महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-161, verse-38

धर्मार्थकामाः सममेव सेव्या यस्त्वेकसेवी स नरो जघन्यः ।
द्वयोस्तु दक्षं प्रवदन्ति मध्यं स उत्तमो यो निरतस्त्रिवर्गे ॥३८॥

38. dharmārthakāmāḥ samameva sevyā; yastvekasevī sa naro jaghanyaḥ ,
dvayostu dakṣaṁ pravadanti madhyaṁ; sa uttamo yo niratastrivarge.

38. dharma artha kāmāḥ samam eva sevyāḥ
yaḥ tu ekasevī saḥ naraḥ jaghanyaḥ
dvayoḥ tu dakṣam pravadanti
madhyam saḥ uttamaḥ yaḥ nirataḥ trivarge

38. dharma artha kāmāḥ samam eva sevyāḥ
tu yaḥ ekasevī saḥ naraḥ jaghanyaḥ
dvayoḥ tu dakṣam madhyam pravadanti
yaḥ trivarge nirataḥ saḥ uttamaḥ

38. The pursuits of intrinsic nature (dharma), wealth (artha), and pleasure (kāma) should be engaged in equally. However, the person who pursues only one of these is considered inferior. They declare one who is skilled in two to be mediocre, but he who is devoted to all three pursuits (trivarga) is superior.

Words meanings summery:

• धर्म (dharma) - intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, natural law, constitution

• अर्थ (artha) - wealth, purpose, meaning, material prosperity

• कामाः (kāmāḥ) - desires, pleasures, sensual enjoyment

• समम् (samam) - equally, uniformly, at the same time

• एव (eva) - indeed, just, only, certainly

• सेव्याः (sevyāḥ) - to be served, to be pursued, to be practiced

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which

• तु (tu) - but, however, on the other hand

• एकसेवी (ekasevī) - one who serves or pursues only one

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• नरः (naraḥ) - man, person

• जघन्यः (jaghanyaḥ) - inferior, lowest, last, mean

• द्वयोः (dvayoḥ) - of two

• तु (tu) - but, however

• दक्षम् (dakṣam) - skilled, able, clever

• प्रवदन्ति (pravadanti) - they declare, they say, they proclaim

• मध्यम् (madhyam) - middling, mediocre, intermediate

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• उत्तमः (uttamaḥ) - best, superior, highest

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which

• निरतः (nirataḥ) - devoted to, engaged in, attached to

• त्रिवर्गे (trivarge) - in the three pursuits of dharma, artha, and kāma (in the group of three, in the three pursuits)

Words meanings and morphology

धर्म (dharma) - intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, natural law, constitution

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dharma

dharma - intrinsic nature, natural law, duty, righteousness, constitution, religion, virtue

Root: dhṛ (class 3)

अर्थ (artha) - wealth, purpose, meaning, material prosperity

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of artha

artha - meaning, purpose, object, wealth, material prosperity, interest

कामाः (kāmāḥ) - desires, pleasures, sensual enjoyment

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, sensual pleasure, love

Compound type : dvandva (dharma+artha+kāma)

• dharma – intrinsic nature, natural law, duty, righteousness, constitution, religion, virtue
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 3)
• artha – meaning, purpose, object, wealth, material prosperity, interest
  noun (masculine)
• kāma – desire, wish, sensual pleasure, love
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kam (class 1)

समम् (samam) - equally, uniformly, at the same time

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, just, only, certainly

(indeclinable)

सेव्याः (sevyāḥ) - to be served, to be pursued, to be practiced

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sevya

sevya - to be served, to be honored, to be cultivated, to be pursued

Gerundive

From root 'sev' (to serve) + suffix '-ya'

Root: sev (class 1)

यः (yaḥ) - who, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

तु (tu) - but, however, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

एकसेवी (ekasevī) - one who serves or pursues only one

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ekasevin

ekasevin - one who serves or pursues one thing only

Compound of 'eka' (one) and 'sevin' (serving)

Compound type : tatpurusha (eka+sevin)

• eka – one, single, sole
  numeral (masculine)
• sevin – serving, frequenting, worshipping, pursuing
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent Noun / Primary Derivative
  From root 'sev' (to serve) + suffix '-in'
  Root: sev (class 1)

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

नरः (naraḥ) - man, person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, human being

जघन्यः (jaghanyaḥ) - inferior, lowest, last, mean

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jaghanya

jaghanya - last, hindmost, lowest, mean, inferior

द्वयोः (dvayoḥ) - of two

(numeral)

तु (tu) - but, however

(indeclinable)

दक्षम् (dakṣam) - skilled, able, clever

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dakṣa

dakṣa - able, clever, skillful, expert, competent

Root: dakṣ (class 1)

प्रवदन्ति (pravadanti) - they declare, they say, they proclaim

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of pravad

Present Active

Root 'vad' (to speak) with 'pra' prefix

Prefix: pra

Root: vad (class 1)

मध्यम् (madhyam) - middling, mediocre, intermediate

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of madhya

madhya - middle, intermediate, mediocre, neutral

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

उत्तमः (uttamaḥ) - best, superior, highest

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of uttama

uttama - best, highest, chief, excellent, superior

Superlative of 'ud' or 'ucca'

यः (yaḥ) - who, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

निरतः (nirataḥ) - devoted to, engaged in, attached to

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nirata

nirata - devoted to, engaged in, attached to, intent on

Past Passive Participle

From 'ni' + root 'ram' (to delight, to stop)

Prefix: ni

Root: ram (class 1)

त्रिवर्गे (trivarge) - in the three pursuits of dharma, artha, and kāma (in the group of three, in the three pursuits)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of trivarga

trivarga - group of three, the three aims of human life (dharma, artha, kāma)

Compound of 'tri' (three) and 'varga' (class/group)

Compound type : dvigu (tri+varga)

• tri – three
  numeral
• varga – class, group, division
  noun (masculine)