महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-129, verse-10

भीष्म उवाच ।
क्षिप्रं वा संधिकामः स्यात्क्षिप्रं वा तीक्ष्णविक्रमः ।
पदापनयनं क्षिप्रमेतावत्सांपरायिकम् ॥१०॥

10. bhīṣma uvāca ,
kṣipraṁ vā saṁdhikāmaḥ syātkṣipraṁ vā tīkṣṇavikramaḥ ,
padāpanayanaṁ kṣiprametāvatsāṁparāyikam.

10. bhīṣma uvāca | kṣipram vā sandhikāmaḥ syāt kṣipram vā
tīkṣṇavikramaḥ | padāpanayanam kṣipram etāvat sāṃparāyikam

10. bhīṣma uvāca kṣipram vā sandhikāmaḥ
syāt kṣipram vā tīkṣṇavikramaḥ
(syāt) kṣipram padāpanayanam
(api) etāvat sāṃparāyikam

10. Bhishma said: A ruler should either swiftly seek an alliance, or swiftly display fierce valor. A swift strategic retreat is also amongst these considerations for warfare.

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्म (bhīṣma) - The grand-uncle and guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas. (Bhishma (proper noun))

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram) - quickly, swiftly, immediately

• वा (vā) - or, either

• सन्धिकामः (sandhikāmaḥ) - desirous of peace/alliance

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

• क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram) - quickly, swiftly, immediately

• वा (vā) - or, either

• तीक्ष्णविक्रमः (tīkṣṇavikramaḥ) - of sharp valor, fiercely valorous, of keen prowess

• पदापनयनम् (padāpanayanam) - strategic military retreat. (retreat, withdrawal of feet)

• क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram) - quickly, swiftly, immediately

• एतावत् (etāvat) - this much, so much, all this

• सांपरायिकम् (sāṁparāyikam) - pertaining to war, strategic, fit for battle

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्म (bhīṣma) - The grand-uncle and guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas. (Bhishma (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - terrible, formidable, awful; Bhishma (name)

From √bhī (to fear).

Root: bhī (class 3)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

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

Perfect tense

Perfect active 3rd person singular of √vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram) - quickly, swiftly, immediately

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form of kṣipra.

Note: Adverb.

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

सन्धिकामः (sandhikāmaḥ) - desirous of peace/alliance

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sandhikāma

sandhikāma - desirous of peace, wishing for alliance

Bahuvrihi compound: one who has sandhi as kāma.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sandhi+kāma)

• sandhi – alliance, peace, union, junction
  noun (masculine)
  From sam-√dhā (to put together).
  Prefix: sam
  Root: dhā (class 3)
• kāma – desire, wish, love
  noun (masculine)
  From √kam (to desire).
  Root: kam (class 1)

Note: Refers to the ruler.

स्यात् (syāt) - one should be, may be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of as

Optative mode

Optative active 3rd person singular of √as.

Root: as (class 2)

क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram) - quickly, swiftly, immediately

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form of kṣipra.

Note: Adverb.

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

तीक्ष्णविक्रमः (tīkṣṇavikramaḥ) - of sharp valor, fiercely valorous, of keen prowess

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tīkṣṇavikrama

tīkṣṇavikrama - of sharp valor/prowess, fierce in action

Bahuvrihi compound: one whose vikrama is tīkṣṇa.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (tīkṣṇa+vikrama)

• tīkṣṇa – sharp, keen, fierce, harsh
  adjective (masculine)
  From √tij (to be sharp).
  Root: tij (class 6)
• vikrama – valor, prowess, courage, strong step
  noun (masculine)
  From vi-√kram (to step forth, stride).
  Prefix: vi
  Root: kram (class 1)

Note: Refers to the ruler.

पदापनयनम् (padāpanayanam) - strategic military retreat. (retreat, withdrawal of feet)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of padāpanayana

padāpanayana - withdrawal of feet, retreat, removal of position

Tatpurusha compound: pada (foot/position) + apanayana (leading away/removal).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pada+apanayana)

• pada – foot, step, position, word
  noun (neuter)
  From √pad (to go, step).
  Root: pad (class 4)
• apanayana – leading away, removal, retreat
  noun (neuter)
  From apa-√nī (to lead away).
  Prefix: apa
  Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Refers to a strategic retreat.

क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram) - quickly, swiftly, immediately

(indeclinable)

Adverbial form of kṣipra.

Note: Adverb.

एतावत् (etāvat) - this much, so much, all this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etāvat

etāvat - so much, this much, so far, thus far, all this

Demonstrative pronoun, from eta + vat.

सांपरायिकम् (sāṁparāyikam) - pertaining to war, strategic, fit for battle

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sāṃparāyika

sāṁparāyika - relating to war/battle, strategic, fit for fighting, military

From saṃparāya (battle, encounter) + ṭhak suffix.

Note: Refers to military strategy.