं प्रधानं पुरुषे तद्यस्येह प्रणश्यति ।
न तस्य जीवितेनार्थो न धनेन न बन्धुभिः ॥४६॥

46. śīlaṁ pradhānaṁ puruṣe tadyasyeha praṇaśyati ,
na tasya jīvitenārtho na dhanena na bandhubhiḥ.

46. śīlam pradhānam puruṣe tat yasya iha praṇaśyati
na tasya jīvitena arthaḥ na dhanena na bandhubhiḥ

46. Good moral conduct (śīlam) is the most important quality in a person (puruṣe). If that (conduct) is destroyed for someone in this world (iha), then for such a person, there is no value (arthaḥ) in life (jīvitena), nor in wealth (dhanena), nor in relatives (bandhubhiḥ).

Words meanings summery:

• शीलम् (śīlam) - good moral conduct (good conduct, character, moral virtue)

• प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - the most important quality, paramount (principal, chief, important, pre-eminent)

• पुरुषे (puruṣe) - in a person (puruṣa) (in a man, in a person, in the male principle)

• तत् (tat) - that (conduct) (that, it, this)

• यस्य (yasya) - whose (whose, of whom, for whom)

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

• प्रणश्यति (praṇaśyati) - perishes, is destroyed (perishes, is destroyed, disappears)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• तस्य (tasya) - for that person (for him, of him, his)

• जीवितेन (jīvitena) - in life (by life, by living)

• अर्थः (arthaḥ) - purpose, value (purpose, meaning, object, wealth, value)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• धनेन (dhanena) - in wealth (by wealth, by riches)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• बन्धुभिः (bandhubhiḥ) - in relatives (by relatives, by kinsmen)

Words meanings and morphology

शीलम् (śīlam) - good moral conduct (good conduct, character, moral virtue)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śīla

śīla - conduct, character, habit, disposition, moral virtue, nature

Note: The subject of the sentence.

प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - the most important quality, paramount (principal, chief, important, pre-eminent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pradhāna

pradhāna - chief, principal, main, pre-eminent, predominant

Derived from `pra` (forth, greatly) + root `dhā` (to place, to put).

Prefix: pra

Root: dhā (class 3)

पुरुषे (puruṣe) - in a person (puruṣa) (in a man, in a person, in the male principle)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, person, male, human being, spirit, soul (puruṣa), conscious principle

Note: Denotes the location or context.

तत् (tat) - that (conduct) (that, it, this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, he, she

Note: Forms `tad` in sandhi before voiced consonant `y`.

यस्य (yasya) - whose (whose, of whom, for whom)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Note: Refers to the person (`puruṣa`).

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

(indeclinable)

Note: Combines with `yasya` in sandhi to `yasyeha`.

प्रणश्यति (praṇaśyati) - perishes, is destroyed (perishes, is destroyed, disappears)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of praṇaś

Present Tense

Derived from prefix `pra` (forth, away) + root `naś` (to perish, to be lost).

Prefix: pra

Root: naś (class 4)

Note: Subject is `tat` (śīlam).

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

तस्य (tasya) - for that person (for him, of him, his)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, it, he, she

Note: Often used with `arthaḥ` to mean 'there is no purpose for him'.

जीवितेन (jīvitena) - in life (by life, by living)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of jīvita

jīvita - life, living, livelihood, that which is lived

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root `jīv` (to live).

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Means 'by means of life'.

अर्थः (arthaḥ) - purpose, value (purpose, meaning, object, wealth, value)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of artha

artha - aim, purpose, meaning, object, wealth, value, thing, cause

Note: Forms `artho` in sandhi before `na`.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

धनेन (dhanena) - in wealth (by wealth, by riches)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of dhana

dhana - wealth, riches, property, money, treasure

Note: Means 'by means of wealth'.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

बन्धुभिः (bandhubhiḥ) - in relatives (by relatives, by kinsmen)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of bandhu

bandhu - relative, kinsman, friend, connection

Root: bandh (class 1)

Note: Means 'by means of relatives'.