महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-28, verse-17

पूर्वे वयसि मध्ये वाप्युत्तमे वा नराधिप ।
अवर्जनीयास्तेऽर्था वै काङ्क्षिताश्च ततोऽन्यथा ॥१७॥

17. pūrve vayasi madhye vāpyuttame vā narādhipa ,
avarjanīyāste'rthā vai kāṅkṣitāśca tato'nyathā.

17. pūrve vayasi madhye vā api uttame vā narādhipa
avarjanīyāḥ te arthāḥ vai kāṅkṣitāḥ ca tataḥ anyathā

17. narādhipa pūrve vayasi madhye vā api uttame vā te
arthāḥ vai avarjanīyāḥ ca kāṅkṣitāḥ tataḥ anyathā

17. O ruler of men, whether in youth, middle age, or old age, certain matters are indeed unavoidable, while desired outcomes often turn out differently.

Words meanings summery:

• पूर्वे (pūrve) - in the first stage (of life) (in the former, in the first)

• वयसि (vayasi) - in age, in the stage of life

• मध्ये (madhye) - in middle age (in the middle)

• वा (vā) - or

• अपि (api) - even, also

• उत्तमे (uttame) - in old age (in the last, in the best)

• वा (vā) - or

• नराधिप (narādhipa) - O ruler of men, O king

• अवर्जनीयाः (avarjanīyāḥ) - unavoidable, inevitable

• ते (te) - those

• अर्थाः (arthāḥ) - certain circumstances or outcomes (matters, purposes, things, objects)

• वै (vai) - indeed, certainly

• काङ्क्षिताः (kāṅkṣitāḥ) - desired outcomes or things (desired, longed for)

• च (ca) - and

• ततः (tataḥ) - from that, thence

• अन्यथा (anyathā) - differently than desired or expected (otherwise, differently)

Words meanings and morphology

पूर्वे (pūrve) - in the first stage (of life) (in the former, in the first)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of pūrva

pūrva - first, prior, former, eastern

वयसि (vayasi) - in age, in the stage of life

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vayas

vayas - age, stage of life, youth, vigor

मध्ये (madhye) - in middle age (in the middle)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of madhya

madhya - middle, central; mid-point, waist

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even, also

(indeclinable)

उत्तमे (uttame) - in old age (in the last, in the best)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of uttama

uttama - highest, best, chief, last

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

नराधिप (narādhipa) - O ruler of men, O king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of narādhipa

narādhipa - ruler of men, king

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nara+adhipa)

• nara – man, human being
  noun (masculine)
• adhipa – ruler, lord, chief
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: adhi
  Root: pā (class 1)

अवर्जनीयाः (avarjanīyāḥ) - unavoidable, inevitable

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of avarjanīya

avarjanīya - not to be avoided, unavoidable, inevitable

Gerundive

From a (negation) + varjanīya (to be avoided), root vṛj-

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+varjanīya)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• varjanīya – to be avoided, to be forsaken
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Gerundive
  Root vṛj with suffix -anīya
  Root: vṛj (class 7)

ते (te) - those

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, those

अर्थाः (arthāḥ) - certain circumstances or outcomes (matters, purposes, things, objects)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of artha

artha - purpose, aim, meaning, wealth, object, thing

वै (vai) - indeed, certainly

(indeclinable)

काङ्क्षिताः (kāṅkṣitāḥ) - desired outcomes or things (desired, longed for)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kāṅkṣita

kāṅkṣita - desired, wished for, longed for

Past Passive Participle

From root kāṅkṣ (to desire)

Root: kāṅkṣ (class 1)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

ततः (tataḥ) - from that, thence

(indeclinable)

अन्यथा (anyathā) - differently than desired or expected (otherwise, differently)

(indeclinable)