महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-138, verse-15

शत्रुं च मित्ररूपेण सान्त्वेनैवाभिसान्त्वयेत् ।
नित्यशश्चोद्विजेत्तस्मात्सर्पाद्वेश्मगतादिव ॥१५॥

15. śatruṁ ca mitrarūpeṇa sāntvenaivābhisāntvayet ,
nityaśaścodvijettasmātsarpādveśmagatādiva.

15. śatruṃ ca mitrarūpeṇa sāntvena eva abhisāntvayet
nityaśaḥ ca udvijet tasmāt sarpāt veśmagatāt iva

15. śatruṃ ca mitrarūpeṇa sāntvena eva abhisāntvayet
ca nityaśaḥ tasmāt sarpāt veśmagatāt iva udvijet

15. And one should conciliate an enemy, treating him as a friend and only through gentle means. Yet, one should constantly be wary of him, just as one would be apprehensive of a snake that has entered one's home.

Words meanings summery:

• शत्रुं (śatruṁ) - an enemy (enemy, adversary)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• मित्ररूपेण (mitrarūpeṇa) - treating him as a friend (in the form of a friend, disguised as a friend)

• सान्त्वेन (sāntvena) - through gentle means (by means of conciliation, by gentle words)

• एव (eva) - only (indeed, only, just, exactly)

• अभिसान्त्वयेत् (abhisāntvayet) - one should conciliate (one should conciliate, soothe, pacify)

• नित्यशः (nityaśaḥ) - constantly (constantly, always, habitually)

• च (ca) - yet (and, also, but)

• उद्विजेत् (udvijet) - one should be wary (one should be afraid, be apprehensive, be startled)

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - of him (the enemy) (from him, from that, thence, therefore)

• सर्पात् (sarpāt) - from a snake

• वेश्मगतात् (veśmagatāt) - that has entered one's home (from one who has entered the house, from a domestic)

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

Words meanings and morphology

शत्रुं (śatruṁ) - an enemy (enemy, adversary)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śatru

śatru - enemy, foe, rival

Note: Object of abhisāntvayet.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects ideas.

मित्ररूपेण (mitrarūpeṇa) - treating him as a friend (in the form of a friend, disguised as a friend)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of mitrarūpa

mitrarūpa - having the form of a friend, appearing as a friend

Compound of mitra (friend) and rūpa (form, appearance).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mitra+rūpa)

• mitra – friend, companion
  noun (masculine)
• rūpa – form, appearance, shape, nature
  noun (neuter)

Note: Describes the manner of conciliation, literally 'by means of a friend's form'.

सान्त्वेन (sāntvena) - through gentle means (by means of conciliation, by gentle words)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of sāntva

sāntva - conciliation, gentle means, soothing words

एव (eva) - only (indeed, only, just, exactly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

अभिसान्त्वयेत् (abhisāntvayet) - one should conciliate (one should conciliate, soothe, pacify)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of abhisāntvay

Optative Mood

Causative of root sāntv (from santvana, conciliation) with upasarga abhi-.

Prefix: abhi

Root: sāntv (class 10)

नित्यशः (nityaśaḥ) - constantly (constantly, always, habitually)

(indeclinable)

Suffix -śas expressing 'in every instance'.

च (ca) - yet (and, also, but)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects ideas, with an adversative sense here.

उद्विजेत् (udvijet) - one should be wary (one should be afraid, be apprehensive, be startled)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of udvij

Optative Mood

Third person singular optative of verb root vij with upasarga ud-.

Prefix: ud

Root: vij (class 6)

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - of him (the enemy) (from him, from that, thence, therefore)

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Ablative, 'from that' or 'from him'.

सर्पात् (sarpāt) - from a snake

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of sarpa

sarpa - snake, serpent

वेश्मगतात् (veśmagatāt) - that has entered one's home (from one who has entered the house, from a domestic)

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of veśmagata

veśmagata - entered the house, domestic

Compound of veśman (house) and gata (gone, entered).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (veśman+gata)

• veśman – house, dwelling, abode
  noun (neuter)
• gata – gone, entered, obtained, being in
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root gam (to go, move).
  Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Qualifies sarpāt.

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.