महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-193, verse-64

एतत्तत्त्वमहं वेद जन्म तात शिखण्डिनः ।
ततो नैनं हनिष्यामि समरेष्वाततायिनम् ॥६४॥

64. etattattvamahaṁ veda janma tāta śikhaṇḍinaḥ ,
tato nainaṁ haniṣyāmi samareṣvātatāyinam.

64. etat tattvam aham veda janma tāta śikhaṇḍinaḥ
tataḥ na enam haniṣyāmi samareṣu ātatāyinam

64. tāta,
aham śikhaṇḍinaḥ janma etat tattvam veda.
tataḥ enam ātatāyinam samareṣu na haniṣyāmi.

64. O dear one (tāta), I know this truth (tattva) regarding Shikhandin's birth. Therefore, I will not kill him, even if he is an aggressor in battles.

Words meanings summery:

• एतत् (etat) - this particular truth (this)

• तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - the true nature or fact of Shikhandin's birth (truth, reality, essence)

• अहम् (aham) - Bhishma (I)

• वेद (veda) - I am fully aware (I know)

• जन्म (janma) - the circumstances of Shikhandin's birth (birth, origin)

• तात (tāta) - address to Arjuna, implying affection and respect (O dear one, father, son)

• शिखण्डिनः (śikhaṇḍinaḥ) - belonging to Shikhandin, referring to Shikhandin (of Shikhandin)

• ततः (tataḥ) - as a consequence of knowing this truth (therefore, thence, from that)

• न (na) - negation (not, no)

• एनम् (enam) - Shikhandin (him, this one)

• हनिष्यामि (haniṣyāmi) - I will not strike down (I will kill, I shall strike)

• समरेषु (samareṣu) - in the heat of war (in battles, in conflicts)

• आततायिनम् (ātatāyinam) - even if Shikhandin attacks first or is an enemy in battle (an aggressor, an assailant)

Words meanings and morphology

एतत् (etat) - this particular truth (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this here

Note: Agrees with 'tattvam'

तत्त्वम् (tattvam) - the true nature or fact of Shikhandin's birth (truth, reality, essence)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tattva

tattva - truth, reality, principle, essence, natural state

Note: Direct object of 'veda'

अहम् (aham) - Bhishma (I)

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of asmad

asmad - I

वेद (veda) - I am fully aware (I know)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (liṭ) of vid

Perfect tense (lit) form, but often used with present meaning for this root

Root: vid (class 2)

जन्म (janma) - the circumstances of Shikhandin's birth (birth, origin)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of janman

janman - birth, origin, existence, life

Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Direct object, associated with 'tattvam'

तात (tāta) - address to Arjuna, implying affection and respect (O dear one, father, son)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of tāta

tāta - father, dear one, sir (vocative of affection or respect)

Note: Used for affectionate address, here by Bhishma to Arjuna

शिखण्डिनः (śikhaṇḍinaḥ) - belonging to Shikhandin, referring to Shikhandin (of Shikhandin)

(proper noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of śikhaṇḍin

śikhaṇḍin - Shikhandin

Note: Possessive case, referring to 'janma'

ततः (tataḥ) - as a consequence of knowing this truth (therefore, thence, from that)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially to indicate cause and effect

न (na) - negation (not, no)

(indeclinable)

एनम् (enam) - Shikhandin (him, this one)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ena

ena - this, that

Note: Refers to Shikhandin

हनिष्यामि (haniṣyāmi) - I will not strike down (I will kill, I shall strike)

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, future (lṛṭ) of han

Root: han (class 2)

समरेषु (samareṣu) - in the heat of war (in battles, in conflicts)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of samara

samara - battle, war, conflict

Root: smṛ (class 1)

Note: Locative plural, indicating location

आततायिनम् (ātatāyinam) - even if Shikhandin attacks first or is an enemy in battle (an aggressor, an assailant)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātatāyin

ātatāyin - aggressor, assailant, murderer, one who has drawn a weapon

From root tan (to stretch) with upasargas ā- (here ātatāyin- seems to be a fixed term for an aggressor, not a simple participle)

Prefix: ā

Root: tan (class 8)

Note: Agrees with 'enam' (Shikhandin)