महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-128, verse-5

भीष्म उवाच ।
गुह्यं मा धर्ममप्राक्षीरतीव भरतर्षभ ।
अपृष्टो नोत्सहे वक्तुं धर्ममेनं युधिष्ठिर ॥५॥

5. bhīṣma uvāca ,
guhyaṁ mā dharmamaprākṣīratīva bharatarṣabha ,
apṛṣṭo notsahe vaktuṁ dharmamenaṁ yudhiṣṭhira.

5. bhīṣma uvāca guhyam mā dharmam aprākṣīḥ atīva bharatarṣabha
apṛṣṭaḥ na utsahe vaktum dharmam enam yudhiṣṭhira

5. bhīṣma uvāca bharatarṣabha mā aprākṣīḥ guhyam atīva
dharmam yudhiṣṭhira apṛṣṭaḥ na utsahe vaktum enam dharmam

5. Bhishma said: "O best of the Bharatas, do not ask me about such a profound secret (dharma). O Yudhishthira, I am not able to speak of this intrinsic nature (dharma) unless specifically asked."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma (the grandfather in the Mahabharata) (Bhishma)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• गुह्यम् (guhyam) - secret, profound (secret, hidden)

• मा (mā) - do not (prohibitive particle) (not, do not)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - intrinsic nature (dharma), natural law (dharma) (intrinsic nature, duty, constitution, law)

• अप्राक्षीः (aprākṣīḥ) - you asked (in the negative prohibitive sense with 'mā') (you asked)

• अतीव (atīva) - very much, exceedingly

• भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O best among Bharatas (addressing Yudhishthira) (O best among Bharatas, O bull of Bharatas)

• अपृष्टः (apṛṣṭaḥ) - (when) not asked (not asked)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• उत्सहे (utsahe) - I am able (to speak) (I am able, I venture)

• वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to tell (to speak)

• धर्मम् (dharmam) - this intrinsic nature (dharma) (intrinsic nature, duty, constitution, law)

• एनम् (enam) - this (dharma) (this, this one)

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - O Yudhishthira (addressing the king) (Yudhishthira)

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - Bhishma (the grandfather in the Mahabharata) (Bhishma)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a proper name); terrible, formidable

Root: bhīṣ (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect active

3rd person singular, perfect active

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: From root 'vac' (to speak), perfect tense form.

गुह्यम् (guhyam) - secret, profound (secret, hidden)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of guhya

guhya - secret, hidden, mysterious

gerundive

from root guh (to conceal)

Root: guh (class 1)

Note: Used here as an accusative neuter noun, modifying 'dharmam'.

मा (mā) - do not (prohibitive particle) (not, do not)

(indeclinable)

Note: Prohibitive particle used with aorist.

धर्मम् (dharmam) - intrinsic nature (dharma), natural law (dharma) (intrinsic nature, duty, constitution, law)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, justice

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: The object of 'aprākṣīḥ'.

अप्राक्षीः (aprākṣīḥ) - you asked (in the negative prohibitive sense with 'mā') (you asked)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, aorist (luṅ) of praś

aorist active

2nd person singular, aorist active, from root 'praś' with prefix 'ā'

Prefixes: ā+pra

Root: praś (class 6)

Note: Imperative with 'mā' and aorist form, means 'do not ask'.

अतीव (atīva) - very much, exceedingly

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying the secrecy of the dharma.

भरतर्षभ (bharatarṣabha) - O best among Bharatas (addressing Yudhishthira) (O best among Bharatas, O bull of Bharatas)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bharatarṣabha

bharatarṣabha - bull of Bharatas, best among Bharatas

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bharata+ṛṣabha)

• bharata – Bharata (name of a dynasty/people); nourished, supported
  proper noun (masculine)
• ṛṣabha – bull; chief, best
  noun (masculine)

Note: Compound referring to Yudhishthira.

अपृष्टः (apṛṣṭaḥ) - (when) not asked (not asked)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of apṛṣṭa

apṛṣṭa - not asked, unasked

past passive participle

negated past passive participle of root 'praś' (to ask)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+pṛṣṭa)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• pṛṣṭa – asked, questioned
  adjective (masculine)
  past passive participle
  from root 'praś' (to ask)
  Root: praś (class 6)

Note: Refers to Bhishma himself.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negating 'utsahe'.

उत्सहे (utsahe) - I am able (to speak) (I am able, I venture)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of utsah

present active

1st person singular, present active, ātmanepada, from root 'sah' with prefix 'ud'

Prefix: ud

Root: sah (class 1)

Note: Expresses Bhishma's inability.

वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to speak, to tell (to speak)

(indeclinable)

infinitive

infinitive form of root 'vac'

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Infinitives are generally indeclinable.

धर्मम् (dharmam) - this intrinsic nature (dharma) (intrinsic nature, duty, constitution, law)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - constitution, natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, duty, virtue, justice

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: The object of 'vaktum'.

एनम् (enam) - this (dharma) (this, this one)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ena

ena - this, that

Note: Demonstrative pronoun modifying 'dharmam'.

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - O Yudhishthira (addressing the king) (Yudhishthira)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (proper name, 'steady in battle')

Note: Vocative case, addressing Yudhishthira.