महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-193, verse-65

यदि भीष्मः स्त्रियं हन्याद्धन्यादात्मानमप्युत ।
नैनं तस्माद्धनिष्यामि दृष्ट्वापि समरे स्थितम् ॥६५॥

65. yadi bhīṣmaḥ striyaṁ hanyāddhanyādātmānamapyuta ,
nainaṁ tasmāddhaniṣyāmi dṛṣṭvāpi samare sthitam.

65. yadi bhīṣmaḥ striyam hanyāt hanyāt ātmānam api uta
na enam tasmāt haniṣyāmi dṛṣṭvā api samare sthitam

65. yadi bhīṣmaḥ striyam hanyāt,
hanyāt ātmānam api uta.
tasmāt enam samare sthitam dṛṣṭvā api na haniṣyāmi.

65. If Bhishma were to kill a woman, he would effectively kill his own self (ātman). Therefore, I will not kill him, even seeing him standing in battle.

Words meanings summery:

• यदि (yadi) - introducing a conditional clause (if)

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - The speaker, referring to himself in the third person (Bhishma)

• स्त्रियम् (striyam) - any female individual, referring to the class of people Bhishma vowed not to fight (a woman)

• हन्यात् (hanyāt) - if he were to kill (a woman), violating his vow (he would kill, he should kill)

• हन्यात् (hanyāt) - he would also effectively kill (he would kill, he should kill)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his own self (ātman), implying a violation of his core being or natural law (dharma) (oneself, the self, the soul)

• अपि (api) - emphasizing the dire consequence (even, also)

• उत (uta) - emphasizes the preceding 'api', meaning 'even, certainly' (and, or, even, indeed)

• न (na) - negation (not, no)

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

• तस्मात् (tasmāt) - because of the above-stated principle (not killing women) (therefore, from that, for that reason)

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

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - even upon seeing (him) (having seen)

• अपि (api) - emphasizing the circumstance (even if I see him) (even, also)

• समरे (samare) - in the battlefield (in battle, in conflict)

• स्थितम् (sthitam) - standing ready for battle (standing, situated, present)

Words meanings and morphology

यदि (yadi) - introducing a conditional clause (if)

(indeclinable)

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - The speaker, referring to himself in the third person (Bhishma)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhishma (a prominent character in the Mahabharata)

Note: Subject of the conditional clause

स्त्रियम् (striyam) - any female individual, referring to the class of people Bhishma vowed not to fight (a woman)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of strī

strī - woman, female, wife

Note: Direct object of 'hanyāt'

हन्यात् (hanyāt) - if he were to kill (a woman), violating his vow (he would kill, he should kill)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of han

Root: han (class 2)

हन्यात् (hanyāt) - he would also effectively kill (he would kill, he should kill)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of han

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Main verb of the consequence clause

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his own self (ātman), implying a violation of his core being or natural law (dharma) (oneself, the self, the soul)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, vital breath

Note: Direct object of 'hanyāt'

अपि (api) - emphasizing the dire consequence (even, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Enclitic particle

उत (uta) - emphasizes the preceding 'api', meaning 'even, certainly' (and, or, even, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Note: Often combined with 'api' for emphasis.

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

तस्मात् (tasmāt) - because of the above-stated principle (not killing women) (therefore, from that, for that reason)

(pronoun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Ablative used adverbially to mean 'therefore'

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)

दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā) - even upon seeing (him) (having seen)

(indeclinable)

absolutive

Indeclinable past participle (gerund)

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Absolutive (gerund)

अपि (api) - emphasizing the circumstance (even if I see him) (even, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used with absolutives for emphasis

समरे (samare) - in the battlefield (in battle, in conflict)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of samara

samara - battle, war, conflict

Root: smṛ (class 1)

Note: Locative case, indicating location

स्थितम् (sthitam) - standing ready for battle (standing, situated, present)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sthita

sthita - standing, situated, abiding, present

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root sthā (to stand)

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Past Passive Participle functioning as an adjective