धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः।

 

 एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः।

तस्माद्धर्मो न हन्तव्यो मा नो धर्मो हतोऽवधीत् ॥

अन्वयः and अनुवादः

हतः धर्मः एव हन्ति । 

“Only a Dharma that is destroyed destroys.”

 

रक्षितः धर्मः रक्षति । 

“A Dharma that is protected, protects.”

 

तस्मात् (अस्माभिः) धर्मः न हन्तव्यः 

“Therefore, Dharma should not be destroyed (by us)…”

 

हतः धर्मः नः (अस्माकं) मा अवधीत् ।

…lest the destroyed Dharma destroy us.”

 

**अवधीत् - **

तिडन्त, √हन् हनँ हिंसायाम्, परस्मैपदी, सकर्मक, "to kill/destroy/go", 

कर्तरि लुङ्लकार, प्रथमपु॰ एक॰ 

it should mean “destroyed” - since भूतकाले लुङ्  but because it is prefaced by the Paninian माङ् which is usually a particle of prohibition (in the sense of लोट्), here it comes as a *cautionary particle* meaning *“lest”* (so in the sense of विधिलिङ्) and the combined meaning of मा अवधीत् is not “don’t destroy or ‘destroyed’ “ but rather “lest (Dharma) destroy/should destroy” => 

“lest that destroyed Dharma destroys us.” 

Side note - usually the अडागम of माङ् prefaced लुङ् gets a लोप - 

मा वधीत् 

But here that’s not the case either because of आर्षप्रयोग or maybe because माङ् is cautionary and not prohibitive — could someone more knowledgeable please clarify?

Enjoy your Time.

Enjoy Your Life.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com