महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-26, verse-4

कर्मोदयं सुखमाशंसमानः कृच्छ्रोपायं तत्त्वतः कर्म दुःखम् ।
सुखप्रेप्सुर्विजिघांसुश्च दुःखं य इन्द्रियाणां प्रीतिवशानुगामी ।
कामाभिध्या स्वशरीरं दुनोति यया प्रयुक्तोऽनुकरोति दुःखम् ॥४॥

4. karmodayaṁ sukhamāśaṁsamānaḥ; kṛcchropāyaṁ tattvataḥ karma duḥkham ,
sukhaprepsurvijighāṁsuśca duḥkhaṁ; ya indriyāṇāṁ prītivaśānugāmī ,
kāmābhidhyā svaśarīraṁ dunoti; yayā prayukto'nukaroti duḥkham.

4. karma udayam sukham āśaṃsamānaḥ kṛcchra upāyam tattvataḥ
karma duḥkham | sukha prepsuḥ vijighāṃsuḥ ca
duḥkham yaḥ indriyāṇām prīti vaśa anugāmī | kāma abhidhyā
sva śarīram dunoti yayā prayuktaḥ anukaroti duḥkham

4. Although one may hope for happiness as the outcome of one's actions (karma), in reality, actions (karma) that involve difficult means are fundamentally suffering. He who desires happiness and wishes to overcome suffering, yet follows the sway of his senses and their pleasures, experiences mental longing (kāmābhidhyā) which afflicts his own body. Driven by this longing, he ultimately creates suffering.

Words meanings summery:

• कर्म (karma) - action, deed, consequence of action (karma)

• उदयम् (udayam) - rising, appearance, outcome, result

• सुखम् (sukham) - happiness, pleasure

• आशंसमानः (āśaṁsamānaḥ) - hoping, expecting

• कृच्छ्र (kṛcchra) - difficult, painful, arduous

• उपायम् (upāyam) - means, expedient, method

• तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - in reality, truly, fundamentally

• कर्म (karma) - action, deed (karma)

• दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering, sorrow, pain

• सुख (sukha) - happiness, pleasure

• प्रेप्सुः (prepsuḥ) - desiring to obtain, wishing to get

• विजिघांसुः (vijighāṁsuḥ) - wishing to overcome, desiring to kill/destroy

• च (ca) - and

• दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering, sorrow

• यः (yaḥ) - who, he who

• इन्द्रियाणाम् (indriyāṇām) - of the senses

• प्रीति (prīti) - pleasure, satisfaction, affection

• वश (vaśa) - power, control, sway

• अनुगामी (anugāmī) - following, going after, conforming to

• काम (kāma) - desire, longing

• अभिध्या (abhidhyā) - intense longing, coveting, meditation

• स्व (sva) - own

• शरीरम् (śarīram) - body

• दुनोति (dunoti) - afflicts, pains, distresses

• यया (yayā) - by which (feminine)

• प्रयुक्तः (prayuktaḥ) - impelled, driven, engaged

• अनुकरोति (anukaroti) - causes suffering (imitates, experiences, causes to happen repeatedly)

• दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering, sorrow

Words meanings and morphology

कर्म (karma) - action, deed, consequence of action (karma)

(noun)

neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual action, consequence (karma)

from root kṛ (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: First part of `karma udayam` compound.

उदयम् (udayam) - rising, appearance, outcome, result

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of udaya

udaya - rising, ascent, emergence, outcome, result, prosperity

`ud-` + `√i` (to go)

Prefix: ud

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Object of `āśaṃsamānaḥ`. In `karmodayam` it functions as a compound element, but here separated for analysis.

सुखम् (sukham) - happiness, pleasure

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, pleasure, comfort, ease

Note: Object of 'āśaṃsamānaḥ'.

आशंसमानः (āśaṁsamānaḥ) - hoping, expecting

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of āśaṃsamāna

āśaṁsamāna - hoping, expecting, wishing

present middle participle

`ā-` + `√śaṃs` (to praise, declare, but here with `ā` takes meaning of 'to expect' from root `āśāsa`)

Prefix: ā

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

Note: Refers to the implied subject.

कृच्छ्र (kṛcchra) - difficult, painful, arduous

(adjective)

neuter, singular of kṛcchra

kṛcchra - difficult, painful, troublesome, arduous

Note: Adjective modifying `upāyam`.

उपायम् (upāyam) - means, expedient, method

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of upaya

upaya - means, method, expedient, approach

`upa-` + `√i` (to go)

Prefix: upa

Root: i (class 2)

तत्त्वतः (tattvataḥ) - in reality, truly, fundamentally

(indeclinable)

from `tattva` + `tas` suffix

कर्म (karma) - action, deed (karma)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual action, consequence (karma)

from root kṛ (to do)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Subject of the sentence "karma duḥkham".

दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering, sorrow, pain

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of duḥkha

duḥkha - suffering, sorrow, pain, misery

सुख (sukha) - happiness, pleasure

(noun)

neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, pleasure, comfort, ease

Note: First part of compound `sukha-prepsuḥ`.

प्रेप्सुः (prepsuḥ) - desiring to obtain, wishing to get

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prepsu

prepsu - desiring to obtain, wishing to get

desiderative of √āp (to obtain) + -u affix

`pra-` + `√āp` (to obtain) in desiderative stem.

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Part of `sukha prepsuḥ`.

विजिघांसुः (vijighāṁsuḥ) - wishing to overcome, desiring to kill/destroy

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vijighāṃsu

vijighāṁsu - wishing to kill, desiring to destroy/overcome

desiderative of √han (to strike, kill) + -u affix

`vi-` + `√han` (to kill) in desiderative stem.

Prefix: vi

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Refers to the implied subject (`yaḥ`).

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects 'sukha prepsuḥ' and 'vijighāṃsuḥ duḥkham'.

दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering, sorrow

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of duḥkha

duḥkha - suffering, sorrow, pain, misery

Note: Object of 'vijighāṃsuḥ'.

यः (yaḥ) - who, he who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that (relative pronoun)

Note: Relative pronoun, referring to the person described.

इन्द्रियाणाम् (indriyāṇām) - of the senses

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of indriya

indriya - sense organ, faculty of sense

Root: indra

Note: Possessive, related to `prīti vaśa anugāmī`.

प्रीति (prīti) - pleasure, satisfaction, affection

(noun)

feminine, singular of prīti

prīti - pleasure, joy, satisfaction, affection

from √prī (to please)

Root: prī (class 9)

Note: Refers to sensory pleasures.

वश (vaśa) - power, control, sway

(noun)

masculine, singular of vaśa

vaśa - will, power, control, authority, sway

Root: vaś

Note: "under the sway of"

अनुगामी (anugāmī) - following, going after, conforming to

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anugāmin

anugāmin - following, going after, conforming to, subservient

`anu-` + `√gam` (to go) + -in suffix

Prefix: anu

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Modifies `yaḥ`.

काम (kāma) - desire, longing

(noun)

masculine, singular of kāma

kāma - desire, wish, longing, love, pleasure

from √kam (to desire)

Root: kam (class 1)

Note: First part of compound `kāmābhidhyā`.

अभिध्या (abhidhyā) - intense longing, coveting, meditation

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of abhidhyā

abhidhyā - intense longing, coveting, thinking of, meditation, mental absorption

`abhi-` + `√dhyā` (to think, meditate)

Prefix: abhi

Root: dhyā (class 3)

Note: Subject of 'dunoti'.

स्व (sva) - own

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of sva

sva - own, one's own

Reflexive adjective.

Note: Modifies `śarīram`.

शरीरम् (śarīram) - body

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śarīra

śarīra - body, corporeal frame

Root: śṝ

दुनोति (dunoti) - afflicts, pains, distresses

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of du

present indicative

root `du` (5th class)

Root: du (class 5)

Note: Verb for 'kāmābhidhyā'.

यया (yayā) - by which (feminine)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of yad

yad - which, what, that (relative pronoun)

Note: Refers to 'kāmābhidhyā' (feminine).

प्रयुक्तः (prayuktaḥ) - impelled, driven, engaged

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prayukta

prayukta - impelled, driven, employed, engaged, applied

past passive participle

`pra-` + `√yuj` (to join, connect, employ)

Prefix: pra

Root: yuj (class 7)

Note: Refers to `yaḥ` (implied).

अनुकरोति (anukaroti) - causes suffering (imitates, experiences, causes to happen repeatedly)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of anukṛ

present indicative

`anu-` + `√kṛ` (to do, make)

Prefix: anu

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Verb for the implied subject.

दुःखम् (duḥkham) - suffering, sorrow

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of duḥkha

duḥkha - suffering, sorrow, pain, misery

Note: Object of 'anukaroti'.