महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-112, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
असौम्याः सौम्यरूपेण सौम्याश्चासौम्यदर्शिनः ।
ईदृशान्पुरुषांस्तात कथं विद्यामहे वयम् ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
asaumyāḥ saumyarūpeṇa saumyāścāsaumyadarśinaḥ ,
īdṛśānpuruṣāṁstāta kathaṁ vidyāmahe vayam.

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca asaumyāḥ saumyarūpeṇa saumyāḥ ca
asaumyadarśinaḥ īdṛśān puruṣān tāta katham vidyāmahe vayam

1. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca tāta asaumyāḥ saumyarūpeṇa saumyāḥ ca
asaumyadarśinaḥ īdṛśān puruṣān vayam katham vidyāmahe

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: 'O dear one (tāta), how can we discern such individuals who are truly unkind but appear gentle, and those who are truly gentle but appear unkind?'

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

• उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

• असौम्याः (asaumyāḥ) - referring to persons who are not gentle (unkind, disagreeable, fierce)

• सौम्यरूपेण (saumyarūpeṇa) - by a gentle appearance, in a gentle form

• सौम्याः (saumyāḥ) - referring to persons who are gentle (gentle ones, mild ones)

• च (ca) - and, also, moreover

• असौम्यदर्शिनः (asaumyadarśinaḥ) - referring to persons who appear not gentle (appearing unkind, having a disagreeable appearance)

• ईदृशान् (īdṛśān) - such, of this kind

• पुरुषान् (puruṣān) - individuals, people (men, persons)

• तात (tāta) - Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma (O dear one, O father (term of endearment and respect))

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• विद्यामहे (vidyāmahe) - we may know, we can know, we shall know

• वयम् (vayam) - we

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - Yudhiṣṭhira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (proper name, son of Dharma and Kunti, eldest Pandava)

Compound type : aluk-tatpurusha (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of yudh (battle).
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from root sthā (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of uvāca.

उवाच (uvāca) - he said, he spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect indicative (liṭ) of vac

Perfect Active Indicative

3rd person singular, active voice, perfect tense.

Root: vac (class 2)

असौम्याः (asaumyāḥ) - referring to persons who are not gentle (unkind, disagreeable, fierce)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of asaumya

asaumya - not gentle, unkind, disagreeable, harsh, fierce

Compound type : tatpurusha (a+saumya)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• saumya – gentle, mild, pleasant, moon-like
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Refers to puruṣān.

सौम्यरूपेण (saumyarūpeṇa) - by a gentle appearance, in a gentle form

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of saumyarūpa

saumyarūpa - having a gentle form, appearing gentle

Compound type : karmadhāraya (saumya+rūpa)

• saumya – gentle, mild, pleasant
  adjective (masculine)
• rūpa – form, appearance, shape, nature
  noun (neuter)

Note: Adverbial function: 'by means of a gentle appearance'.

सौम्याः (saumyāḥ) - referring to persons who are gentle (gentle ones, mild ones)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of saumya

saumya - gentle, mild, pleasant, belonging to the moon

Note: Refers to puruṣān.

च (ca) - and, also, moreover

(indeclinable)

असौम्यदर्शिनः (asaumyadarśinaḥ) - referring to persons who appear not gentle (appearing unkind, having a disagreeable appearance)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of asaumyadarśin

asaumyadarśin - having an unkind appearance, appearing fierce

Compound type : bahuvrihi (a+saumya+darśin)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• saumya – gentle, mild, pleasant
  adjective (masculine)
• darśin – seeing, knowing, appearing, looking like
  adjective (masculine)
  Agent noun/adjective from root dṛś
  Derived from root dṛś with suffix -in.
  Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Refers to puruṣān.

ईदृशान् (īdṛśān) - such, of this kind

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of īdṛś

īdṛś - such, of this kind

Note: Modifies puruṣān.

पुरुषान् (puruṣān) - individuals, people (men, persons)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, person, human being, the Supreme Being, spirit (puruṣa)

Note: Object of vidyāmahe.

तात (tāta) - Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma (O dear one, O father (term of endearment and respect))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of tāta

tāta - father, dear one (term of endearment or respect for elders)

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

विद्यामहे (vidyāmahe) - we may know, we can know, we shall know

(verb)

1st person , plural, middle, optative (liṅ) of vid

Optative Middle

1st person plural, middle voice. Potential/Optative mood, from root vid (class 4, vidy-).

Root: vid (class 4)

वयम् (vayam) - we

(pronoun)

Nominative, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we

Note: Subject of vidyāmahe.