महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-289, verse-54

सुस्थेयं क्षुरधारासु निशितासु महीपते ।
धारणासु तु योगस्य दुःस्थेयमकृतात्मभिः ॥५४॥

54. sustheyaṁ kṣuradhārāsu niśitāsu mahīpate ,
dhāraṇāsu tu yogasya duḥstheyamakṛtātmabhiḥ.

54. sustheyam kṣuradhārāsu niśitāsu mahīpate
dhāraṇāsu tu yogasya duḥstheyam akṛtātmabhiḥ

54. mahīpate niśitāsu kṣuradhārāsu sustheyam; tu
akṛtātmabhiḥ yogasya dhāraṇāsu duḥstheyam

54. O King, it is easy to remain steady on sharp razor edges, but it is difficult for those whose inner being (ātman) is not disciplined (akṛtātman) to maintain the concentrations (dhāraṇā) of (yoga).

Words meanings summery:

• सुस्थेयम् (sustheyam) - easy to stay, easy to stand firm, easy to remain

• क्षुरधारासु (kṣuradhārāsu) - on razor edges

• निशितासु (niśitāsu) - on sharp, on sharpened

• महीपते (mahīpate) - O king, O lord of the earth

• धारणासु (dhāraṇāsu) - in concentrations, in meditations, in retentions

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

• योगस्य (yogasya) - of yoga, of discipline

• दुःस्थेयम् (duḥstheyam) - difficult to stay, difficult to stand firm, difficult to remain

• अकृतात्मभिः (akṛtātmabhiḥ) - by those whose inner being (ātman) is not disciplined, by the undisciplined

Words meanings and morphology

सुस्थेयम् (sustheyam) - easy to stay, easy to stand firm, easy to remain

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sustheya

sustheya - easy to stand, easy to stay, easy to be firm

Gerundive

Gerundive formed from prefix su- and root sthā 'to stand' with -ya suffix.

Compound type : Prādi-Tatpuruṣa (su+stheya)

• su – good, well, easily
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating ease or goodness.
• stheya – to be stood, to be placed, to be stayed
  adjective (neuter)
  Gerundive
  Gerundive of root sthā 'to stand'.
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Used impersonally, 'it is easy to...'

क्षुरधारासु (kṣuradhārāsu) - on razor edges

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of kṣuradhārā

kṣuradhārā - razor's edge

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (kṣura+dhārā)

• kṣura – razor
  noun (masculine)
• dhārā – edge (of a weapon), stream, current
  noun (feminine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)

निशितासु (niśitāsu) - on sharp, on sharpened

(adjective)

Locative, feminine, plural of niśita

niśita - sharpened, keen, acute

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root śā 'to sharpen' with prefix ni-.

Prefix: ni

Root: śā (class 4)

Note: Agrees with 'kṣuradhārāsu'.

महीपते (mahīpate) - O king, O lord of the earth

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahīpati

mahīpati - lord of the earth, king

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (mahī+pati)

• mahī – earth, ground, land
  noun (feminine)
• pati – lord, master, husband, owner
  noun (masculine)

धारणासु (dhāraṇāsu) - in concentrations, in meditations, in retentions

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of dhāraṇā

dhāraṇā - concentration, meditation, retention, apprehension

Derived from root dhṛ 'to hold, to support'.

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

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

(indeclinable)

योगस्य (yogasya) - of yoga, of discipline

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yoga

yoga - union, spiritual discipline, effort, conjunction, means

Derived from root yuj 'to join, to yoke'.

Root: yuj (class 7)

दुःस्थेयम् (duḥstheyam) - difficult to stay, difficult to stand firm, difficult to remain

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of duḥstheya

duḥstheya - difficult to stand, difficult to stay, difficult to be firm

Gerundive

Gerundive formed from prefix dur- (or duḥ-) and root sthā 'to stand' with -ya suffix.

Compound type : Prādi-Tatpuruṣa (dur+stheya)

• dur – bad, difficult, ill
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating difficulty or badness.
• stheya – to be stood, to be placed, to be stayed
  adjective (neuter)
  Gerundive
  Gerundive of root sthā 'to stand'.
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Used impersonally, 'it is difficult to...'

अकृतात्मभिः (akṛtātmabhiḥ) - by those whose inner being (ātman) is not disciplined, by the undisciplined

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of akṛtātman

akṛtātman - whose soul/mind is not disciplined, uncultivated in spirit, undisciplined

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (a+kṛta+ātman)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negation prefix.
• kṛta – made, done, performed, cultivated, disciplined
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past passive participle of root kṛ 'to do, make'.
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essence, inner being
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to the agent of difficulty for the gerundive 'duḥstheyam'.