महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-146, verse-20

तौ विहीनौ मया बालौ त्वया चैव ममात्मजौ ।
विनश्येतां न संदेहो मत्स्याविव जलक्षये ॥२०॥

20. tau vihīnau mayā bālau tvayā caiva mamātmajau ,
vinaśyetāṁ na saṁdeho matsyāviva jalakṣaye.

20. tau vihīnau mayā bālau tvayā ca eva mama ātmajau
vinaśyetām na saṃdehaḥ matsyau iva jalakṣaye

20. Those two children of mine, deprived of both me and you, would certainly perish, just like two fish when their water dries up.

Words meanings summery:

• तौ (tau) - those two, they two

• विहीनौ (vihīnau) - deprived, abandoned, devoid of

• मया (mayā) - by me

• बालौ (bālau) - two children, two boys

• त्वया (tvayā) - by you

• च (ca) - and, also

• एव (eva) - indeed, surely, only

• मम (mama) - my, of me

• आत्मजौ (ātmajau) - two sons, two offspring

• विनश्येताम् (vinaśyetām) - they both would perish, they both would be destroyed

• न (na) - not, no

• संदेहः (saṁdehaḥ) - doubt, uncertainty

• मत्स्यौ (matsyau) - two fish

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• जलक्षये (jalakṣaye) - in a dried-up pond (in the drying up of water, in the depletion of water)

Words meanings and morphology

तौ (tau) - those two, they two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, he, it

Note: Refers to the two sons.

विहीनौ (vihīnau) - deprived, abandoned, devoid of

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vihīna

vihīna - deprived, abandoned, devoid of

Past Passive Participle

Prefix vi + root hā + kta suffix

Prefix: vi

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'bālau' and 'ātmajau'.

मया (mayā) - by me

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of asmad

asmad - I, myself

Note: Agent of deprivation.

बालौ (bālau) - two children, two boys

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of bāla

bāla - child, boy, young

Note: Subject of 'vinaśyetām'.

त्वया (tvayā) - by you

(pronoun)

Instrumental, singular of yuṣmad

yuṣmad - you

Note: Agent of deprivation.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects 'mayā' and 'tvayā'.

एव (eva) - indeed, surely, only

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

मम (mama) - my, of me

(pronoun)

Genitive, singular of asmad

asmad - I, myself

Note: Possessive.

आत्मजौ (ātmajau) - two sons, two offspring

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of ātmaja

ātmaja - offspring, son

Derived from ātman + jan (born from self)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (ātman+ja)

• ātman – self, soul
  noun (masculine)
• ja – born, produced
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix ja from root jan
  Root: jan (class 4)

Note: Refers to the two children.

विनश्येताम् (vinaśyetām) - they both would perish, they both would be destroyed

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, optative (liṅ) of vinaś

Optative mood, 3rd dual

Prefix vi + root naś + optative ending

Prefix: vi

Root: naś (class 4)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates 'saṃdehaḥ'.

संदेहः (saṁdehaḥ) - doubt, uncertainty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of saṃdeha

saṁdeha - doubt, uncertainty

Prefix: sam

Root: dih (class 4)

मत्स्यौ (matsyau) - two fish

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of matsya

matsya - fish

Note: Subject of comparison with 'iva'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

जलक्षये (jalakṣaye) - in a dried-up pond (in the drying up of water, in the depletion of water)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of jalakṣaya

jalakṣaya - drying up of water, water scarcity

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (jala+kṣaya)

• jala – water
  noun (neuter)
• kṣaya – loss, destruction, perishing
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kṣi (class 5)

Note: Denotes the circumstance of perishing.