महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-4, verse-5

गर्दभे मार्दवं कुर्याद्गोषु तीक्ष्णं समाचरेत् ।
मृदु दुर्योधने वाक्यं यो ब्रूयात्पापचेतसि ॥५॥

5. gardabhe mārdavaṁ kuryādgoṣu tīkṣṇaṁ samācaret ,
mṛdu duryodhane vākyaṁ yo brūyātpāpacetasi.

5. gardabhe mārdavam kuryāt goṣu tīkṣṇam samācaret
| mṛdu duryodhane vākyam yaḥ brūyāt pāpacetasi

5. It would be like showing gentleness to a donkey and sharpness to cows; therefore, whoever speaks gentle words to Duryodhana, who possesses an evil mind (pāpacetas), acts mistakenly.

Words meanings summery:

• गर्दभे (gardabhe) - towards a donkey (to/in a donkey)

• मार्दवम् (mārdavam) - gentleness (gentleness, softness)

• कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - one should show (one should do/make)

• गोषु (goṣu) - towards cows (to/in cows, among cows)

• तीक्ष्णम् (tīkṣṇam) - sharply, harshness (sharp, harsh, keen)

• समाचरेत् (samācaret) - one should behave (sharply) (one should behave/act)

• मृदु (mṛdu) - gentle (soft, gentle)

• दुर्योधने (duryodhane) - to Duryodhana (to/in Duryodhana)

• वाक्यम् (vākyam) - words (word, speech, sentence)

• यः (yaḥ) - whoever (who, whoever)

• ब्रूयात् (brūyāt) - speaks (as an action, not necessarily an injunction) (one should speak/say)

• पापचेतसि (pāpacetasi) - who possesses an evil mind (pāpacetas) (in one with an evil mind, to one with an evil mind)

Words meanings and morphology

गर्दभे (gardabhe) - towards a donkey (to/in a donkey)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of gardabha

gardabha - donkey, ass

Note: Used idiomatically with 'kuryāt' meaning 'show towards'.

मार्दवम् (mārdavam) - gentleness (gentleness, softness)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of mārdava

mārdava - softness, gentleness, mildness, tenderness

Derived from mṛdu (soft) with suffix -a

Note: Object of 'kuryāt'.

कुर्यात् (kuryāt) - one should show (one should do/make)

(verb)

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

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Impersonal 'one' as subject.

गोषु (goṣu) - towards cows (to/in cows, among cows)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, ox, cattle, ray of light

Note: Used idiomatically with 'samācaret' meaning 'show towards'.

तीक्ष्णम् (tīkṣṇam) - sharply, harshness (sharp, harsh, keen)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tīkṣṇa

tīkṣṇa - sharp, keen, harsh, severe, hot, pungent

Note: Used adverbially.

समाचरेत् (samācaret) - one should behave (sharply) (one should behave/act)

(verb)

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

Prefixes: sam+ā

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Impersonal 'one' as subject.

मृदु (mṛdu) - gentle (soft, gentle)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, gentle, tender, mild, delicate

Note: Qualifies 'vākyam'.

दुर्योधने (duryodhane) - to Duryodhana (to/in Duryodhana)

(proper noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of duryodhana

duryodhana - Duryodhana (proper name)

Note: Recipient of the speech.

वाक्यम् (vākyam) - words (word, speech, sentence)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vākya

vākya - word, speech, sentence, statement

Note: Object of 'brūyāt'.

यः (yaḥ) - whoever (who, whoever)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what, whoever

Note: Subject of 'brūyāt'.

ब्रूयात् (brūyāt) - speaks (as an action, not necessarily an injunction) (one should speak/say)

(verb)

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

Root: brū (class 2)

Note: Used in a conditional sense (whoever 'were to' speak).

पापचेतसि (pāpacetasi) - who possesses an evil mind (pāpacetas) (in one with an evil mind, to one with an evil mind)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of pāpacetas

pāpacetas - evil-minded, having a wicked heart or mind

Compound type : bahuvrihi (pāpa+cetas)

• pāpa – evil, bad, wicked, sin
  adjective (neuter)
• cetas – mind, intellect, heart, consciousness
  noun (neuter)
  Root: cit (class 1)

Note: Qualifies Duryodhana.