महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-29, verse-38

अनृतोक्तं प्रजा हन्यात्ततः पापमवाप्नुयात् ।
तस्माद्धर्माभिरक्षार्थं नानृतं वक्तुमुत्सहे ॥३८॥

38. anṛtoktaṁ prajā hanyāttataḥ pāpamavāpnuyāt ,
tasmāddharmābhirakṣārthaṁ nānṛtaṁ vaktumutsahe.

38. anṛtoktam prajāḥ hanyāt tataḥ pāpam avāpnuyāt
tasmāt dharmābhirakṣārtham na anṛtam vaktum utsahe

38. anṛtoktam prajāḥ hanyāt tataḥ pāpam avāpnuyāt
tasmāt dharmābhirakṣārtham anṛtam vaktum na utsahe

38. Speaking an untruth (anṛta) would destroy people, and from that, one would incur sin. Therefore, for the sake of upholding the natural law (dharma), I am not able to speak a falsehood.

Words meanings summery:

• अनृतोक्तम् (anṛtoktam) - untruth spoken, false statement

• प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - people, subjects, creatures, progeny

• हन्यात् (hanyāt) - would kill, would harm, would destroy

• ततः (tataḥ) - from that (speaking untruth) (then, therefrom, afterwards)

• पापम् (pāpam) - sin, evil, wrong

• अवाप्नुयात् (avāpnuyāt) - one would obtain, one would incur, one would reach

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

• धर्माभिरक्षार्थम् (dharmābhirakṣārtham) - for the sake of upholding the natural law (dharma) (for the sake of protecting dharma, for the protection of righteousness)

• न (na) - not, no

• अनृतम् (anṛtam) - untruth, falsehood, lie

• वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to say

• उत्सहे (utsahe) - I am able, I am inclined, I undertake

Words meanings and morphology

अनृतोक्तम् (anṛtoktam) - untruth spoken, false statement

(noun)

neuter, singular of anṛtokta

anṛtokta - false statement, untruth spoken

Compound type : tatpurusha (anṛta+ukta)

• anṛta – untruth, falsehood
  noun (neuter)
  Negation of ṛta (truth)
  Prefix: an
• ukta – spoken, said
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √vac (to speak) + kta
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Acts as the subject of 'hanyāt'

प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - people, subjects, creatures, progeny

(noun)

feminine, plural of prajā

prajā - people, subjects, creatures, progeny

From √jan (to be born) with prefix pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: object of hanyāt

हन्यात् (hanyāt) - would kill, would harm, would destroy

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of han

Optative mood, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: han (class 2)

ततः (tataḥ) - from that (speaking untruth) (then, therefrom, afterwards)

(indeclinable)

From pronoun tad + -tas suffix

पापम् (pāpam) - sin, evil, wrong

(noun)

neuter, singular of pāpa

pāpa - sin, evil, wrong

Note: object of avāpnuyāt

अवाप्नुयात् (avāpnuyāt) - one would obtain, one would incur, one would reach

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of avāp

Optative mood, 3rd person singular, active voice. From root √āp (to obtain) with prefix ava-

Prefix: ava

Root: āp (class 5)

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

(pronoun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this

Ablative singular of tad

धर्माभिरक्षार्थम् (dharmābhirakṣārtham) - for the sake of upholding the natural law (dharma) (for the sake of protecting dharma, for the protection of righteousness)

(indeclinable)

Formed from dharma + abhirakṣā + artha

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+abhirakṣā+artha)

• dharma – natural law, righteousness, duty, virtue, constitution
  noun (masculine)
  From root √dhṛ (to uphold)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• abhirakṣā – protection, guarding
  noun (feminine)
  From root √rakṣ (to protect) with prefix abhi-
  Prefix: abhi
  Root: rakṣ (class 1)
• artha – purpose, aim, sake, meaning, wealth
  noun (masculine)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle

अनृतम् (anṛtam) - untruth, falsehood, lie

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of anṛta

anṛta - untruth, falsehood, lie

Negation of ṛta (truth)

Note: object of vaktum

वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to say

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

From root √vac (to speak) + -tum suffix

Root: vac (class 2)

उत्सहे (utsahe) - I am able, I am inclined, I undertake

(verb)

1st person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of utsah

Present tense, 1st person singular, middle voice. From root √sah (to bear, endure) with prefix ut-

Prefix: ut

Root: sah (class 1)