महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-86, verse-3

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
कीदृशं व्यवहारं तु कैश्च व्यवहरेन्नृपः ।
एतत्पृष्टो महाप्राज्ञ यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि ॥३॥

3. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kīdṛśaṁ vyavahāraṁ tu kaiśca vyavaharennṛpaḥ ,
etatpṛṣṭo mahāprājña yathāvadvaktumarhasi.

3. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca kīdṛśam vyavahāram tu kaiḥ ca vyavaharet
nṛpaḥ etat pṛṣṭaḥ mahāprājña yathāvat vaktum arhasi

3. yudhiṣṭhiraḥ uvāca mahāprājña etat pṛṣṭaḥ nṛpaḥ kīdṛśam
vyavahāram tu kaiḥ ca vyavaharet yathāvat vaktum arhasi

3. Yudhishthira said: "O greatly wise one, being asked this, you should accurately explain what kind of conduct a king should maintain, and with whom he should conduct himself."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - King Yudhishthira (Yudhishthira)

• उवाच (uvāca) - Yudhishthira said (said, spoke)

• कीदृशम् (kīdṛśam) - what kind of (conduct) (what kind of, of what sort)

• व्यवहारम् (vyavahāram) - (what kind of) conduct (conduct, behavior, transaction)

• तु (tu) - (emphasizing the question) (but, indeed, however)

• कैः (kaiḥ) - with whom (should he conduct himself) (by whom, with whom)

• च (ca) - and

• व्यवहरेत् (vyavaharet) - should conduct himself (should conduct, should deal)

• नृपः (nṛpaḥ) - a king (king, ruler)

• एतत् (etat) - this (matter) (this)

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - being asked (this) (asked, questioned)

• महाप्राज्ञ (mahāprājña) - O greatly wise one (vocative for Bhishma) (O greatly wise one, O very discerning one)

• यथावत् (yathāvat) - accurately (accurately, correctly, properly, as it is)

• वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to explain (to speak, to say, to explain)

• अर्हसि (arhasi) - you ought (to explain) (you ought, you are able, you deserve)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिरः (yudhiṣṭhiraḥ) - King Yudhishthira (Yudhishthira)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - steady in battle; name of the eldest Pandava brother

Compound type : bahuvrihi (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  noun (feminine)
  Locative singular of yudh (battle)
• sthira – steady, firm
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Subject of uvāca

उवाच (uvāca) - Yudhishthira said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

perfect active

Perfect 3rd person singular active of √vac (class 2)

Root: vac (class 2)

कीदृशम् (kīdṛśam) - what kind of (conduct) (what kind of, of what sort)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kīdṛśa

kīdṛśa - of what kind, of what appearance

From kim (what) + dṛś (like)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (kim+dṛśa)

• kim – what, who, which
  pronoun
• dṛśa – like, appearing
  adjective
  From √dṛś (to see)
  Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Agrees with vyavahāram

व्यवहारम् (vyavahāram) - (what kind of) conduct (conduct, behavior, transaction)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vyavahāra

vyavahāra - conduct, behavior, custom, transaction, usage

Derived from √hṛ with vi, ava

Prefixes: vi+ava

Root: hṛ (class 1)

Note: Object of the implicit verb (should conduct)

तु (tu) - (emphasizing the question) (but, indeed, however)

(indeclinable)

कैः (kaiḥ) - with whom (should he conduct himself) (by whom, with whom)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of kim

kim - who, what, which

Note: Refers to persons (implied)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects kīdṛśam vyavahāram and kaiḥ

व्यवहरेत् (vyavaharet) - should conduct himself (should conduct, should deal)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of √vyavahṛ

optative active

Optative 3rd person singular active of √hṛ with vi, ava

Prefixes: vi+ava

Root: hṛ (class 1)

नृपः (nṛpaḥ) - a king (king, ruler)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, ruler (lit. protector of men)

Compound type : tatpurusha (nṛ+pa)

• nṛ – man, men
  noun (masculine)
• pa – protector, ruler
  noun (masculine)
  From √pā (to protect)
  Root: pā (class 2)

Note: Subject of vyavaharet

एतत् (etat) - this (matter) (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

Note: Object of pṛṣṭaḥ

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - being asked (this) (asked, questioned)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pṛṣṭa

pṛṣṭa - asked, questioned

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of √prach (to ask)

Root: prach (class 6)

महाप्राज्ञ (mahāprājña) - O greatly wise one (vocative for Bhishma) (O greatly wise one, O very discerning one)

(adjective)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahāprājña

mahāprājña - greatly wise, very discerning

Compound type : tatpurusha (mahā+prājña)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• prājña – wise, intelligent, discerning
  adjective (masculine)
  From pra-jñā (to know well)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Addressed to Bhishma

यथावत् (yathāvat) - accurately (accurately, correctly, properly, as it is)

(indeclinable)

Note: Modifies vaktum arhasi

वक्तुम् (vaktum) - to explain (to speak, to say, to explain)

(indeclinable)

infinitive

Infinitive of √vac (class 2)

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Used with arhasi

अर्हसि (arhasi) - you ought (to explain) (you ought, you are able, you deserve)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (lat) of √arh

present active

Present 2nd person singular active of √arh (class 1)

Root: arh (class 1)

Note: Its subject is the implied 'you' (Bhishma)