Words Well Worth 3: Hit Him Hard, Talk Still Sweet Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

Hit him hard vouching sweet li'le vague words,
Even on hitting, wail, wail like birds,
Ye might well shatter head,
Lament still at the dead,
Split milk still can be good sweet-sour curds.
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The transliteration of the subhāśhita is given below:

prahariśhyan priyam brūyāt prahŗtya api priya-uttaram |
api cha asya shirah ċhittvā rudyāt shochet tathā api cha ||

This verse is part of nīti-shāstra, state craft or policy. Negotiate sweetly with your enemy, but at the first opportunity hit him hard; continue to talk sweet, even after shattering the enemy's head, regret at what happened.

prahariśhyan: on attacking, hitting; on killing/destroying; priyam: pleasing, soothing, sweet (words): brūyāt: one should speak; prahŗtya api: even after killing (him): priyottaram: still better/sweeter (words)apicha: and even; asya: his; shirah: head; ċhittvā: cutting asunder; beheading; rudyāt: one should cry/weep; shochet: one should grieve/lament, express grief; tathā api cha: and even after that

Topic: remember, policy, strategy