महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-36, verse-23

विदुर उवाच ।
तपो दमो ब्रह्मवित्त्वं वितानाः पुण्या विवाहाः सततान्नदानम् ।
येष्वेवैते सप्त गुणा भवन्ति सम्यग्वृत्तास्तानि महाकुलानि ॥२३॥

23. vidura uvāca ,
tapo damo brahmavittvaṁ vitānāḥ; puṇyā vivāhāḥ satatānnadānam ,
yeṣvevaite sapta guṇā bhavanti; samyagvṛttāstāni mahākulāni.

23. vidura uvāca | tapaḥ damaḥ brahmavittvam
vitānāḥ puṇyāḥ vivāhāḥ
satatānnadānam | yeṣu eva ete sapta guṇāḥ
bhavanti samyakvṛttāḥ tāni mahākulāni

23. Vidura said: Austerity (tapas), self-control (dama), knowledge of the ultimate reality (brahman), sacred rites, meritorious marriages, and the continuous giving of food – these seven qualities, when present in families of proper conduct, are what make them noble families.

Words meanings summery:

• विदुर (vidura) - Vidura, a wise character in the Mahabharata, addressed directly (Vidura)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, spiritual discipline

• दमः (damaḥ) - self-control, restraint, subjugation

• ब्रह्मवित्त्वम् (brahmavittvam) - knowledge of Brahman, state of knowing the Absolute

• वितानाः (vitānāḥ) - sacrificial rites, rituals, spreading of sacred fire

• पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - meritorious, sacred, virtuous, holy

• विवाहाः (vivāhāḥ) - marriages, weddings

• सततान्नदानम् (satatānnadānam) - constant giving of food, continuous food donation

• येषु (yeṣu) - in whom, among whom

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed, certainly

• एते (ete) - these

• सप्त (sapta) - seven

• गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - qualities, virtues, attributes

• भवन्ति (bhavanti) - are, exist, become

• सम्यक्वृत्ताः (samyakvṛttāḥ) - of proper conduct, of right behavior

• तानि (tāni) - those, those ones

• महाकुलानि (mahākulāni) - great families, noble lineages

Words meanings and morphology

विदुर (vidura) - Vidura, a wise character in the Mahabharata, addressed directly (Vidura)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of vidura

vidura - Vidura (name of a wise character in the Mahabharata)

Derived from root √vid (to know), meaning 'wise'

Root: vid (class 6)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (lit) of vac

Perfect Active

3rd person singular perfect active of root √vac

Root: vac (class 2)

तपः (tapaḥ) - austerity, penance, spiritual discipline

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tapas

tapas - austerity (tapas), penance, spiritual discipline, heat

Root: tap (class 1)

दमः (damaḥ) - self-control, restraint, subjugation

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dama

dama - self-control (dama), restraint, subjugation, taming

Root: dam (class 4)

ब्रह्मवित्त्वम् (brahmavittvam) - knowledge of Brahman, state of knowing the Absolute

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of brahmavittva

brahmavittva - knowledge of Brahman (brahman), state of knowing the Absolute

Compound type : tatpurusha (brahman+vittva)

• brahman – the ultimate reality (brahman), the Absolute, the universal spirit
  noun (neuter)
• vittva – the state of knowing, knowledge
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root √vid (to know) with suffix -tva
  Root: vid (class 6)

वितानाः (vitānāḥ) - sacrificial rites, rituals, spreading of sacred fire

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vitāna

vitāna - sacrificial rite, ritual, spreading, expansion, canopy, offering

Derived from root √tan with prefix vi-

Prefix: vi

Root: tan (class 8)

पुण्याः (puṇyāḥ) - meritorious, sacred, virtuous, holy

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of puṇya

puṇya - meritorious, sacred, virtuous, holy, good

Note: Modifies 'vivāhāḥ'

विवाहाः (vivāhāḥ) - marriages, weddings

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vivāha

vivāha - marriage, wedding, leading home (a bride)

Derived from root √vah with prefix vi-

Prefix: vi

Root: vah (class 1)

सततान्नदानम् (satatānnadānam) - constant giving of food, continuous food donation

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of satatānnadāna

satatānnadāna - constant giving of food

Compound type : tatpurusha (satata+anna+dāna)

• satata – constant, continuous, perpetual
  adjective (neuter)
  Derived from root √sat (to be, exist) + -ta
  Root: as (class 2)
• anna – food, grain
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root √ad (to eat)
  Root: ad (class 2)
• dāna – giving (dāna), gift, donation
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from root √dā (to give)
  Root: dā (class 3)

येषु (yeṣu) - in whom, among whom

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, plural of yad

yad - who, which, what

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed, certainly

(indeclinable)

एते (ete) - these

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Refers to 'guṇāḥ'

सप्त (sapta) - seven

(numeral)

गुणाः (guṇāḥ) - qualities, virtues, attributes

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of guṇa

guṇa - quality, virtue, attribute, string, strand

भवन्ति (bhavanti) - are, exist, become

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

Present Active

3rd person plural present active indicative of root √bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)

सम्यक्वृत्ताः (samyakvṛttāḥ) - of proper conduct, of right behavior

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of samyakvṛtta

samyakvṛtta - of proper conduct, of right behavior

Compound type : bahuvrihi (samyak+vṛtta)

• samyak – properly, correctly, completely, rightly
  indeclinable
• vṛtta – conduct, behavior, character; happened, occurred
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root √vṛt (to be, to exist, to turn)
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Describes 'mahākulāni' or the implicit subject 'they'

तानि (tāni) - those, those ones

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of tad

tad - that, those, this, these

Note: Refers to 'mahākulāni'

महाकुलानि (mahākulāni) - great families, noble lineages

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of mahākula

mahākula - great family, noble lineage

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+kula)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective (feminine)
• kula – family, lineage, race, clan
  noun (neuter)