महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-136, verse-8

प्रज्ञातलक्षणे राजन्नमित्रे मित्रतां गते ।
कथं नु पुरुषः कुर्यात्किं वा कृत्वा सुखी भवेत् ॥८॥

8. prajñātalakṣaṇe rājannamitre mitratāṁ gate ,
kathaṁ nu puruṣaḥ kuryātkiṁ vā kṛtvā sukhī bhavet.

8. prajñātalakṣaṇe rājan amitre mitratam gate katham
nu puruṣaḥ kuryāt kim vā kṛtvā sukhī bhavet

8. rājan prajñātalakṣaṇe amitre mitratam gate nu
puruṣaḥ katham kuryāt vā kim kṛtvā sukhī bhavet

8. O King, when an enemy of known character has turned into a friend, how should a person (puruṣa) act? Or what should he do to become happy?

Words meanings summery:

• प्रज्ञातलक्षणे (prajñātalakṣaṇe) - of known character (of known characteristics, whose marks are known, in one whose nature is known)

• राजन् (rājan) - O king, O ruler

• अमित्रे (amitre) - in an enemy, when an enemy (has become)

• मित्रतम् (mitratam) - friendship, the state of being a friend

• गते (gate) - has turned into (having gone, having attained, having become)

• कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

• नु (nu) - indeed, then, now

• पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person (puruṣa) (a person, a human being, the spiritual being)

• कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - he should do, he should make, he should act

• किम् (kim) - what?, which?

• वा (vā) - or, either

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having done, by doing

• सुखी (sukhī) - happy, joyful, comfortable

• भवेत् (bhavet) - he should be, he would become, it may happen

Words meanings and morphology

प्रज्ञातलक्षणे (prajñātalakṣaṇe) - of known character (of known characteristics, whose marks are known, in one whose nature is known)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of prajñātalakṣaṇa

prajñātalakṣaṇa - of known signs/marks/characteristics

Bahuvrīhi compound: prajñāta (known) + lakṣaṇa (mark, characteristic).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (prajñāta+lakṣaṇa)

• prajñāta – known, recognized, understood
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From pra (forth) + jñā (to know) + -ta
  Prefix: pra
  Root: jñā (class 9)
• lakṣaṇa – mark, sign, characteristic, attribute
  noun (neuter)
  Root: lakṣ (class 10)

Note: Locative absolute construction with amitre and gate.

राजन् (rājan) - O king, O ruler

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, sovereign

n-stem noun

Root: rāj

Note: Term of address.

अमित्रे (amitre) - in an enemy, when an enemy (has become)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of amitra

amitra - enemy, foe, not a friend

Compound: a (not) + mitra (friend).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+mitra)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• mitra – friend, companion, ally
  noun (neuter)

Note: Subject of the locative absolute construction.

मित्रतम् (mitratam) - friendship, the state of being a friend

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of mitratā

mitratā - friendship, amity, the state of being a friend

From mitra (friend) + suffix -tā (abstract noun forming).

Note: Object of gate.

गते (gate) - has turned into (having gone, having attained, having become)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of gata

gata - gone, gone to, attained, become

Past Passive Participle

From root gam (to go) + suffix -ta.

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Agrees with amitre.

कथम् (katham) - how?, in what manner?

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying kuryāt.

नु (nu) - indeed, then, now

(indeclinable)

Particle expressing question or emphasis.

पुरुषः (puruṣaḥ) - a person (puruṣa) (a person, a human being, the spiritual being)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puruṣa

puruṣa - man, person, male, human being, spirit, the cosmic person (puruṣa)

a-stem noun

Root: pṛ

Note: Subject of kuryāt.

कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - he should do, he should make, he should act

(verb)

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

optative mood

Parasmaipada verb.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Main verb.

किम् (kim) - what?, which?

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kim

kim - what?, which?, who?, why?

Interrogative pronoun/adverb.

Note: Object of kṛtvā.

वा (vā) - or, either

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having done, by doing

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

From root kṛ (to do) + suffix -tvā.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Denotes prior action.

सुखी (sukhī) - happy, joyful, comfortable

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sukhin

sukhin - happy, joyful, fortunate, comfortable

From sukha (happiness) + suffix -in.

Note: Agrees with puruṣaḥ.

भवेत् (bhavet) - he should be, he would become, it may happen

(verb)

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

optative mood

Parasmaipada verb.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Main verb.