महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-81, verse-9

अनित्यचित्तः पुरुषस्तस्मिन्को जातु विश्वसेत् ।
तस्मात्प्रधानं यत्कार्यं प्रत्यक्षं तत्समाचरेत् ॥९॥

9. anityacittaḥ puruṣastasminko jātu viśvaset ,
tasmātpradhānaṁ yatkāryaṁ pratyakṣaṁ tatsamācaret.

9. anityacittaḥ puruṣaḥ tasmin kaḥ jātu viśvaset tasmāt
pradhānam yat kāryam pratyakṣam tat samācaret

9. kaḥ jātu viśvaset tasmin anityacittaḥ puruṣaḥ tasmāt
yat pradhānam pratyakṣam kāryam tat samācaret

9. Who would ever trust a person with an inconstant mind (anityacitta)? Therefore, one should directly perform any important task that is clearly evident.

Words meanings summery:

• अनित्यचित्तः (anityacittaḥ) - fickle-minded, inconstant-minded

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person, man, human being

• तस्मिन् (tasmin) - referring to the 'anityacitta puruṣa' (in him, in that)

• कः (kaḥ) - who

• जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time

• विश्वसेत् (viśvaset) - should trust, would trust

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

• प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - principal, chief, important

• यत् (yat) - which, whatever

• कार्यम् (kāryam) - work, task, duty, that which is to be done

• प्रत्यक्षम् (pratyakṣam) - visible, evident, directly perceptible

• तत् (tat) - referring to 'yat pradhānam kāryam pratyakṣam' (that)

• समाचरेत् (samācaret) - one should perform, carry out

Words meanings and morphology

अनित्यचित्तः (anityacittaḥ) - fickle-minded, inconstant-minded

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anityacitta

anityacitta - one whose mind is inconstant, fickle-minded

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (anitya+citta)

• anitya – not constant, impermanent
  adjective (masculine)
  Prefix: a
• citta – mind, consciousness
  noun (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root 'cit' (to perceive, understand)
  Root: cit (class 1)

पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person, man, human being

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - person, human being, soul (puruṣa), cosmic person

तस्मिन् (tasmin) - referring to the 'anityacitta puruṣa' (in him, in that)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

कः (kaḥ) - who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time

(indeclinable)

विश्वसेत् (viśvaset) - should trust, would trust

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of viśvas

optative mood, 3rd person singular

Root 'śvas' (to breathe) with prefix 'vi'.

Prefix: vi

Root: śvas (class 2)

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore, from that

(indeclinable)

Ablative singular of 'tad'.

Note: Here functioning as an adverbial 'therefore'.

प्रधानम् (pradhānam) - principal, chief, important

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pradhāna

pradhāna - chief, principal, important; the primary constituent (in philosophy)

Prefix: pra

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'kāryam'.

यत् (yat) - which, whatever

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, whoever

Note: Agrees with 'kāryam'.

कार्यम् (kāryam) - work, task, duty, that which is to be done

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kārya

kārya - work, business, affair, duty, what is to be done

Gerundive (future passive participle)

From root 'kṛ' (to do), suffix '-ya'.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

प्रत्यक्षम् (pratyakṣam) - visible, evident, directly perceptible

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pratyakṣa

pratyakṣa - perceptible, evident, direct (perception); before the eyes

From 'prati' + 'akṣa'.

Compound type : avyayībhāva (prati+akṣa)

• prati – towards, against, in front of
  indeclinable
• akṣa – eye
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with 'kāryam'.

तत् (tat) - referring to 'yat pradhānam kāryam pratyakṣam' (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Object of 'samācaret'.

समाचरेत् (samācaret) - one should perform, carry out

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of samācar

optative mood, 3rd person singular

Root 'car' (to move, act) with prefixes 'sam' and 'ā'.

Prefixes: sam+ā

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Implies 'one' (an implicit agent) should perform.