मनु-स्मृतिः
manu-smṛtiḥ
-
chapter-12, verse-38
तमसो लक्षणं कामो रजसस्त्वर्थ उच्यते ।
सत्त्वस्य लक्षणं धर्मः श्रैष्ठ्यमेषां यथोत्तरम ॥३८॥
सत्त्वस्य लक्षणं धर्मः श्रैष्ठ्यमेषां यथोत्तरम ॥३८॥
38. tamaso lakṣaṇaṁ kāmo rajasastvartha ucyate ,
sattvasya lakṣaṇaṁ dharmaḥ śraiṣṭhyameṣāṁ yathottaram.
sattvasya lakṣaṇaṁ dharmaḥ śraiṣṭhyameṣāṁ yathottaram.
38.
tamasaḥ lakṣaṇam kāmaḥ rajasaḥ tu arthaḥ ucyate |
sattvasya lakṣaṇam dharmaḥ śraiṣṭhyam eṣām yathā uttaram
sattvasya lakṣaṇam dharmaḥ śraiṣṭhyam eṣām yathā uttaram
38.
kāmaḥ tamasaḥ lakṣaṇam tu arthaḥ rajasaḥ ucyate dharmaḥ
sattvasya lakṣaṇam eṣām śraiṣṭhyam yathā uttaram
sattvasya lakṣaṇam eṣām śraiṣṭhyam yathā uttaram
38.
Desire is the distinguishing mark of the quality of inertia (tamas). Material acquisition is declared to be the characteristic of the quality of passion (rajas). The mark of the quality of goodness (sattva) is righteous conduct (dharma). Among these qualities, their superiority is progressive, with each succeeding one being better than the last.
Words meanings summery:
(Scroll down for elaborated words morphology)
- तमसः (tamasaḥ) - of the quality of inertia (tamas) (of darkness, of inertia, of tamas)
- लक्षणम् (lakṣaṇam) - distinguishing mark (characteristic, sign, mark, symptom)
- कामः (kāmaḥ) - desire (desire, wish, love, sensual pleasure)
- रजसः (rajasaḥ) - of the quality of passion (rajas) (of dust, of passion, of rajas)
- तु (tu) - but (but, indeed, however)
- अर्थः (arthaḥ) - material acquisition (purpose, meaning, wealth, material gain, object)
- उच्यते (ucyate) - is declared (is said, is called, is declared)
- सत्त्वस्य (sattvasya) - of the quality of goodness (sattva) (of purity, of goodness, of sattva)
- लक्षणम् (lakṣaṇam) - mark (characteristic, sign, mark, symptom)
- धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - righteous conduct (dharma) (righteousness, duty, natural law, innate constitution)
- श्रैष्ठ्यम् (śraiṣṭhyam) - superiority (superiority, excellence, pre-eminence)
- एषाम् (eṣām) - of these qualities (of these)
- यथा (yathā) - according to, in a manner of (as, like, according to)
- उत्तरम् (uttaram) - succeeding, ascending (in order) (later, subsequent, superior, higher, north)
Words meanings and morphology
तमसः (tamasaḥ) - of the quality of inertia (tamas) (of darkness, of inertia, of tamas)
(noun)
Genitive, neuter, singular of tamas
tamas - darkness, inertia, ignorance, one of the three guṇas
लक्षणम् (lakṣaṇam) - distinguishing mark (characteristic, sign, mark, symptom)
(noun)
Nominative, neuter, singular of lakṣaṇa
lakṣaṇa - mark, sign, characteristic, symptom, definition
Note: Also can be accusative, but nominative makes more sense here as predicate.
कामः (kāmaḥ) - desire (desire, wish, love, sensual pleasure)
(noun)
Nominative, masculine, singular of kāma
kāma - desire, wish, love, sensual pleasure, the god of love
Root: kam (class 1)
रजसः (rajasaḥ) - of the quality of passion (rajas) (of dust, of passion, of rajas)
(noun)
Genitive, neuter, singular of rajas
rajas - dust, passion, activity, impulse, one of the three guṇas
तु (tu) - but (but, indeed, however)
(indeclinable)
अर्थः (arthaḥ) - material acquisition (purpose, meaning, wealth, material gain, object)
(noun)
Nominative, masculine, singular of artha
artha - purpose, meaning, wealth, material gain, object, thing, cause
उच्यते (ucyate) - is declared (is said, is called, is declared)
(verb)
3rd person , singular, passive, present indicative (laṭ) of vac
Present Passive Indicative
Root vac, 2nd conjugation, passive voice, ātmanepada, 3rd person singular
Root: vac (class 2)
सत्त्वस्य (sattvasya) - of the quality of goodness (sattva) (of purity, of goodness, of sattva)
(noun)
Genitive, neuter, singular of sattva
sattva - goodness, purity, essence, existence, one of the three guṇas
लक्षणम् (lakṣaṇam) - mark (characteristic, sign, mark, symptom)
(noun)
Nominative, neuter, singular of lakṣaṇa
lakṣaṇa - mark, sign, characteristic, symptom, definition
धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - righteous conduct (dharma) (righteousness, duty, natural law, innate constitution)
(noun)
Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma
dharma - righteousness, duty, natural law, innate constitution, virtue, religion, justice
Root: dhṛ (class 1)
श्रैष्ठ्यम् (śraiṣṭhyam) - superiority (superiority, excellence, pre-eminence)
(noun)
Nominative, neuter, singular of śraiṣṭhya
śraiṣṭhya - superiority, excellence, pre-eminence
Derived from śreṣṭha (superlative of praśasya - excellent)
एषाम् (eṣām) - of these qualities (of these)
(pronoun)
Genitive, plural of idam
idam - this, these
Note: Refers to the three qualities (gunas).
यथा (yathā) - according to, in a manner of (as, like, according to)
(indeclinable)
Note: Part of the compound yathottaram.
उत्तरम् (uttaram) - succeeding, ascending (in order) (later, subsequent, superior, higher, north)
(adjective)
Nominative, neuter, singular of uttara
uttara - later, subsequent, superior, higher, north, answer
Note: Part of the compound yathottaram. Used adverbially here.