महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-76, verse-16

न चैतदद्भुतं कृष्ण मित्रार्थे यच्चिकीर्षसि ।
क्रिया कथं नु मुख्या स्यान्मृदुना वेतरेण वा ॥१६॥

16. na caitadadbhutaṁ kṛṣṇa mitrārthe yaccikīrṣasi ,
kriyā kathaṁ nu mukhyā syānmṛdunā vetareṇa vā.

16. na ca etat adbhutam kṛṣṇa mitrārthe yat cikīrṣasi
kriyā katham nu mukhyā syāt mṛdunā vā itareṇa vā

16. And this is not surprising, O Krishna, what you intend to do for the sake of a friend. But how indeed could the primary action be accomplished, whether by gentle means or by severe means?

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• च (ca) - and, also

• एतत् (etat) - this

• अद्भुतम् (adbhutam) - amazing, astonishing, wonderful

• कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) - O Krishna

• मित्रार्थे (mitrārthe) - for the sake of a friend

• यत् (yat) - what, that which

• चिकीर्षसि (cikīrṣasi) - you wish to do, you intend to do

• क्रिया (kriyā) - action, deed, ritual, performance

• कथम् (katham) - how?

• नु (nu) - indeed, now, then

• मुख्या (mukhyā) - primary, main, chief, principal

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be, might be, should be

• मृदुना (mṛdunā) - by gentle means, by gentleness

• वा (vā) - or

• इतरेण (itareṇa) - by the other (means), by severe means

• वा (vā) - or

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

एतत् (etat) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etas

etas - this, that

Demonstrative pronoun.

अद्भुतम् (adbhutam) - amazing, astonishing, wonderful

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of adbhuta

adbhuta - wonderful, astonishing, marvellous, supernatural

कृष्ण (kṛṣṇa) - O Krishna

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of kṛṣṇa

kṛṣṇa - Krishna, dark, black

मित्रार्थे (mitrārthe) - for the sake of a friend

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of mitrārtha

mitrārtha - friend's purpose, for a friend's sake

Compound: mitra (friend) + artha (purpose, sake).

Compound type : tatpurusha (mitra+artha)

• mitra – friend, companion
  noun (masculine)
• artha – purpose, aim, object, sake
  noun (masculine)

यत् (yat) - what, that which

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of yat

yat - which, what, that

चिकीर्षसि (cikīrṣasi) - you wish to do, you intend to do

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (lat) of cikīrṣ

Desiderative verb

Desiderative stem of root kṛ (to do), meaning 'to wish to do'.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

क्रिया (kriyā) - action, deed, ritual, performance

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of kriyā

kriyā - action, deed, activity, performance, rite

From root kṛ (to do).

Root: kṛ (class 8)

कथम् (katham) - how?

(indeclinable)

नु (nu) - indeed, now, then

(indeclinable)

मुख्या (mukhyā) - primary, main, chief, principal

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of mukhya

mukhya - chief, principal, main, foremost

From mukha (face, front).

स्यात् (syāt) - would be, might be, should be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

मृदुना (mṛdunā) - by gentle means, by gentleness

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, gentle, tender, mild

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

इतरेण (itareṇa) - by the other (means), by severe means

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of itara

itara - other, another, different, rest

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)