महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-90, verse-12

यत्र सूक्तं दुरुक्तं च समं स्यान्मधुसूदन ।
न तत्र प्रलपेत्प्राज्ञो बधिरेष्विव गायनः ॥१२॥

12. yatra sūktaṁ duruktaṁ ca samaṁ syānmadhusūdana ,
na tatra pralapetprājño badhireṣviva gāyanaḥ.

12. yatra sūktam duruktam ca samam syāt madhusūdana
na tatra pralapet prājñaḥ badhireṣu iva gāyanaḥ

12. O Madhusūdana, where both well-spoken and ill-spoken words are considered the same, a wise person should not speak there, just as a singer would not sing among the deaf.

Words meanings summery:

• यत्र (yatra) - where

• सूक्तम् (sūktam) - well-spoken words, good words, fine speech

• दुरुक्तम् (duruktam) - ill-spoken words, harsh words, bad speech

• च (ca) - and

• समम् (samam) - equal, the same

• स्यात् (syāt) - would be, might be

• मधुसूदन (madhusūdana) - O Madhusūdana

• न (na) - not

• तत्र (tatra) - there, in that case

• प्रलपेत् (pralapet) - should speak, should prattle

• प्राज्ञः (prājñaḥ) - a wise person

• बधिरेषु (badhireṣu) - among the deaf, to the deaf

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• गायनः (gāyanaḥ) - a singer

Words meanings and morphology

यत्र (yatra) - where

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative with 'tatra'.

सूक्तम् (sūktam) - well-spoken words, good words, fine speech

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sūkta

sūkta - well-spoken, eloquent speech, hymn

Past Passive Participle

From root vac with prefix su, then kta suffix, used as a noun.

Compound type : pradi-tatpurusha (su+ukta)

• su – well, good, easy
  indeclinable
• ukta – spoken, said
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root vac + kta suffix.
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Subject of the clause.

दुरुक्तम् (duruktam) - ill-spoken words, harsh words, bad speech

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of durukta

durukta - ill-spoken, offensive speech

Past Passive Participle

From root vac with prefix dur, then kta suffix, used as a noun.

Compound type : pradi-tatpurusha (dur+ukta)

• dur – bad, difficult, ill
  indeclinable
• ukta – spoken, said
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root vac + kta suffix.
  Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Subject of the clause.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

समम् (samam) - equal, the same

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of sama

sama - equal, same, uniform, even

Note: Predicate adjective for 'sūktam' and 'duruktam'.

स्यात् (syāt) - would be, might be

(verb)

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

Root: as (class 2)

मधुसूदन (madhusūdana) - O Madhusūdana

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of madhusūdana

madhusūdana - Madhusūdana (a name of Kṛṣṇa, slayer of the demon Madhu)

Note: Addressed to Kṛṣṇa.

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

तत्र (tatra) - there, in that case

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative with 'yatra'.

प्रलपेत् (pralapet) - should speak, should prattle

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of pralap

From root lap with prefix pra.

Prefix: pra

Root: lap (class 1)

प्राज्ञः (prājñaḥ) - a wise person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prājña

prājña - wise, intelligent, expert, a wise man

From prajñā + aṇ suffix.

Note: Subject of 'pralapet'.

बधिरेषु (badhireṣu) - among the deaf, to the deaf

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of badhira

badhira - deaf

Note: Used as a noun meaning 'deaf people'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

गायनः (gāyanaḥ) - a singer

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of gāyana

gāyana - singer, one who sings

Agent noun

From root gai + lyuṭ (ana) suffix.

Root: gai (class 1)

Note: Subject in the simile.