महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-134, verse-3

बन्द्युवाच ।
व्याघ्रं शयानं प्रति मा प्रबोधय आशीविषं सृक्किणी लेलिहानम् ।
पदाहतस्येव शिरोऽभिहत्य नादष्टो वै मोक्ष्यसे तन्निबोध ॥३॥

3. bandyuvāca ,
vyāghraṁ śayānaṁ prati mā prabodhaya; āśīviṣaṁ sṛkkiṇī lelihānam ,
padāhatasyeva śiro'bhihatya; nādaṣṭo vai mokṣyase tannibodha.

3. bandiḥ uvāca vyāghram śayānam prati
mā prabodhay āśīviṣam sṛkkiṇī
lelihānam padāhatasya iva śiraḥ abhihatya
na adaṣṭaḥ vai mokṣyase tat nibodha

3. Bandi said: "Do not awaken a sleeping tiger, nor a venomous serpent licking the corners of its mouth. If you strike its head—like one (serpent) that has been trampled underfoot—you will certainly not escape without being bitten. Understand that."

Words meanings summery:

• बन्दिः (bandiḥ) - Bandi (the person's name) (bard, eulogist)

• उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

• व्याघ्रम् (vyāghram) - (like) a tiger (Bandi referring to himself) (tiger)

• शयानम् (śayānam) - sleeping (sleeping, lying down)

• प्रति (prati) - (used for emphasis with prohibition, or as a general intensifier) (towards, against, regarding)

• मा (mā) - do not (prohibitive) (do not)

• प्रबोधय् (prabodhay) - awaken (me) (awaken)

• आशीविषम् (āśīviṣam) - (like) a venomous serpent (Bandi referring to himself) (venomous snake, cobra)

• सृक्किणी (sṛkkiṇī) - corners of its mouth (referring to the snake) (corners of the mouth)

• लेलिहानम् (lelihānam) - licking (its mouth) (licking)

• पदाहतस्य (padāhatasya) - of one (serpent) trampled underfoot (of one struck by a foot)

• इव (iva) - like (like, as)

• शिरः (śiraḥ) - (my) head (the serpent's head) (head)

• अभिहत्य (abhihatya) - having struck (my head) (having struck, having hit)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• अदष्टः (adaṣṭaḥ) - unbitten (unbitten, not bitten)

• वै (vai) - certainly (indeed, certainly, truly)

• मोक्ष्यसे (mokṣyase) - you will escape (you will be freed, you will escape)

• तत् (tat) - that (this truth) (that, therefore)

• निबोध (nibodha) - understand (this fact) (understand, know, perceive)

Words meanings and morphology

बन्दिः (bandiḥ) - Bandi (the person's name) (bard, eulogist)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bandin

bandin - bard, eulogist, praiser

Note: The speaker of the verse.

उवाच (uvāca) - said (said, spoke)

(verb)

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

Perfect Tense

Perfect 3rd singular of root vac

Root: vac (class 2)

व्याघ्रम् (vyāghram) - (like) a tiger (Bandi referring to himself) (tiger)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vyāghra

vyāghra - tiger, cheetah

शयानम् (śayānam) - sleeping (sleeping, lying down)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śayāna

śayāna - sleeping, lying down, dormant

Present Participle (Ātmanepada)

Present participle of root śī (to sleep)

Root: śī (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'vyāghram'.

प्रति (prati) - (used for emphasis with prohibition, or as a general intensifier) (towards, against, regarding)

(indeclinable)

मा (mā) - do not (prohibitive) (do not)

(indeclinable)

Note: Always used with the aorist or imperative to express prohibition.

प्रबोधय् (prabodhay) - awaken (me) (awaken)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of pra-budh

Causative Imperative Mood

Causative form of root budh (1st class, Parasmaipada) with prefix pra

Prefix: pra

Root: budh (class 1)

आशीविषम् (āśīviṣam) - (like) a venomous serpent (Bandi referring to himself) (venomous snake, cobra)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of āśīviṣa

āśīviṣa - venomous snake, cobra, one whose poison is in its fangs

Compound: āśī (fangs) + viṣa (poison), meaning 'poison-fanged'

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (āśī+viṣa)

• āśī – fang, tooth
  noun (feminine)
• viṣa – poison, venom
  noun (neuter)

Note: Used as a metaphor for Bandi.

सृक्किणी (sṛkkiṇī) - corners of its mouth (referring to the snake) (corners of the mouth)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, dual of sṛkkiṇī

sṛkkiṇī - corner of the mouth, angle of the lips

Note: Dual form implies both corners of the mouth.

लेलिहानम् (lelihānam) - licking (its mouth) (licking)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of lelihāna

lelihāna - licking, lapping

Intensive Participle

Intensive/Frequentative participle (Śānac) of root lih (to lick)

Root: lih (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'āśīviṣam'.

पदाहतस्य (padāhatasya) - of one (serpent) trampled underfoot (of one struck by a foot)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of padāhata

padāhata - kicked, struck by a foot, trampled

Past Passive Participle

Tatpuruṣa compound: pada (foot) + āhata (struck), PPP of ā-han

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pada+āhata)

• pada – foot, step, word
  noun (neuter)
• āhata – struck, hit, wounded
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  PPP of ā-han
  Prefix: ā
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: Refers to the provoked serpent (Bandi).

इव (iva) - like (like, as)

(indeclinable)

शिरः (śiraḥ) - (my) head (the serpent's head) (head)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śiras

śiras - head, top, peak

Note: Object of 'abhihatya'.

अभिहत्य (abhihatya) - having struck (my head) (having struck, having hit)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Absolutive form of root han (2nd class, Parasmaipada) with prefix abhi

Prefix: abhi

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Implies the action performed by the king (the implied subject of mokṣyase).

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

अदष्टः (adaṣṭaḥ) - unbitten (unbitten, not bitten)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adaṣṭa

adaṣṭa - unbitten, not stung

Negative Past Passive Participle

Negative compound of 'a' + daṣṭa (PPP of root daṃś, to bite)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+daṣṭa)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• daṣṭa – bitten, stung
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  PPP of root daṃś
  Root: daṃś (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implied subject 'you' (the king).

वै (vai) - certainly (indeed, certainly, truly)

(indeclinable)

मोक्ष्यसे (mokṣyase) - you will escape (you will be freed, you will escape)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, future (lṛṭ) of muc

Future Tense

From root muc (6th class, Ātmanepada)

Root: muc (class 6)

तत् (tat) - that (this truth) (that, therefore)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Object of 'nibodha'.

निबोध (nibodha) - understand (this fact) (understand, know, perceive)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of ni-budh

Imperative Mood

From root budh (1st class, Parasmaipada) with prefix ni

Prefix: ni

Root: budh (class 1)