महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-38, verse-24

चलस्वभावा दुःसेव्या दुर्ग्राह्या भावतस्तथा ।
प्राज्ञस्य पुरुषस्येह यथा वाचस्तथा स्त्रियः ॥२४॥

24. calasvabhāvā duḥsevyā durgrāhyā bhāvatastathā ,
prājñasya puruṣasyeha yathā vācastathā striyaḥ.

24. cala-svabhāvā duḥsevyā durgrahyā bhāvataḥ tathā
prājñasya puruṣasya iha yathā vācaḥ tathā striyaḥ

24. In this world, for a wise man, women are like words: fickle by nature, difficult to manage, and hard to understand in their true essence.

Words meanings summery:

• चल-स्वभावा (cala-svabhāvā) - fickle by nature, unstable in disposition

• दुःसेव्या (duḥsevyā) - difficult to serve, hard to please, difficult to deal with

• दुर्ग्रह्या (durgrahyā) - difficult to grasp, hard to comprehend, elusive

• भावतः (bhāvataḥ) - from nature, by disposition, in essence

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner, similarly

• प्राज्ञस्य (prājñasya) - of a wise man, for a wise person

• पुरुषस्य (puruṣasya) - of a man, of a person

• इह (iha) - here, in this world, in this case

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in what manner

• वाचः (vācaḥ) - words, speech

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner, similarly

• स्त्रियः (striyaḥ) - women

Words meanings and morphology

चल-स्वभावा (cala-svabhāvā) - fickle by nature, unstable in disposition

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of cala-svabhāva

cala-svabhāva - of fickle nature, having an unstable character

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (cala+svabhāva)

• cala – moving, shaking, unsteady, fickle
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: cal (class 1)
• svabhāva – one's own state, inherent nature, innate disposition
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: sva
  Root: bhū (class 1)

दुःसेव्या (duḥsevyā) - difficult to serve, hard to please, difficult to deal with

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of duḥsevya

duḥsevya - difficult to be served or pleased; difficult to manage

Gerundive

From `duḥ` (difficult) + root `sev` (to serve) + suffix `ya` (gerundive)

Root: sev (class 1)

दुर्ग्रह्या (durgrahyā) - difficult to grasp, hard to comprehend, elusive

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of durgrahya

durgrahya - difficult to grasp, hard to seize, hard to understand

Gerundive

From `dur` (difficult) + root `grah` (to seize) + suffix `ya` (gerundive)

Root: grah (class 9)

भावतः (bhāvataḥ) - from nature, by disposition, in essence

(indeclinable)

From root `bhū` (to be, exist)

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Used as an adverb or in an ablative sense from `bhāva` with the suffix `tas`.

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner, similarly

(indeclinable)

प्राज्ञस्य (prājñasya) - of a wise man, for a wise person

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of prājña

prājña - wise, intelligent, knowing; a wise man, an intelligent person

From `prajñā` (wisdom)

Root: jñā (class 9)

पुरुषस्य (puruṣasya) - of a man, of a person

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, human being, person; the Supreme Being, cosmic person

इह (iha) - here, in this world, in this case

(indeclinable)

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in what manner

(indeclinable)

वाचः (vācaḥ) - words, speech

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of vāc

vāc - voice, speech, word, language

From root `vac` (to speak)

Root: vac (class 2)

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner, similarly

(indeclinable)

स्त्रियः (striyaḥ) - women

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of strī

strī - woman, female