महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-163, verse-16

तत्क्षुधार्तैर्निरानन्दैः शवभूतैस्तदा नरैः ।
अभवत्प्रेतराजस्य पुरं प्रेतैरिवावृतम् ॥१६॥

16. tatkṣudhārtairnirānandaiḥ śavabhūtaistadā naraiḥ ,
abhavatpretarājasya puraṁ pretairivāvṛtam.

16. tat kṣudhārtaiḥ nirānandaiḥ śavabhūtaiḥ tadā naraiḥ
abhavat pretarājasya puram pretaiḥ iva āvṛtam

16. Then, that city became filled with people who were tormented by hunger, devoid of joy, and resembled corpses. It was as if it had become the city of Yama, the king of ghosts, overrun by spirits.

Words meanings summery:

• तत् (tat) - that city/kingdom (that)

• क्षुधार्तैः (kṣudhārtaiḥ) - by those afflicted by hunger, by the hungry

• निरानन्दैः (nirānandaiḥ) - by those without joy, by the joyless

• शवभूतैः (śavabhūtaiḥ) - by those who had become corpses, by the corpse-like

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• नरैः (naraiḥ) - by men, by people

• अभवत् (abhavat) - it became, it was

• प्रेतराजस्य (pretarājasya) - of Yama, the king of ghosts (of the king of ghosts, of Yama)

• पुरम् (puram) - city, town

• प्रेतैः (pretaiḥ) - by ghosts, by departed spirits

• इव (iva) - as if, like, similar to

• आवृतम् (āvṛtam) - covered, surrounded, filled

Words meanings and morphology

तत् (tat) - that city/kingdom (that)

(pronoun)

neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

क्षुधार्तैः (kṣudhārtaiḥ) - by those afflicted by hunger, by the hungry

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of kṣudhārta

kṣudhārta - afflicted by hunger, hungry

Tatpuruṣa compound: kṣudhā (by hunger) + ārta (afflicted).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kṣudhā+ārta)

• kṣudhā – hunger
  noun (feminine)
• ārta – afflicted, distressed, suffering
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'ṛ' (to go, to move) + kt suffix, indicating a state of being reached or afflicted.
  Root: ṛ (class 1)

निरानन्दैः (nirānandaiḥ) - by those without joy, by the joyless

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of nirānanda

nirānanda - joyless, devoid of happiness

Bahuvrihi compound: nir (without) + ānanda (joy), meaning 'one who is without joy'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nir+ānanda)

• nir – without, out of
  indeclinable
• ānanda – joy, happiness, delight
  noun (masculine)

शवभूतैः (śavabhūtaiḥ) - by those who had become corpses, by the corpse-like

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of śavabhūta

śavabhūta - become a corpse, corpse-like

Tatpuruṣa compound: śava (corpse) + bhūta (become).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śava+bhūta)

• śava – corpse, dead body
  noun (masculine)
• bhūta – become, been, past, being, creature
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'bhū' (to be, to become) + kt suffix.
  Root: bhū (class 1)

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

नरैः (naraiḥ) - by men, by people

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of nara

nara - man, human being, person

अभवत् (abhavat) - it became, it was

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of bhū

Root verb, 1st class, Parasmaipada, Imperfect tense.

Root: bhū (class 1)

प्रेतराजस्य (pretarājasya) - of Yama, the king of ghosts (of the king of ghosts, of Yama)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of pretarāja

pretarāja - king of ghosts, Yama

Tatpuruṣa compound: preta (ghost) + rāja (king).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (preta+rājan)

• preta – ghost, departed spirit, dead person
  noun (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From prefix pra + root i (to go) + kt suffix.
  Prefix: pra
  Root: i (class 2)
• rājan – king
  noun (masculine)

पुरम् (puram) - city, town

(noun)

neuter, singular of pura

pura - city, town, fortress

प्रेतैः (pretaiḥ) - by ghosts, by departed spirits

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of preta

preta - ghost, departed spirit, dead person

Past Passive Participle

From prefix pra + root i (to go) + kt suffix.

Prefix: pra

Root: i (class 2)

इव (iva) - as if, like, similar to

(indeclinable)

आवृतम् (āvṛtam) - covered, surrounded, filled

(adjective)

neuter, singular of āvṛta

āvṛta - covered, surrounded, enveloped, filled

Past Passive Participle

From prefix ā + root vṛ (to cover, enclose) + kt suffix.

Prefix: ā

Root: vṛ (class 5)