महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-33, verse-56

त्रिविधाः पुरुषा राजन्नुत्तमाधममध्यमाः ।
नियोजयेद्यथावत्तांस्त्रिविधेष्वेव कर्मसु ॥५६॥

56. trividhāḥ puruṣā rājannuttamādhamamadhyamāḥ ,
niyojayedyathāvattāṁstrividheṣveva karmasu.

56. trividhāḥ puruṣā rājan uttamādhamamadhyamāḥ
niyojayet yathāvat tān trividheṣu eva karmasu

56. O King, there are three types of persons (puruṣa): the superior, the inferior, and the mediocre. One should employ them properly in actions (karma) according to these three categories.

Words meanings summery:

• त्रिविधाः (trividhāḥ) - of three kinds, threefold

• पुरुषा (puruṣā) - human beings (persons, men, human beings, the cosmic person (puruṣa))

• राजन् (rājan) - O king

• उत्तमाधममध्यमाः (uttamādhamamadhyamāḥ) - the best, the worst, and the middle; superior, inferior, and mediocre

• नियोजयेत् (niyojayet) - one should employ, one should assign, one should appoint

• यथावत् (yathāvat) - properly, duly, accurately, according to circumstances

• तान् (tān) - referring to the three types of persons (them)

• त्रिविधेषु (trividheṣu) - in three types (of actions/duties) (in three kinds, in threefold)

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, certainly, even

• कर्मसु (karmasu) - in various duties or types of work (in actions, in deeds, in duties, in results of actions (karma))

Words meanings and morphology

त्रिविधाः (trividhāḥ) - of three kinds, threefold

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of trividha

trividha - of three sorts, threefold

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tri+vidha)

• tri – three
  numeral (masculine)
• vidha – kind, sort, manner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'puruṣāḥ'.

पुरुषा (puruṣā) - human beings (persons, men, human beings, the cosmic person (puruṣa))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, human being, person, male, the Supreme Cosmic Person (puruṣa)

राजन् (rājan) - O king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Root: rāj (class 1)

उत्तमाधममध्यमाः (uttamādhamamadhyamāḥ) - the best, the worst, and the middle; superior, inferior, and mediocre

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of uttamādhamamadhyama

uttamādhamamadhyama - superior, inferior, and mediocre (persons)

A dvandva compound of 'uttama' (best), 'adhama' (worst), and 'madhyama' (middle).

Compound type : dvandva (uttama+adhama+madhyama)

• uttama – best, highest, superior
  adjective (masculine)
• adhama – lowest, inferior, worst
  adjective (masculine)
• madhyama – middle, mediocre, average
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Refers to the three categories of people.

नियोजयेत् (niyojayet) - one should employ, one should assign, one should appoint

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of niyuj

Optative Active

Root 'yuj', with 'ni' prefix, causal sense (yojayati). 3rd person singular.

Prefix: ni

Root: yuj (class 7)

यथावत् (yathāvat) - properly, duly, accurately, according to circumstances

(indeclinable)

From 'yathā' (as, like) + 'vat' (suffix of manner).

तान् (tān) - referring to the three types of persons (them)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to 'puruṣāḥ'.

त्रिविधेषु (trividheṣu) - in three types (of actions/duties) (in three kinds, in threefold)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, plural of trividha

trividha - of three sorts, threefold

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tri+vidha)

• tri – three
  numeral (masculine)
• vidha – kind, sort, manner
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to categories of 'karma'.

एव (eva) - indeed, only, certainly, even

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

Note: Emphasizes that they should be employed *only* in the three kinds of actions.

कर्मसु (karmasu) - in various duties or types of work (in actions, in deeds, in duties, in results of actions (karma))

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of karma

karma - action, deed, work, duty, religious rite, the cumulative effect of actions (karma)

Derived from root 'kṛ' (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)