महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-4, verse-29

न ध्रुवं सुखमस्तीह कुतो राज्यं कुतो यशः ।
इह कीर्तिर्विधातव्या सा च युद्धेन नान्यथा ॥२९॥

29. na dhruvaṁ sukhamastīha kuto rājyaṁ kuto yaśaḥ ,
iha kīrtirvidhātavyā sā ca yuddhena nānyathā.

29. na dhruvam sukham asti iha kutaḥ rājyam kutaḥ yaśaḥ
iha kīrtiḥ vidhātavyā sā ca yuddhena na anyathā

29. iha dhruvam sukham na asti,
kutaḥ rājyam kutaḥ yaśaḥ? iha kīrtiḥ vidhātavyā ca sā yuddhena na anyathā

29. There is no lasting happiness in this world, so how can there be a kingdom, and how much less fame? Here, renown must be achieved, and that must be done through battle, not otherwise.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• ध्रुवम् (dhruvam) - lasting, permanent (permanent, firm, certain, fixed)

• सुखम् (sukham) - happiness (happiness, pleasure, ease)

• अस्ति (asti) - exists (is, exists)

• इह (iha) - in this world (here, in this world, in this case)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - how (can there be), how much less (whence, from where, how, why, how much less)

• राज्यम् (rājyam) - a kingdom (kingdom, sovereignty, kingship)

• कुतः (kutaḥ) - how much less (whence, from where, how, why, how much less)

• यशः (yaśaḥ) - fame (fame, glory, renown)

• इह (iha) - here (in this world) (here, in this world, in this case)

• कीर्तिः (kīrtiḥ) - renown (fame, glory, renown, praise)

• विधातव्या (vidhātavyā) - must be achieved (to be made, to be performed, to be achieved, should be arranged)

• सा (sā) - that (renown) (she, that (feminine))

• च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

• युद्धेन (yuddhena) - through battle (by battle, by war)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise (otherwise, in another way, differently)

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

ध्रुवम् (dhruvam) - lasting, permanent (permanent, firm, certain, fixed)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of dhruva

dhruva - permanent, firm, certain, fixed, constant

Note: Agrees with 'sukham'.

सुखम् (sukham) - happiness (happiness, pleasure, ease)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, pleasure, ease, comfort

अस्ति (asti) - exists (is, exists)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of as

Present Indicative

Root 'as', present tense, 3rd person singular

Root: as (class 2)

इह (iha) - in this world (here, in this world, in this case)

(indeclinable)

कुतः (kutaḥ) - how (can there be), how much less (whence, from where, how, why, how much less)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used rhetorically to imply impossibility or extreme unlikelihood.

राज्यम् (rājyam) - a kingdom (kingdom, sovereignty, kingship)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of rājya

rājya - kingdom, sovereignty, kingship, realm

कुतः (kutaḥ) - how much less (whence, from where, how, why, how much less)

(indeclinable)

Note: Repeated for emphasis on the rhetorical question.

यशः (yaśaḥ) - fame (fame, glory, renown)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yaśas

yaśas - fame, glory, renown, honor

इह (iha) - here (in this world) (here, in this world, in this case)

(indeclinable)

कीर्तिः (kīrtiḥ) - renown (fame, glory, renown, praise)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kīrti

kīrti - fame, glory, renown, praise, report

विधातव्या (vidhātavyā) - must be achieved (to be made, to be performed, to be achieved, should be arranged)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vidhātavya

vidhātavya - to be made, to be performed, to be achieved, should be arranged

Gerundive

Derived from the root dhā (to place, make) with prefix vi and tavya suffix

Prefix: vi

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'kīrtiḥ'.

सा (sā) - that (renown) (she, that (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, she, he, it

Note: Refers back to 'kīrtiḥ'.

च (ca) - and (and, also, moreover)

(indeclinable)

युद्धेन (yuddhena) - through battle (by battle, by war)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of yuddha

yuddha - battle, war, fight

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

अन्यथा (anyathā) - otherwise (otherwise, in another way, differently)

(indeclinable)