महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-35, verse-26

पञ्च पश्वनृते हन्ति दश हन्ति गवानृते ।
शतमश्वानृते हन्ति सहस्रं पुरुषानृते ॥२६॥

26. pañca paśvanṛte hanti daśa hanti gavānṛte ,
śatamaśvānṛte hanti sahasraṁ puruṣānṛte.

26. pañca paśuanṛte hanti daśa hanti goanṛte
śatam aśvanṛte hanti sahasram puruṣanṛte

26. Telling a lie (anṛta) about animals (paśu) destroys five lives; about cows, it destroys ten; about horses, a hundred; and about human beings (puruṣa), a thousand.

Words meanings summery:

• पञ्च (pañca) - The number of lives destroyed. (five)

• पशुअनृते (paśuanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning animals. (regarding a lie about animals)

• हन्ति (hanti) - Incurs demerit or destroys spiritual merit, implying severe karmic consequence. (kills, strikes, destroys)

• दश (daśa) - The number of lives destroyed. (ten)

• हन्ति (hanti) - Incurs demerit or destroys spiritual merit, implying severe karmic consequence. (kills, strikes, destroys)

• गोअनृते (goanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning cows. (regarding a lie about cows)

• शतम् (śatam) - The number of lives destroyed. (a hundred)

• अश्वनृते (aśvanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning horses. (regarding a lie about horses)

• हन्ति (hanti) - Incurs demerit or destroys spiritual merit, implying severe karmic consequence. (kills, strikes, destroys)

• सहस्रम् (sahasram) - The number of lives destroyed. (a thousand)

• पुरुषनृते (puruṣanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning human beings. (regarding a lie about men (puruṣa))

Words meanings and morphology

पञ्च (pañca) - The number of lives destroyed. (five)

(numeral)

Note: Declines for plural, but case is often invariable for cardinal numbers from 5 upwards.

पशुअनृते (paśuanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning animals. (regarding a lie about animals)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of paśuanṛta

paśuanṛta - falsehood concerning animals

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (paśu+anṛta)

• paśu – animal, beast, cattle
  noun (masculine)
• anṛta – untrue, falsehood, lie
  noun (neuter)
  Negative compound a- + ṛta (truth)

Note: Implies 'in the matter of' or 'concerning'.

हन्ति (hanti) - Incurs demerit or destroys spiritual merit, implying severe karmic consequence. (kills, strikes, destroys)

(verb)

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

Present tense

Present active, 3rd person singular

Root: han (class 2)

Note: The subject is implied as 'one who tells the lie'.

दश (daśa) - The number of lives destroyed. (ten)

(numeral)

Note: Declines for plural.

हन्ति (hanti) - Incurs demerit or destroys spiritual merit, implying severe karmic consequence. (kills, strikes, destroys)

(verb)

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

Present tense

Present active, 3rd person singular

Root: han (class 2)

Note: The subject is implied as 'one who tells the lie'.

गोअनृते (goanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning cows. (regarding a lie about cows)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of goanṛta

goanṛta - falsehood concerning cows

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (go+anṛta)

• go – cow, ox
  noun (masculine)
• anṛta – untrue, falsehood, lie
  noun (neuter)
  Negative compound a- + ṛta (truth)

Note: Implies 'in the matter of' or 'concerning'.

शतम् (śatam) - The number of lives destroyed. (a hundred)

(numeral)

Note: Used as a collective noun in the singular.

अश्वनृते (aśvanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning horses. (regarding a lie about horses)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of aśvanṛta

aśvanṛta - falsehood concerning horses

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (aśva+anṛta)

• aśva – horse
  noun (masculine)
• anṛta – untrue, falsehood, lie
  noun (neuter)
  Negative compound a- + ṛta (truth)

Note: Implies 'in the matter of' or 'concerning'.

हन्ति (hanti) - Incurs demerit or destroys spiritual merit, implying severe karmic consequence. (kills, strikes, destroys)

(verb)

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

Present tense

Present active, 3rd person singular

Root: han (class 2)

Note: The subject is implied as 'one who tells the lie'.

सहस्रम् (sahasram) - The number of lives destroyed. (a thousand)

(numeral)

Note: Used as a collective noun in the singular.

पुरुषनृते (puruṣanṛte) - When a lie is told specifically concerning human beings. (regarding a lie about men (puruṣa))

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of puruṣanṛta

puruṣanṛta - falsehood concerning men

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (puruṣa+anṛta)

• puruṣa – man, person, human being, supreme cosmic person (puruṣa)
  noun (masculine)
• anṛta – untrue, falsehood, lie
  noun (neuter)
  Negative compound a- + ṛta (truth)

Note: Implies 'in the matter of' or 'concerning'.