महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-34, verse-14

दुर्मनुष्या हि निर्वेदमफलं सर्वघातिनम् ।
अशक्ताः श्रियमाहर्तुमात्मनः कुर्वते प्रियम् ॥१४॥

14. durmanuṣyā hi nirvedamaphalaṁ sarvaghātinam ,
aśaktāḥ śriyamāhartumātmanaḥ kurvate priyam.

14. durmanuṣyāḥ hi nirvedam aphalam sarvaghātinam
aśaktāḥ śriyam āhartum ātmanaḥ kurvate priyam

14. Indeed, wicked individuals, being unable to acquire prosperity, consider a fruitless and all-destroying despair (nirveda) as something dear to their own self (ātman).

Words meanings summery:

• दुर्मनुष्याः (durmanuṣyāḥ) - wicked people, bad men

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• निर्वेदम् (nirvedam) - despair, dejection, despondency

• अफलम् (aphalam) - fruitless, useless, unproductive

• सर्वघातिनम् (sarvaghātinam) - destroying everything, all-destroying, ruinous

• अशक्ताः (aśaktāḥ) - incapable, powerless, unable

• श्रियम् (śriyam) - prosperity, fortune, wealth, beauty

• आहर्तुम् (āhartum) - to bring, to obtain, to acquire

• आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - for their own self (ātman) (of oneself, for oneself, for the self (ātman))

• कुर्वते (kurvate) - they do, they make

• प्रियम् (priyam) - dear, beloved, agreeable, pleasing

Words meanings and morphology

दुर्मनुष्याः (durmanuṣyāḥ) - wicked people, bad men

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of durmanuṣya

durmanuṣya - wicked person, bad man

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dur+manuṣya)

• dur – bad, ill, difficult (prefix)
  indeclinable
• manuṣya – man, human being
  noun (masculine)

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

निर्वेदम् (nirvedam) - despair, dejection, despondency

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nirveda

nirveda - despair, dejection, despondency, indifference

Prefix: nir

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: object of 'kurvate'

अफलम् (aphalam) - fruitless, useless, unproductive

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of aphala

aphala - fruitless, useless, unproductive, unsuccessful

Compound type : bahuvrīhi/tatpuruṣa (a+phala)

• a – not, un- (negating prefix)
  indeclinable
• phala – fruit, result, consequence
  noun (neuter)

Note: agrees with 'nirvedam'

सर्वघातिनम् (sarvaghātinam) - destroying everything, all-destroying, ruinous

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sarvaghātin

sarvaghātin - destroying all, all-destroying

Agent Noun/Adjective

from sarva + han (to strike/kill) + ṇini

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sarva+ghātin)

• sarva – all, every, whole
  pronoun (masculine)
• ghātin – killer, destroyer
  noun (masculine)
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: agrees with 'nirvedam'

अशक्ताः (aśaktāḥ) - incapable, powerless, unable

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of aśakta

aśakta - incapable, unable, powerless

Past Passive Participle (negative)

from a + śak + kta

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (a+śakta)

• a – not, un- (negating prefix)
  indeclinable
• śakta – able, capable
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  from śak + kta
  Root: śak (class 5)

Note: agrees with 'durmanuṣyāḥ'

श्रियम् (śriyam) - prosperity, fortune, wealth, beauty

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of śrī

śrī - prosperity, fortune, wealth, beauty, glory

Note: object of 'āhartum'

आहर्तुम् (āhartum) - to bring, to obtain, to acquire

(verb)

infinitive of āhartum

Infinitive

from ā + hṛ + tumun

Prefix: ā

Root: hṛ (class 1)

आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - for their own self (ātman) (of oneself, for oneself, for the self (ātman))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, essence, individual soul (ātman), the Supreme Self

Note: refers to the 'self' of the wicked people

कुर्वते (kurvate) - they do, they make

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of kṛ

Present Tense

3rd person plural, middle voice (ātmanepada)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: with 'priyam' it means 'they make dear' or 'they choose as dear'

प्रियम् (priyam) - dear, beloved, agreeable, pleasing

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of priya

priya - dear, beloved, agreeable, pleasing; a beloved object or person

Note: agrees with 'nirvedam', making despair 'dear'