महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-101, verse-44

संहतान्योधयेदल्पान्कामं विस्तारयेद्बहून् ।
सूचीमुखमनीकं स्यादल्पानां बहुभिः सह ॥४४॥

44. saṁhatānyodhayedalpānkāmaṁ vistārayedbahūn ,
sūcīmukhamanīkaṁ syādalpānāṁ bahubhiḥ saha.

44. saṃhatān yodhayet alpān kāmam vistārayet bahūn
sūcīmukham anīkam syāt alpānām bahubhiḥ saha

44. alpān saṃhatān yodhayet bahūn kāmam vistārayet
alpānām bahubhiḥ saha anīkam sūcīmukham syāt

44. One should deploy a small force compactly, and one should spread out a large force as desired. When a small force engages with many (enemies), the army formation should be wedge-shaped.

Words meanings summery:

• संहतान् (saṁhatān) - compact (formation), united (force) (united, compact, collected, assembled)

• योधयेत् (yodhayet) - one should deploy (in battle) (one should cause to fight, one should deploy (as fighters))

• अल्पान् (alpān) - a small number (of troops/soldiers) (few, small in number, little)

• कामम् (kāmam) - as one wishes, freely (willingly, as one wishes, even, indeed)

• विस्तारयेत् (vistārayet) - one should spread out (the forces) (one should spread out, one should extend)

• बहून् (bahūn) - many (troops/soldiers) (many, numerous)

• सूचीमुखम् (sūcīmukham) - wedge-shaped (formation) (needle-mouthed, having a point like a needle, wedge-shaped)

• अनीकम् (anīkam) - army formation, battle array (army, array, troop, face (of an army))

• स्यात् (syāt) - should be (should be, may be, would be)

• अल्पानाम् (alpānām) - of the small force, when dealing with a small force (of the few, of the small number)

• बहुभिः (bahubhiḥ) - with the many (enemies) (by the many, with the many)

• सह (saha) - with (with, together with, along with)

Words meanings and morphology

संहतान् (saṁhatān) - compact (formation), united (force) (united, compact, collected, assembled)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of saṃhata

saṁhata - struck, compressed, firm, united, compact

Past Passive Participle

From sam-han (to strike together, compress)

Prefix: sam

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Modifies 'alpān'.

योधयेत् (yodhayet) - one should deploy (in battle) (one should cause to fight, one should deploy (as fighters))

(verb)

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

Causative Optative Mood, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person Singular

Causative of root 'yudh'.

Root: yudh (class 4)

Note: Implied subject is a commander.

अल्पान् (alpān) - a small number (of troops/soldiers) (few, small in number, little)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of alpa

alpa - small, little, few, insignificant

Note: Used substantively to refer to a small force.

कामम् (kāmam) - as one wishes, freely (willingly, as one wishes, even, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying 'vistārayet'.

विस्तारयेत् (vistārayet) - one should spread out (the forces) (one should spread out, one should extend)

(verb)

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

Causative Optative Mood, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person Singular

Causative of vi-stṛ (to spread)

Prefix: vi

Root: stṛ (class 6)

Note: Implied subject is a commander.

बहून् (bahūn) - many (troops/soldiers) (many, numerous)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous, abundant

Note: Used substantively to refer to a large force.

सूचीमुखम् (sūcīmukham) - wedge-shaped (formation) (needle-mouthed, having a point like a needle, wedge-shaped)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sūcīmukha

sūcīmukha - needle-mouthed, pointed, tapering, a particular military array (wedge-shaped)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sūcī+mukha)

• sūcī – needle, point, indicator
  noun (feminine)
• mukha – mouth, face, front, principal
  noun (neuter)

Note: Describes the 'anīkam'.

अनीकम् (anīkam) - army formation, battle array (army, array, troop, face (of an army))

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of anīka

anīka - army, host, array, front of an army

Note: Subject of 'syāt'.

स्यात् (syāt) - should be (should be, may be, would be)

(verb)

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

Optative Mood, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person Singular

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Expresses recommendation or necessity.

अल्पानाम् (alpānām) - of the small force, when dealing with a small force (of the few, of the small number)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of alpa

alpa - small, little, few, insignificant

Note: Used substantively, specifying the context: when one *has* few, or *against* few (ambiguous, but 'with many' indicates it's a small force facing many enemies).

बहुभिः (bahubhiḥ) - with the many (enemies) (by the many, with the many)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous, abundant

Note: Used substantively. 'Saha' indicates accompaniment.

सह (saha) - with (with, together with, along with)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used with instrumental case 'bahubhiḥ'.