महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-112, verse-83

सुदुःखं पुरुषज्ञानं चित्तं ह्येषां चलाचलम् ।
समर्थो वाप्यशक्तो वा शतेष्वेकोऽधिगम्यते ॥८३॥

83. suduḥkhaṁ puruṣajñānaṁ cittaṁ hyeṣāṁ calācalam ,
samartho vāpyaśakto vā śateṣveko'dhigamyate.

83. suduḥkham puruṣajñānam cittam hi eṣām calācalam
samarthaḥ vā api aśaktaḥ vā śateṣu ekaḥ adhigamyate

83. puruṣajñānam suduḥkham hi eṣām cittam calācalam
samarthaḥ vā api aśaktaḥ vā śateṣu ekaḥ adhigamyate

83. Understanding human beings (puruṣa) is extremely difficult, for their minds are indeed very unsteady. Whether one is capable or incapable, only one in hundreds is truly comprehended.

Words meanings summery:

• सुदुःखम् (suduḥkham) - extremely difficult (very difficult, extremely painful, very unhappy)

• पुरुषज्ञानम् (puruṣajñānam) - understanding human beings (puruṣa) (knowledge of man, understanding of persons)

• चित्तम् (cittam) - mind (mind, consciousness, thought, heart)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for, because)

• एषाम् (eṣām) - of these (humans) (of these, their)

• चलाचलम् (calācalam) - very unsteady (very unsteady, constantly moving, fickle)

• समर्थः (samarthaḥ) - capable (capable, competent, powerful)

• वा (vā) - or

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too, despite)

• अशक्तः (aśaktaḥ) - incapable (incapable, powerless, weak)

• वा (vā) - or

• शतेषु (śateṣu) - among hundreds (among hundreds, in hundreds)

• एकः (ekaḥ) - only one (person) (one, a single one)

• अधिगम्यते (adhigamyate) - is truly comprehended (is understood, is attained, is reached, is comprehended)

Words meanings and morphology

सुदुःखम् (suduḥkham) - extremely difficult (very difficult, extremely painful, very unhappy)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of suduḥkha

suduḥkha - very difficult, very painful, very unhappy

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+duḥkha)

• su – good, well, excellent, intensely, easily
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating excellence or intensity.
• duḥkha – pain, suffering, difficulty, unhappiness
  noun (neuter)

Note: Used adverbially to qualify 'jñānam'.

पुरुषज्ञानम् (puruṣajñānam) - understanding human beings (puruṣa) (knowledge of man, understanding of persons)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of puruṣajñāna

puruṣajñāna - knowledge of human beings, understanding of people

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (puruṣa+jñāna)

• puruṣa – man, person, human being, the cosmic person (puruṣa)
  noun (masculine)
• jñāna – knowledge, understanding, wisdom
  noun (neuter)
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Subject of the implied verb 'asti'.

चित्तम् (cittam) - mind (mind, consciousness, thought, heart)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of citta

citta - mind, thought, consciousness, spirit

From verb root cit (to perceive, to understand).

Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Subject of the sentence 'cittam hi eṣām calācalam'.

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for, because)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle, also indicates reason.

एषाम् (eṣām) - of these (humans) (of these, their)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to 'puruṣāḥ' (humans) implied by 'puruṣajñānam'.

चलाचलम् (calācalam) - very unsteady (very unsteady, constantly moving, fickle)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of calācala

calācala - moving and not moving, very unsteady, restless, fickle

Reduplicated form of 'cala' (moving/fickle), intensifying the meaning.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (cala+cala)

• cala – moving, unsteady, fickle
  adjective
  From root 'cal' (to move).
  Root: cal (class 1)
• cala – moving, unsteady, fickle
  adjective
  Repetition for intensification.
  Root: cal (class 1)

Note: Adjective modifying 'cittam'.

समर्थः (samarthaḥ) - capable (capable, competent, powerful)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of samartha

samartha - capable, competent, suitable, significant

From sam + root arth (to obtain, to strive for), or sam + artha (meaning, purpose). Means 'having the right meaning/purpose/capacity'.

Prefix: sam

Root: arth (class 10)

Note: Refers to the 'one' (ekaḥ) being comprehended.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too, despite)

(indeclinable)

Particle expressing addition, emphasis, or concession.

अशक्तः (aśaktaḥ) - incapable (incapable, powerless, weak)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aśakta

aśakta - incapable, powerless, weak

Formed by negative prefix 'a-' and 'śakta'.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+śakta)

• a – not, un-, without
  indeclinable
  Negative particle.
• śakta – able, capable, powerful
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'śak' (to be able).
  Root: śak (class 5)

Note: Refers to the 'one' (ekaḥ) being comprehended.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

शतेषु (śateṣu) - among hundreds (among hundreds, in hundreds)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of śata

śata - hundred

Numeral noun.

Note: Implies 'out of hundreds of people'.

एकः (ekaḥ) - only one (person) (one, a single one)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of eka

eka - one, a, unique, single, sole

Numeral.

Note: Subject of 'adhigamyate'.

अधिगम्यते (adhigamyate) - is truly comprehended (is understood, is attained, is reached, is comprehended)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of adhigam

Present Tense, Passive Voice

Derived from root 'gam' with prefix 'adhi'. The passive form 'gamyate' means 'is gone to'; with 'adhi-', it means 'is approached for understanding', hence 'is understood/comprehended'.

Prefix: adhi

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Verb for 'ekaḥ'.