महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-194, verse-7

ज्ञानं यतः प्रार्थयते नरो वै ततस्तदर्था भवति प्रवृत्तिः ।
न चाप्यहं वेद परं पुराणं मिथ्याप्रवृत्तिं च कथं नु कुर्याम् ॥७॥

7. jñānaṁ yataḥ prārthayate naro vai; tatastadarthā bhavati pravṛttiḥ ,
na cāpyahaṁ veda paraṁ purāṇaṁ; mithyāpravṛttiṁ ca kathaṁ nu kuryām.

7. jñānam yataḥ prārthayate naraḥ vai
tataḥ tat-arthā bhavati pravṛttiḥ |
na ca api aham veda param purāṇam
mithyā-pravṛttim ca katham nu kuryām

7. vai naraḥ yataḥ jñānam prārthayate,
tataḥ pravṛttiḥ tat-arthā bhavati.
ca aham param purāṇam na api veda,
nu katham mithyā-pravṛttim ca kuryām?

7. Indeed, a person seeks knowledge (jñāna) from a particular source, and therefore their activity (pravṛtti) is directed towards that very purpose. Since I do not know the supreme (ancient truth (Purāṇa)), how can I possibly engage in a misguided action?

Words meanings summery:

• ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge (jñāna) (knowledge, wisdom)

• यतः (yataḥ) - from a particular source (from whom, from which, because)

• प्रार्थयते (prārthayate) - seeks (he requests, he seeks, he desires)

• नरः (naraḥ) - a person (man, person, human)

• वै (vai) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, certainly, verily)

• ततः (tataḥ) - therefore (from that, therefore, thence)

• तत्-अर्था (tat-arthā) - directed towards that very purpose (having that purpose, for that purpose)

• भवति (bhavati) - becomes (he/she/it is, becomes, exists)

• प्रवृत्तिः (pravṛttiḥ) - activity (pravṛtti) (activity, engagement, tendency, inclination)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• अपि (api) - even (emphasizing the ignorance) (also, even, too)

• अहम् (aham) - I

• वेद (veda) - I know (I know, he knows)

• परम् (param) - supreme (supreme, highest, ultimate, other)

• पुराणम् (purāṇam) - the ancient truth (Purāṇa) (ancient, old, a Purāṇa (ancient text))

• मिथ्या-प्रवृत्तिम् (mithyā-pravṛttim) - misguided action (false action, wrong activity, misguided tendency)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• कथम् (katham) - how then (how, in what manner)

• नु (nu) - then (interrogative) (now, indeed, then (interrogative particle))

• कुर्याम् (kuryām) - can I possibly engage (in action) (may I do, should I do)

Words meanings and morphology

ज्ञानम् (jñānam) - knowledge (jñāna) (knowledge, wisdom)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of jñāna

jñāna - knowledge, wisdom, understanding

From root jñā- (to know)

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Object of `prārthayate`.

यतः (yataḥ) - from a particular source (from whom, from which, because)

(pronoun)

Ablative, singular of yat

yat - which, what

Ablative form of 'yat'.

प्रार्थयते (prārthayate) - seeks (he requests, he seeks, he desires)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of prārth

Present tense, 3rd person singular

Denominative verb from `artha` (meaning, purpose, object of desire) with prefix `pra-`

Prefix: pra

Root: arth (class 10)

नरः (naraḥ) - a person (man, person, human)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, human being

Note: Subject of `prārthayate`.

वै (vai) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, certainly, verily)

(indeclinable)

Particle

ततः (tataḥ) - therefore (from that, therefore, thence)

(pronoun)

Ablative, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Ablative form of 'tad'.

Note: Functions as "therefore" or "from that source".

तत्-अर्था (tat-arthā) - directed towards that very purpose (having that purpose, for that purpose)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tat-artha

tat-artha - having that object, for that purpose, relating to that

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tad+artha)

• tad – that
  pronoun (neuter)
• artha – purpose, meaning, object, wealth
  noun (masculine)

भवति (bhavati) - becomes (he/she/it is, becomes, exists)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

Present tense, 3rd person singular

From root bhū- (to be)

Root: bhū (class 1)

प्रवृत्तिः (pravṛttiḥ) - activity (pravṛtti) (activity, engagement, tendency, inclination)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pravṛtti

pravṛtti - activity, engagement, action, tendency, inclination

From root vṛt- (to turn, exist) with prefix pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Subject of `bhavati`.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even (emphasizing the ignorance) (also, even, too)

(indeclinable)

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Subject of `veda`.

वेद (veda) - I know (I know, he knows)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (liṭ) of vid

Perfect (non-reduplicated) in present sense, 1st person singular

From root vid- (to know)

Root: vid (class 2)

परम् (param) - supreme (supreme, highest, ultimate, other)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of para

para - supreme, highest, ultimate, other, distant

पुराणम् (purāṇam) - the ancient truth (Purāṇa) (ancient, old, a Purāṇa (ancient text))

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of purāṇa

purāṇa - ancient, old, primeval; an ancient narrative (Purāṇa)

Note: Object of `veda`.

मिथ्या-प्रवृत्तिम् (mithyā-pravṛttim) - misguided action (false action, wrong activity, misguided tendency)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mithyā-pravṛtti

mithyā-pravṛtti - false action, wrong activity, mistaken tendency

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mithyā+pravṛtti)

• mithyā – falsely, wrongly, in vain
  indeclinable
• pravṛtti – activity, engagement, tendency
  noun (feminine)
  From root vṛt- (to turn, exist) with prefix pra-
  Prefix: pra
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Object of `kuryām`.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

कथम् (katham) - how then (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

नु (nu) - then (interrogative) (now, indeed, then (interrogative particle))

(indeclinable)

कुर्याम् (kuryām) - can I possibly engage (in action) (may I do, should I do)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of kṛ

Optative, 1st person singular

From root kṛ- (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)