महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-9, verse-3

भीष्म उवाच ।
यो न दद्यात्प्रतिश्रुत्य स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु ।
आशास्तस्य हताः सर्वाः क्लीबस्येव प्रजाफलम् ॥३॥

3. bhīṣma uvāca ,
yo na dadyātpratiśrutya svalpaṁ vā yadi vā bahu ,
āśāstasya hatāḥ sarvāḥ klībasyeva prajāphalam.

3. bhīṣmaḥ uvāca yaḥ na dadyāt pratiśrutya svalpam vā yadi
vā bahu āśāḥ tasya hatāḥ sarvāḥ klībasya iva prajāphalam

3. yaḥ pratiśrutya svalpam vā yadi vā bahu na dadyāt
tasya sarvāḥ āśāḥ hatāḥ klībasya prajāphalam iva

3. Bhishma said: "He who, having promised, does not give, whether it be a little or a lot, all his hopes are destroyed, just like the prospect of offspring for an impotent man."

Words meanings summery:

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• यः (yaḥ) - who, he who

• न (na) - not, no

• दद्यात् (dadyāt) - should give, would give

• प्रतिश्रुत्य (pratiśrutya) - having promised, having agreed

• स्वल्पम् (svalpam) - a little, a small amount

• वा (vā) - or

• यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

• वा (vā) - or

• बहु (bahu) - much, many, a lot

• आशाः (āśāḥ) - hopes, expectations

• तस्य (tasya) - Refers to the person who did not give. (his, of him)

• हताः (hatāḥ) - destroyed, ruined, killed

• सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all, whole, every

• क्लीबस्य (klībasya) - of an impotent man, of a eunuch

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• प्रजाफलम् (prajāphalam) - the fruit of offspring, progeny, issue

Words meanings and morphology

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhishma

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a name meaning 'terrible, formidable')

From root bhī (to fear).

Root: bhī (class 3)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (Liṭ) of vac

Perfect Active

Perfect tense (Liṭ) 3rd person singular active of root vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

यः (yaḥ) - who, he who

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

दद्यात् (dadyāt) - should give, would give

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (Liṅ) of dā

Optative Active

Optative (Liṅ) 3rd person singular active of root dā (to give, class 3).

Root: dā (class 3)

प्रतिश्रुत्य (pratiśrutya) - having promised, having agreed

(indeclinable)

Absolutive/Gerund

Absolutive form from root śru with upasarga prati.

Prefix: prati

Root: śru (class 5)

स्वल्पम् (svalpam) - a little, a small amount

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of svalpa

svalpa - small, little, trifling

Compound of su (well/good) and alpa (little). Commonly treated as a single lemma.

Note: Functions adverbially here: 'a little'.

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

यदि (yadi) - if, in case that

(indeclinable)

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

बहु (bahu) - much, many, a lot

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous, abundant

Note: Functions adverbially here: 'a lot'.

आशाः (āśāḥ) - hopes, expectations

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of āśā

āśā - hope, expectation, desire

From root aś (to reach, obtain) with prefix ā.

Prefix: ā

Root: aś (class 5)

तस्य (tasya) - Refers to the person who did not give. (his, of him)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

हताः (hatāḥ) - destroyed, ruined, killed

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of hata

hata - struck, killed, destroyed, ruined

Past Passive Participle

Past passive participle of root han (to strike, kill).

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Agrees with āśāḥ (hopes).

सर्वाः (sarvāḥ) - all, whole, every

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole, complete

Note: Agrees with āśāḥ (hopes).

क्लीबस्य (klībasya) - of an impotent man, of a eunuch

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of klība

klība - impotent, eunuch; a hermaphrodite

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Used for comparison.

प्रजाफलम् (prajāphalam) - the fruit of offspring, progeny, issue

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of prajāphala

prajāphala - fruit of offspring, progeny, result of procreation

Tatpuruṣa compound of prajā (offspring) and phala (fruit).

Compound type : tatpurusha (prajā+phala)

• prajā – offspring, progeny, creature, people
  noun (feminine)
  From root jan with prefix pra.
  Prefix: pra
  Root: jan (class 4)
• phala – fruit, result, consequence
  noun (neuter)

Note: It's the object of comparison.