महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-67, verse-37

गुप्तात्मा स्याद्दुराधर्षः स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिता ।
आभाषितश्च मधुरं प्रतिभाषेत मानवान् ॥३७॥

37. guptātmā syāddurādharṣaḥ smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā ,
ābhāṣitaśca madhuraṁ pratibhāṣeta mānavān.

37. guptātmā syāt durādharṣaḥ smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā
ābhāṣitaḥ ca madhuram pratibhāṣeta mānavān

37. guptātmā durādharṣaḥ smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā ca
syāt ābhāṣitaḥ ca mānavān madhuram pratibhāṣeta

37. One should maintain a guarded demeanor (ātman) and be unassailable, always speaking with a preliminary smile. And when addressed, one should respond to people sweetly.

Words meanings summery:

• गुप्तात्मा (guptātmā) - one who maintains a guarded demeanor (having a hidden self, reserved, protected in nature)

• स्यात् (syāt) - one should be (he/she/it should be, may be)

• दुराधर्षः (durādharṣaḥ) - unassailable, formidable (unassailable, unconquerable, formidable, difficult to attack)

• स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिता (smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā) - the quality of speaking with a preliminary smile (the quality of speaking after smiling, the state of one who speaks with a preliminary smile)

• आभाषितः (ābhāṣitaḥ) - when addressed (as the person being spoken to) (spoken to, addressed)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• मधुरम् (madhuram) - sweetly (sweetly, pleasantly, charmingly)

• प्रतिभाषेत (pratibhāṣeta) - one should respond (he/she should respond, speak in return)

• मानवान् (mānavān) - to people (humans, people, mankind)

Words meanings and morphology

गुप्तात्मा (guptātmā) - one who maintains a guarded demeanor (having a hidden self, reserved, protected in nature)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of guptātman

guptātman - having a concealed (ātman), reserved, secret in nature

Compound of 'gupta' (hidden, protected) and 'ātman' (self).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (gupta+ātman)

• gupta – hidden, protected, guarded
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'gup' (to protect, hide) with 'kta' suffix.
  Root: gup (class 1)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature
  noun (masculine)

स्यात् (syāt) - one should be (he/she/it should be, may be)

(verb)

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

Optative Mood

Root 'as' (to be), class 2, optative, 3rd person singular.

Root: as (class 2)

दुराधर्षः (durādharṣaḥ) - unassailable, formidable (unassailable, unconquerable, formidable, difficult to attack)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of durādharṣa

durādharṣa - difficult to attack, unassailable, unconquerable, formidable

Compound of 'dur' (difficult, bad) + 'ā' + root 'dhṛṣ' (to dare, attack) with suffix 'a'.

Compound type : pradi-samāsa (dur+ādharṣa)

• dur – bad, difficult, ill
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating difficulty or badness.
• ādharṣa – daring, assaulting, attack
  noun/adjective (masculine)
  From 'ā' + root 'dhṛṣ' (to dare, attack) + suffix 'a'.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: dhṛṣ (class 5)

स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिता (smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā) - the quality of speaking with a preliminary smile (the quality of speaking after smiling, the state of one who speaks with a preliminary smile)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā

smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā - the quality of speaking with a preliminary smile, the state of one who speaks preceded by a smile

Abstract noun formed from 'smitapūrvābhibhāṣin' (one who speaks with a preliminary smile) by adding the feminine suffix 'tā', indicating a quality.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (smita+pūrva+abhibhāṣitā)

• smita – smile, smiled, smiling
  noun/adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle (substantivized)
  From root 'smi' (to smile) with 'kta' suffix.
  Root: smi (class 1)
• pūrva – before, preceding, former
  adjective
• abhibhāṣitā – speaking, utterance, talk; the quality of speaking
  noun (feminine)
  Abstract noun (feminine) formed from 'abhibhāṣin' (one who speaks) or from the verbal root 'bhāṣ' with prefix 'abhi' and suffix 'tā'.
  Prefix: abhi
  Root: bhāṣ (class 1)

Note: An abstract noun denoting a quality.

आभाषितः (ābhāṣitaḥ) - when addressed (as the person being spoken to) (spoken to, addressed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ābhāṣita

ābhāṣita - addressed, spoken to, conversed with

Past Passive Participle

From 'ā' + root 'bhāṣ' (to speak) with 'kta' suffix.

Prefix: ā

Root: bhāṣ (class 1)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

मधुरम् (madhuram) - sweetly (sweetly, pleasantly, charmingly)

(indeclinable)

प्रतिभाषेत (pratibhāṣeta) - one should respond (he/she should respond, speak in return)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (liṅ) of pratibhāṣ

Optative Mood

Root 'bhāṣ' (to speak), class 1, with 'prati' prefix, optative, 3rd person singular. Ātmanepada.

Prefix: prati

Root: bhāṣ (class 1)

मानवान् (mānavān) - to people (humans, people, mankind)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of mānava

mānava - human, man, descendant of Manu

From 'manu' with 'a' suffix.

Note: Object of 'pratibhāṣeta'.