महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-104, verse-33

मृदुमप्यवमन्यन्ते तीक्ष्णादुद्विजते जनः ।
मातीक्ष्णो मामृदुर्भूस्त्वं तीक्ष्णो भव मृदुर्भव ॥३३॥

33. mṛdumapyavamanyante tīkṣṇādudvijate janaḥ ,
mātīkṣṇo māmṛdurbhūstvaṁ tīkṣṇo bhava mṛdurbhava.

33. mṛdum api avamanyante tīkṣṇāt udvijate janaḥ | mā
atīkṣṇaḥ mā amṛduḥ bhūḥ tvam tīkṣṇaḥ bhava mṛduḥ bhava

33. janaḥ mṛdum api avamanyante tīkṣṇāt udvijate tvam
atīkṣṇaḥ mā bhūḥ amṛduḥ mā bhūḥ tīkṣṇaḥ bhava mṛduḥ bhava

33. People disrespect even the gentle, and they fear the harsh. You should not be solely non-harsh, nor solely non-gentle. Instead, be harsh and be gentle.

Words meanings summery:

• मृदुम् (mṛdum) - a gentle person (gentle, soft, mild)

• अपि (api) - even (also, even, too)

• अवमन्यन्ते (avamanyante) - they disrespect (they disrespect, they disdain, they despise)

• तीक्ष्णात् (tīkṣṇāt) - from a harsh person (from the sharp, from the harsh)

• उद्विजते (udvijate) - is afraid (is afraid, trembles, shrinks from)

• जनः (janaḥ) - people (person, people, man)

• मा (mā) - do not (not, do not)

• अतीक्ष्णः (atīkṣṇaḥ) - non-harsh (i.e., exclusively gentle) (non-harsh, not sharp, gentle)

• अमृदुः (amṛduḥ) - non-gentle (i.e., exclusively harsh) (non-gentle, not soft, harsh)

• भूः (bhūḥ) - should be (injunctive) (be, become)

• त्वम् (tvam) - you (singular) (you)

• तीक्ष्णः (tīkṣṇaḥ) - harsh (sharp, harsh)

• भव (bhava) - be (be, become)

• मृदुः (mṛduḥ) - gentle (gentle, soft, mild)

• भव (bhava) - be (be, become)

Words meanings and morphology

मृदुम् (mṛdum) - a gentle person (gentle, soft, mild)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, tender, mild, gentle

Note: Used as a substantive here.

अपि (api) - even (also, even, too)

(indeclinable)

अवमन्यन्ते (avamanyante) - they disrespect (they disrespect, they disdain, they despise)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of avamanyate

derived from √man (4th class, Ātmanepada) with prefix ava

Present indicative, ātmanepada, 3rd person plural.

Prefix: ava

Root: √man (class 4)

Note: Used in an active sense here ('they disrespect').

तीक्ष्णात् (tīkṣṇāt) - from a harsh person (from the sharp, from the harsh)

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of tīkṣṇa

tīkṣṇa - sharp, keen, harsh, severe

Note: Used as a substantive.

उद्विजते (udvijate) - is afraid (is afraid, trembles, shrinks from)

(verb)

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

derived from √vij (6th class, Ātmanepada) with prefix ud

Present indicative, ātmanepada, 3rd person singular.

Prefix: ud

Root: √vij (class 6)

जनः (janaḥ) - people (person, people, man)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jana

jana - person, man, people, creature

From √jan (to be born).

Root: √jan (class 4)

Note: Often used as a collective singular.

मा (mā) - do not (not, do not)

(indeclinable)

अतीक्ष्णः (atīkṣṇaḥ) - non-harsh (i.e., exclusively gentle) (non-harsh, not sharp, gentle)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of atīkṣṇa

atīkṣṇa - not sharp, not harsh, gentle, mild

Nañ-tatpuruṣa compound of 'a' (not) and 'tīkṣṇa' (sharp/harsh).

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+tīkṣṇa)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• tīkṣṇa – sharp, keen, harsh, severe
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'tvam'.

अमृदुः (amṛduḥ) - non-gentle (i.e., exclusively harsh) (non-gentle, not soft, harsh)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of amṛdu

amṛdu - not soft, not gentle, harsh, hard

Nañ-tatpuruṣa compound of 'a' (not) and 'mṛdu' (soft/gentle).

Compound type : Nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+mṛdu)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• mṛdu – soft, tender, mild, gentle
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'tvam'.

भूः (bhūḥ) - should be (injunctive) (be, become)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, aorist injunctive (luṅ) of √bhū

aorist injunctive

2nd person singular aorist injunctive form of √bhū. Used with mā for prohibition.

Root: √bhū (class 1)

त्वम् (tvam) - you (singular) (you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

तीक्ष्णः (tīkṣṇaḥ) - harsh (sharp, harsh)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tīkṣṇa

tīkṣṇa - sharp, keen, harsh, severe

Note: Qualifies implied 'you'.

भव (bhava) - be (be, become)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of √bhū

imperative

2nd person singular imperative active form of √bhū.

Root: √bhū (class 1)

मृदुः (mṛduḥ) - gentle (gentle, soft, mild)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, tender, mild, gentle

Note: Qualifies implied 'you'.

भव (bhava) - be (be, become)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of √bhū

imperative

2nd person singular imperative active form of √bhū.

Root: √bhū (class 1)