महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-25, verse-35

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥३५॥

35. śreyānsvadharmo viguṇaḥ paradharmātsvanuṣṭhitāt ,
svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ paradharmo bhayāvahaḥ.

35. śreyān svadharmaḥ viguṇaḥ paradharmāt svanuṣṭhitāt
svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ paradharmaḥ bhayāvahaḥ

35. viguṇaḥ api svadharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitāt paradharmāt śreyān.
svadharme nidhanaṃ śreyaḥ.
paradharmaḥ bhayāvahaḥ (bhavati).

35. One's own innate nature, even if imperfect, is better than the well-performed path of another. Death in one's own path is better, for the path of another is fraught with fear.

Words meanings summery:

• श्रेयान् (śreyān) - better, superior

• स्वधर्मः (svadharmaḥ) - one's own innate nature, one's own dharma

• विगुणः (viguṇaḥ) - imperfect, lacking qualities, flawed

• परधर्मात् (paradharmāt) - from another's dharma, from another's path

• स्वनुष्ठितात् (svanuṣṭhitāt) - from that which is well performed

• स्वधर्मे (svadharme) - in one's own dharma, in one's own path

• निधनं (nidhanaṁ) - death, destruction, end

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, superior, auspicious

• परधर्मः (paradharmaḥ) - another's dharma, another's path

• भयावहः (bhayāvahaḥ) - causing fear, fraught with fear, dangerous

Words meanings and morphology

श्रेयान् (śreyān) - better, superior

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, superior, excellent

स्वधर्मः (svadharmaḥ) - one's own innate nature, one's own dharma

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of svadharma

svadharma - one's own dharma, one's own duty or innate nature

Compound type : tatpurusha (sva+dharma)

• sva – own, one's own
  adjective
• dharma – innate nature, duty, natural law
  noun (masculine)

विगुणः (viguṇaḥ) - imperfect, lacking qualities, flawed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of viguṇa

viguṇa - imperfect, defective, lacking good qualities

परधर्मात् (paradharmāt) - from another's dharma, from another's path

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of paradharma

paradharma - another's dharma, another's duty or path

Compound type : tatpurusha (para+dharma)

• para – other, foreign, alien
  adjective
• dharma – innate nature, duty, path
  noun (masculine)

स्वनुष्ठितात् (svanuṣṭhitāt) - from that which is well performed

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of svanuṣṭhita

svanuṣṭhita - well performed, well executed

Past Passive Participle

Compound type : karmadharaya (su+anuṣṭhita)

• su – well, good
  indeclinable
• anuṣṭhita – performed, executed
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Prefix: anu

स्वधर्मे (svadharme) - in one's own dharma, in one's own path

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of svadharma

svadharma - one's own dharma, one's own duty or innate nature

Compound type : tatpurusha (sva+dharma)

• sva – own, one's own
  adjective
• dharma – innate nature, duty, natural law
  noun (masculine)

निधनं (nidhanaṁ) - death, destruction, end

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of nidhana

nidhana - death, destruction, conclusion

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - better, superior, auspicious

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, superior, excellent

परधर्मः (paradharmaḥ) - another's dharma, another's path

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of paradharma

paradharma - another's dharma, another's duty or path

Compound type : tatpurusha (para+dharma)

• para – other, foreign, alien
  adjective
• dharma – innate nature, duty, path
  noun (masculine)

भयावहः (bhayāvahaḥ) - causing fear, fraught with fear, dangerous

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhayāvaha

bhayāvaha - causing fear, dangerous

Compound type : bahuvrihi (bhaya+āvaha)

• bhaya – fear, danger
  noun (neuter)
• āvaha – bringing, causing
  adjective (masculine)

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