महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-36, verse-46

चलानि हीमानि षडिन्द्रियाणि तेषां यद्यद्वर्तते यत्र यत्र ।
ततस्ततः स्रवते बुद्धिरस्य छिद्रोदकुम्भादिव नित्यमम्भः ॥४६॥

46. calāni hīmāni ṣaḍindriyāṇi; teṣāṁ yadyadvartate yatra yatra ,
tatastataḥ sravate buddhirasya; chidrodakumbhādiva nityamambhaḥ.

46. calāni hi imāni ṣaḍindriyāṇi teṣāṃ
yat yat vartate yatra yatra
tataḥ tataḥ sravate buddhiḥ asya
chidrodakumbhāt iva nityam ambhaḥ

46. Indeed, these six senses are restless. Wherever each of them operates, from that very place this person's intellect flows out, just like water constantly flows from a pot with a hole.

Words meanings summery:

• चलानि (calāni) - restless, fickle (restless, moving, fickle, unsteady)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, for, because, certainly)

• इमानि (imāni) - these (senses) (these)

• षडिन्द्रियाणि (ṣaḍindriyāṇi) - the six senses (including mind as the sixth) (the six senses)

• तेषां (teṣāṁ) - of these senses (of them, belonging to them)

• यत् (yat) - whichever (sense) (which, whatever, that which)

• यत् (yat) - whichever (sense) (which, whatever, that which)

• वर्तते (vartate) - it operates, it functions (it operates, it exists, it moves, it turns)

• यत्र (yatra) - wherever (it operates) (where, wherever)

• यत्र (yatra) - wherever (it operates) (where, wherever)

• ततः (tataḥ) - from that very place (from that, thence, therefore, then)

• ततः (tataḥ) - from that very place (from that, thence, therefore, then)

• स्रवते (sravate) - it flows out, it drains away (it flows, it leaks, it drips)

• बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect, mental faculty (intellect, understanding, discernment, perception)

• अस्य (asya) - of this (person) (of this, of him/her/it)

• छिद्रोदकुम्भात् (chidrodakumbhāt) - from a water-pot with a hole (from a pot with a hole and water)

• इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as it were)

• नित्यम् (nityam) - constantly (constantly, perpetually, always)

• अम्भः (ambhaḥ) - water

Words meanings and morphology

चलानि (calāni) - restless, fickle (restless, moving, fickle, unsteady)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, plural of cala

cala - moving, trembling, restless, fickle, temporary

From root cal (to move).

Root: cal (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'imāni ṣaḍindriyāṇi'.

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, for, because, certainly)

(indeclinable)

Particle of emphasis or cause.

इमानि (imāni) - these (senses) (these)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of idam

idam - this, these

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Agrees with 'ṣaḍindriyāṇi'.

षडिन्द्रियाणि (ṣaḍindriyāṇi) - the six senses (including mind as the sixth) (the six senses)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of ṣaḍindriya

ṣaḍindriya - the six senses

Compound meaning 'six senses'.

Compound type : dvigu tatpuruṣa (ṣaṣ+indriya)

• ṣaṣ – six
  numeral
• indriya – sense organ, faculty
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from Indra or 'to rule'

Note: The subject of the implied verb 'are'.

तेषां (teṣāṁ) - of these senses (of them, belonging to them)

(pronoun)

Genitive, neuter, plural of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun.

यत् (yat) - whichever (sense) (which, whatever, that which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, whatever, that which

Relative pronoun.

Note: Used distributively ('each one').

यत् (yat) - whichever (sense) (which, whatever, that which)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, whatever, that which

Relative pronoun.

Note: Used distributively ('each one').

वर्तते (vartate) - it operates, it functions (it operates, it exists, it moves, it turns)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of vṛt

Present Middle Indicative

3rd singular, middle voice.

Root: vṛt (class 1)

यत्र (yatra) - wherever (it operates) (where, wherever)

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place.

यत्र (yatra) - wherever (it operates) (where, wherever)

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place.

ततः (tataḥ) - from that very place (from that, thence, therefore, then)

(indeclinable)

Adverb derived from 'tad'.

ततः (tataḥ) - from that very place (from that, thence, therefore, then)

(indeclinable)

Adverb derived from 'tad'.

स्रवते (sravate) - it flows out, it drains away (it flows, it leaks, it drips)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of sru

Present Middle Indicative

3rd singular, middle voice.

Root: sru (class 1)

Note: Subject is 'buddhiḥ'.

बुद्धिः (buddhiḥ) - intellect, mental faculty (intellect, understanding, discernment, perception)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of buddhi

buddhi - intellect, understanding, discernment, perception

From root budh (to know, to understand).

Root: budh (class 1)

Note: The subject of 'sravate'.

अस्य (asya) - of this (person) (of this, of him/her/it)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Modifies 'buddhiḥ' (this person's intellect).

छिद्रोदकुम्भात् (chidrodakumbhāt) - from a water-pot with a hole (from a pot with a hole and water)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of chidrodakumbha

chidrodakumbha - a water-pot with a hole

Compound meaning 'pot with water and a hole'. 'chidra' (hole) + 'udaka' (water) + 'kumbha' (pot).

Compound type : madhyamapadalopinī tatpuruṣa (chidra+udaka+kumbha)

• chidra – hole, fissure, defect
  noun (neuter)
• udaka – water
  noun (neuter)
• kumbha – pot, pitcher
  noun (masculine)

Note: Serves as the source of comparison.

इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as it were)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison.

नित्यम् (nityam) - constantly (constantly, perpetually, always)

(indeclinable)

Here used adverbially.

Note: Adverb modifying 'sravate'.

अम्भः (ambhaḥ) - water

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of ambhas

ambhas - water

's'-stem noun.

Note: The subject in the simile.