महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-138, verse-24

नास्य छिद्रं परो विद्याद्विद्याच्छिद्रं परस्य तु ।
गूहेत्कूर्म इवाङ्गानि रक्षेद्विवरमात्मनः ॥२४॥

24. nāsya chidraṁ paro vidyādvidyācchidraṁ parasya tu ,
gūhetkūrma ivāṅgāni rakṣedvivaramātmanaḥ.

24. na asya chidram paraḥ vidyāt vidyāt chidram parasya
tu gūhet kūrmaḥ iva aṅgāni rakṣet vivaram ātmanaḥ

24. paraḥ asya chidram na vidyāt tu parasya chidram
vidyāt kūrmaḥ iva aṅgāni gūhet ātmanaḥ vivaram rakṣet

24. An enemy should not know one's weaknesses, but one should know the weaknesses of an enemy. One should conceal one's vulnerabilities like a tortoise withdraws its limbs, and protect one's own weak points (ātman).

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not

• अस्य (asya) - his, its, of this

• छिद्रम् (chidram) - fault, flaw, weak point, hole

• परः (paraḥ) - an enemy (another, an enemy, a stranger)

• विद्यात् (vidyāt) - should know, should find out

• विद्यात् (vidyāt) - should know, should find out

• छिद्रम् (chidram) - fault, flaw, weak point

• परस्य (parasya) - of an enemy (of another, of an enemy)

• तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, however

• गूहेत् (gūhet) - one should conceal, one should hide

• कूर्मः (kūrmaḥ) - a tortoise

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• अङ्गानि (aṅgāni) - limbs, body parts, constituent parts

• रक्षेत् (rakṣet) - one should protect, one should guard

• विवरम् (vivaram) - weak point, opening, hole, defect

• आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of one's own (weak point) (of oneself, of the self (ātman))

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

अस्य (asya) - his, its, of this

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, singular of idam

idam - this, this one (demonstrative pronoun)

Note: Refers to 'of oneself' implied.

छिद्रम् (chidram) - fault, flaw, weak point, hole

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of chidra

chidra - fault, flaw, weak point, hole, defect

Note: Object of 'vidyāt'.

परः (paraḥ) - an enemy (another, an enemy, a stranger)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of para

para - other, another, enemy, supreme

Note: Subject of the first 'vidyāt'.

विद्यात् (vidyāt) - should know, should find out

(verb)

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

Root: vid (class 2)

विद्यात् (vidyāt) - should know, should find out

(verb)

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

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Implied subject is 'one' (the wise person).

छिद्रम् (chidram) - fault, flaw, weak point

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of chidra

chidra - fault, flaw, weak point, hole, defect

Note: Object of the second 'vidyāt'.

परस्य (parasya) - of an enemy (of another, of an enemy)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine/neuter, singular of para

para - other, another, enemy, supreme

Note: Refers to 'of the enemy'.

तु (tu) - but, on the other hand, however

(indeclinable)

गूहेत् (gūhet) - one should conceal, one should hide

(verb)

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

Root: guh (class 1)

कूर्मः (kūrmaḥ) - a tortoise

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kūrma

kūrma - tortoise, turtle

Note: Used in comparison with 'iva'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

अङ्गानि (aṅgāni) - limbs, body parts, constituent parts

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of aṅga

aṅga - limb, body, part, member

Note: Object of 'gūhet'.

रक्षेत् (rakṣet) - one should protect, one should guard

(verb)

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

Root: rakṣ (class 1)

विवरम् (vivaram) - weak point, opening, hole, defect

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vivara

vivara - opening, hole, interval, weak point, defect

Note: Object of 'rakṣet'.

आत्मनः (ātmanaḥ) - of one's own (weak point) (of oneself, of the self (ātman))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, essence, individual soul

Note: Refers to 'one's own' (weak point).