महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-1, verse-28

वाचा युद्धे प्रवृत्ते नो वाचैव प्रतियोधनम् ।
निष्क्रान्तः पृतनामध्यान्न हन्तव्यः कथंचन ॥२८॥

28. vācā yuddhe pravṛtte no vācaiva pratiyodhanam ,
niṣkrāntaḥ pṛtanāmadhyānna hantavyaḥ kathaṁcana.

28. vācā yuddhe pravṛtte naḥ vācā eva pratiyodhanam
niṣkrāntaḥ pṛtanāmadhyāt na hantavyaḥ kathaṃcana

28. naḥ yuddhe vācā pravṛtte vācā eva pratiyodhanam
pṛtanāmadhyāt niṣkrāntaḥ kathaṃcana na hantavyaḥ

28. If our battle (yuddha) commences with words, the counter-engagement must also be with words. One who has emerged from the midst of the army must not be killed under any circumstances.

Words meanings summery:

• वाचा (vācā) - with words (by speech, with words, by voice)

• युद्धे (yuddhe) - in battle (yuddha) (in battle, in war)

• प्रवृत्ते (pravṛtte) - when begun (begun, commenced, engaged in, occurred)

• नः (naḥ) - our (our, to us)

• वाचा (vācā) - with words (by speech, with words, by voice)

• एव (eva) - also, only (indeed, just, only)

• प्रतियोधनम् (pratiyodhanam) - the counter-engagement (counter-battle, counter-engagement)

• निष्क्रान्तः (niṣkrāntaḥ) - one who has emerged (come out, gone forth, emerged)

• पृतनामध्यात् (pṛtanāmadhyāt) - from the midst of the army

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• हन्तव्यः (hantavyaḥ) - must not be killed (to be killed, ought to be killed)

• कथंचन (kathaṁcana) - under any circumstances (by any means, in any way, under any circumstances)

Words meanings and morphology

वाचा (vācā) - with words (by speech, with words, by voice)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of vāc

vāc - speech, word, voice

युद्धे (yuddhe) - in battle (yuddha) (in battle, in war)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of yuddha

yuddha - battle, fight, war

past passive participle

from root yudh (to fight)

Root: yudh (class 4)

प्रवृत्ते (pravṛtte) - when begun (begun, commenced, engaged in, occurred)

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of pravṛtta

pravṛtta - begun, commenced, occurred, engaged in, proceeded

past passive participle

from root vṛt (to turn) with prefix pra (forth, forward)

Prefix: pra

Root: vṛt (class 1)

नः (naḥ) - our (our, to us)

(pronoun)

Genitive, plural of asmad

asmad - I, we (pronoun)

Note: Also found as dative plural

वाचा (vācā) - with words (by speech, with words, by voice)

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of vāc

vāc - speech, word, voice

एव (eva) - also, only (indeed, just, only)

(indeclinable)

प्रतियोधनम् (pratiyodhanam) - the counter-engagement (counter-battle, counter-engagement)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pratiyodhana

pratiyodhana - a return fight, fighting back, retaliation in battle

Prefix: prati

Root: yudh (class 4)

निष्क्रान्तः (niṣkrāntaḥ) - one who has emerged (come out, gone forth, emerged)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of niṣkrānta

niṣkrānta - gone out, come forth, emerged

past passive participle

from root kram (to step) with prefix nis (out)

Prefix: nis

Root: kram (class 1)

पृतनामध्यात् (pṛtanāmadhyāt) - from the midst of the army

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of pṛtanāmadhya

pṛtanāmadhya - the middle of an army, midst of a battle

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pṛtanā+madhya)

• pṛtanā – army, battle, host
  noun (feminine)
• madhya – middle, center, midst
  noun (neuter)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

हन्तव्यः (hantavyaḥ) - must not be killed (to be killed, ought to be killed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hantavya

hantavya - to be killed, fit to be killed, ought to be killed

gerundive (future passive participle)

from root han (to strike, to kill) with suffix -tavya

Root: han (class 2)

कथंचन (kathaṁcana) - under any circumstances (by any means, in any way, under any circumstances)

(indeclinable)