2.10
तमुवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन्निव भारत ।
सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये विषीदन्तमिदं वचः ॥
tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva bhārata
senayor ubhayor madhye viṣīdantam idaṃ vacaḥ
Sañjaya (सञ्जय) is still speaking to the king he calls bhārata (भारत), and the speech he announces is Kṛṣṇa's (कृष्ण), beginning at 2.11.
The verse
Hṛṣīkeśa (हृषीकेश), almost smiling, spoke this word to the despairing man, O Bhārata, in the middle of both armies.
नेपालीमा
हे भारत, हृषीकेशले दुवै सेनाको बीचमा निराश मानिसलाई मुस्कुराएझैँ यो वचन भन्नुभयो।
Where it sits
The friend's stretch ends between the armies, with a smile that is almost a smile, after Arjuna has asked to be taught and said he will not fight. The word that answers him starts at 2.11.
Split: तम् + उवाच + हृषीकेशः + प्रहसन् + इव + भारत + सेनयोः + उभयोः + मध्ये + विषीदन्तम् + इदम् + वचः
tam + uvāca + hṛṣīkeśaḥ + prahasan + iva + bhārata + senayoḥ + ubhayoḥ + madhye + viṣīdantam + idam + vacaḥ
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| तम् | tam | accusative | him. The despairing man. |
| उवाच | uvāca | perfect, 3rd singular | he said. |
| हृषीकेशः | hṛṣīkeśaḥ | nominative | Hṛṣīkeśa (हृषीकेश). |
| प्रहसन् | prahasan | nominative, present participle of pra-has (प्र-हस्) | smiling, breaking into a smile. |
| इव | iva | indeclinable | as if, almost. |
| भारत | bhārata | vocative | descendant of Bharata (भरत). Here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra (धृतराष्ट्र). |
| सेनयोः | senayoḥ | genitive dual of senā (सेना) | of the two armies. |
| उभयोः | ubhayoḥ | genitive dual | of both. |
| मध्ये | madhye | locative | in the middle. |
| विषीदन्तम् | viṣīdantam | accusative | the despairing one. |
| इदम् | idam | accusative | this. |
| वचः | vacaḥ | accusative of vacas (वचस्) | word, speech. |
The phrases
तम् उवाच हृषीकेशः प्रहसन् इव tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann iva is the act. Hṛṣīkeśa (हृषीकेश) spoke to him, almost smiling. प्रहसन् + इव prahasan + iva is prahasann iva (प्रहसन्निव). bhārata (भारत) turns the verse toward the king in the palace, over the top of the chariot.
senayoḥ ubhayoḥ madhye (सेनयोः उभयोः मध्ये) is the place. In the middle of both armies. The place he asked the chariot to be set.
विषीदन्तम् इदम् वचः viṣīdantam idam vacaḥ is who hears, and what is said. This speech, to the despairing man. The speech is the next verse. vacaḥ (वचः) is the noun. Do not confuse it with the verb uvāca (उवाच) in the first line.
Sanskrit in this line
oḥ (ओः) before a voiced sound becomes or (ओर्). सेनयोः + उभयोः senayoḥ + ubhayoḥ is सेनयोर् उभयोः senayor ubhayoḥ, and उभयोः + मध्ये ubhayoḥ + madhye is ubhayor madhye (उभयोर् मध्ये). You hear senayor ubhayor madhye (सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये). Both words are genitive dual. Drop either dual and the two armies become one army, or a vague "between."
Say it back
Who spoke, the almost-smile, and the place. Both duals.