महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-41, verse-40

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
कथं जयेयं संग्रामे भवन्तमपराजितम् ।
एतन्मे मन्त्रय हितं यदि श्रेयः प्रपश्यसि ॥४०॥

40. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kathaṁ jayeyaṁ saṁgrāme bhavantamaparājitam ,
etanme mantraya hitaṁ yadi śreyaḥ prapaśyasi.

40. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kathaṃ jayeyaṃ saṃgrāme bhavantam
aparājitam etat me mantraya hitam yadi śreyaḥ prapaśyasi

40. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: saṃgrāme aparājitam bhavantam kathaṃ jayeyaṃ? yadi śreyaḥ prapaśyasi,
etat me hitam mantraya.

40. Yudhishthira said: "How can I defeat you, the unconquered, in battle? Please advise me on what is beneficial in this regard, if you perceive it as the supreme welfare."

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what manner

• जयेयं (jayeyaṁ) - may I conquer, how can I conquer

• संग्रामे (saṁgrāme) - in battle, in war

• भवन्तम् (bhavantam) - Refers to Bhishma. (you (respectful form))

• अपराजितम् (aparājitam) - Refers to Bhishma. (unconquered, undefeated)

• एतत् (etat) - Refers to the matter of defeating Bhishma. (this)

• मे (me) - to me, for me, my

• मन्त्रय (mantraya) - advise, counsel

• हितम् (hitam) - beneficial, good, proper

• यदि (yadi) - if

• श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - welfare, good, prosperity, ultimate good

• प्रपश्यसि (prapaśyasi) - you see, you perceive

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhishthira

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhishthira (a proper name, the eldest Pandava brother)

Compound 'yudhi' (in battle) + 'sthira' (firm).

Compound type : aluk-tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  indeclinable (feminine)
  Locative singular of 'yudh' (battle).
• sthira – firm, steady, stable
  adjective (masculine)
  From root 'sthā' (to stand).
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect Active

Root 'vac' (2nd class, Adadi) forms 'uvāca' in Perfect active, 3rd person singular.

Root: vac (class 2)

कथं (kathaṁ) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

जयेयं (jayeyaṁ) - may I conquer, how can I conquer

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of ji

Optative Active

Root 'ji' (1st class, bhvādi) forms 'jayeyaṃ' in Optative active, 1st person singular.

Root: ji (class 1)

Note: Expresses potential or desire.

संग्रामे (saṁgrāme) - in battle, in war

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃgrāma

saṁgrāma - battle, war, combat

From 'sam' + 'grām' (to go, meet).

Prefix: sam

Root: gram (class 1)

भवन्तम् (bhavantam) - Refers to Bhishma. (you (respectful form))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of bhavat

bhavat - you (respectful), being, existing

Present Active Participle

Present active participle of root 'bhū' (to be, become). Used as a respectful pronoun.

Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Used as an honorific for the 2nd person.

अपराजितम् (aparājitam) - Refers to Bhishma. (unconquered, undefeated)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of aparājita

aparājita - unconquered, undefeated

Past Passive Participle (negated)

Compound of 'a' (negation) and 'parājita' (defeated). 'Parājita' is a Past Passive Participle of 'parā-ji' (to conquer, defeat).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+parājita)

• a – not, un-
  indeclinable
• parājita – defeated, conquered
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Past Passive Participle of 'parā-ji' (to conquer, defeat).
  Prefix: parā
  Root: ji (class 1)

Note: It qualifies 'bhavantam'.

एतत् (etat) - Refers to the matter of defeating Bhishma. (this)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this one

मे (me) - to me, for me, my

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me

Note: Enclitic form of 'aham' (I). Can be dative or genitive. Here, 'to me' or 'for me'.

मन्त्रय (mantraya) - advise, counsel

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of mantr

Imperative Active

Root 'mantr' (10th class, curādi) forms 'mantraya' in Imperative active, 2nd person singular.

Root: mantr (class 10)

हितम् (hitam) - beneficial, good, proper

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of hita

hita - beneficial, good, placed, suitable

Past Passive Participle

Past Passive Participle of root 'dhā' (to place, put) with prefix 'hi' (usually 'hita' is related to 'dhā' via 'dhā' > 'hita'). Also means 'good' as a general adjective.

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'etat'. Can also function as a noun ('that which is beneficial').

यदि (yadi) - if

(indeclinable)

Note: Conditional conjunction.

श्रेयः (śreyaḥ) - welfare, good, prosperity, ultimate good

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śreyas

śreyas - welfare, good, prosperity, ultimate good, better

Comparative form of 'śrī' or 'praśasta'.

Note: It can also be an adjective meaning 'better'. Here, it functions as a noun.

प्रपश्यसि (prapaśyasi) - you see, you perceive

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of paś

Present Active

Root 'dṛś' (1st class, bhvādi) which takes 'paśya' stem in Present. With prefix 'pra'. Forms 'prapaśyasi' in Present active, 2nd person singular.

Prefix: pra

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Root 'dṛś' changes to 'paśya' stem in the present tense.