महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-36, verse-12

अव्याहृतं व्याहृताच्छ्रेय आहुः सत्यं वदेद्व्याहृतं तद्द्वितीयम् ।
प्रियं वदेद्व्याहृतं तत्तृतीयं धर्म्यं वदेद्व्याहृतं तच्चतुर्थम् ॥१२॥

12. avyāhṛtaṁ vyāhṛtācchreya āhuḥ; satyaṁ vadedvyāhṛtaṁ taddvitīyam ,
priyaṁ vadedvyāhṛtaṁ tattṛtīyaṁ; dharmyaṁ vadedvyāhṛtaṁ taccaturtham.

12. avyāhṛtam vyāhṛtāt śreyaḥ āhuḥ satyam
vadet vyāhṛtam tat dvitīyam |
priyam vadet vyāhṛtam tat tṛtīyam
dharmyam vadet vyāhṛtam tat caturtham

12. They say that remaining silent (avyāhṛta) is superior to speaking. When speaking, one should speak the truth; this is the second aspect. One should speak what is pleasing; this is the third aspect. One should speak what is in accordance with natural law (dharma); this is the fourth aspect.

Words meanings summery:

• अव्याहृतम् (avyāhṛtam) - remaining silent (the unspoken) (unspoken, unuttered, unexpressed)

• व्याहृतात् (vyāhṛtāt) - than speaking (the spoken) (than spoken, than uttered)

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

• आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say (they say, they declare)

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (truth, true)

• वदेत् (vadet) - one should speak (one should speak, declare)

• व्याहृतम् (vyāhṛtam) - that utterance (spoken, uttered, declared)

• तत् (tat) - this (referred to the preceding statement) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

• द्वितीयम् (dvitīyam) - the second aspect (second)

• प्रियम् (priyam) - what is pleasing (pleasing, dear, agreeable)

• वदेत् (vadet) - One should speak (one should speak, declare)

• व्याहृतम् (vyāhṛtam) - that utterance (spoken, uttered, declared)

• तत् (tat) - this (referred to the preceding statement) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

• तृतीयम् (tṛtīyam) - the third aspect (third)

• धर्म्यम् (dharmyam) - what is in accordance with natural law (dharma) (righteous, lawful, in accordance with dharma)

• वदेत् (vadet) - One should speak (one should speak, declare)

• व्याहृतम् (vyāhṛtam) - that utterance (spoken, uttered, declared)

• तत् (tat) - this (referred to the preceding statement) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

• चतुर्थम् (caturtham) - the fourth aspect (fourth)

Words meanings and morphology

अव्याहृतम् (avyāhṛtam) - remaining silent (the unspoken) (unspoken, unuttered, unexpressed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of avyāhṛta

avyāhṛta - unspoken, unuttered, unexpressed

Past Passive Participle (negated)

from root hṛ with prefixes vi and ā, negated with a

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vyāhṛta)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• vyāhṛta – spoken, uttered, declared
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  from root hṛ with prefixes vi and ā
  Prefixes: vi+ā
  Root: hṛ (class 1)

व्याहृतात् (vyāhṛtāt) - than speaking (the spoken) (than spoken, than uttered)

(adjective)

Ablative, neuter, singular of vyāhṛta

vyāhṛta - spoken, uttered, declared

Past Passive Participle

from root hṛ with prefixes vi and ā

Prefixes: vi+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

Note: Used in comparison with śreyaḥ.

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - superior (better, superior, more excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, superior, more excellent, good fortune

comparative form of praśasya

Root: praśas

आहुः (āhuḥ) - they say (they say, they declare)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lit) of ah

root ah, 2nd class (irregular), Parasmaipada, Perfect 3rd plural (used as present)

Root: ah (class 2)

Note: Perfect form used in a present sense.

सत्यम् (satyam) - truth (truth, true)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, true, real

from sant

Root: as (class 2)

वदेत् (vadet) - one should speak (one should speak, declare)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of vad

root vad, 1st class, Parasmaipada, Optative 3rd singular

Root: vad (class 1)

व्याहृतम् (vyāhṛtam) - that utterance (spoken, uttered, declared)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vyāhṛta

vyāhṛta - spoken, uttered, declared

Past Passive Participle

from root hṛ with prefixes vi and ā

Prefixes: vi+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

तत् (tat) - this (referred to the preceding statement) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

pronominal stem

द्वितीयम् (dvitīyam) - the second aspect (second)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dvitīya

dvitīya - second

ordinal number from dvi

प्रियम् (priyam) - what is pleasing (pleasing, dear, agreeable)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of priya

priya - dear, beloved, pleasing, agreeable

Root: prī

वदेत् (vadet) - One should speak (one should speak, declare)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of vad

root vad, 1st class, Parasmaipada, Optative 3rd singular

Root: vad (class 1)

व्याहृतम् (vyāhṛtam) - that utterance (spoken, uttered, declared)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vyāhṛta

vyāhṛta - spoken, uttered, declared

Past Passive Participle

from root hṛ with prefixes vi and ā

Prefixes: vi+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

तत् (tat) - this (referred to the preceding statement) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

pronominal stem

तृतीयम् (tṛtīyam) - the third aspect (third)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tṛtīya

tṛtīya - third

ordinal number from tri

धर्म्यम् (dharmyam) - what is in accordance with natural law (dharma) (righteous, lawful, in accordance with dharma)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of dharmya

dharmya - righteous, lawful, virtuous, in accordance with dharma

from dharma

वदेत् (vadet) - One should speak (one should speak, declare)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of vad

root vad, 1st class, Parasmaipada, Optative 3rd singular

Root: vad (class 1)

व्याहृतम् (vyāhṛtam) - that utterance (spoken, uttered, declared)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vyāhṛta

vyāhṛta - spoken, uttered, declared

Past Passive Participle

from root hṛ with prefixes vi and ā

Prefixes: vi+ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

तत् (tat) - this (referred to the preceding statement) (that, it (neuter nominative/accusative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

pronominal stem

चतुर्थम् (caturtham) - the fourth aspect (fourth)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of caturtha

caturtha - fourth

ordinal number from catur