महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-221, verse-20

बिल आखोर्विनाशः स्यादग्नेराकाशचारिणाम् ।
अन्ववेक्ष्यैतदुभयं श्रेयान्दाहो न भक्षणम् ॥२०॥

20. bila ākhorvināśaḥ syādagnerākāśacāriṇām ,
anvavekṣyaitadubhayaṁ śreyāndāho na bhakṣaṇam.

20. bila ākhoḥ vināśaḥ syāt agneḥ ākāśa-cāriṇām
anvavekṣya etat ubhayam śreyān dāhaḥ na bhakṣaṇam

20. Remaining in the hole would mean destruction by a mouse. For us, aerial beings, destruction comes from fire. Having carefully considered both of these, burning is preferable to being devoured.

Words meanings summery:

• बिल (bila) - in the hole (the nest) (hole, burrow, cavern)

• आखोः (ākhoḥ) - by a mouse (of a mouse, by a mouse)

• विनाशः (vināśaḥ) - destruction (destruction, perishing, loss)

• स्यात् (syāt) - may be, would be (may be, should be)

• अग्नेः (agneḥ) - by fire, from fire (of fire, from fire)

• आकाश-चारिणाम् (ākāśa-cāriṇām) - for us, aerial beings (birds) (of those who move in the sky, for aerial beings)

• अन्ववेक्ष्य (anvavekṣya) - having considered (carefully) (having looked at, having considered, having examined)

• एतत् (etat) - these (two options) (this, these)

• उभयम् (ubhayam) - both (dangers) (both, both of them)

• श्रेयान् (śreyān) - better, preferable (better, superior, more excellent)

• दाहः (dāhaḥ) - burning (by fire) (burning, combustion, conflagration)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• भक्षणम् (bhakṣaṇam) - being devoured (by the mouse) (eating, devouring, food)

Words meanings and morphology

बिल (bila) - in the hole (the nest) (hole, burrow, cavern)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of bila

bila - hole, burrow, cavern, cavity

आखोः (ākhoḥ) - by a mouse (of a mouse, by a mouse)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of ākhu

ākhu - mouse, rat

Note: Used here with a sense of agent, 'by the mouse'.

विनाशः (vināśaḥ) - destruction (destruction, perishing, loss)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vināśa

vināśa - destruction, perishing, loss, ruin

Prefix: vi

Root: naś (class 4)

स्यात् (syāt) - may be, would be (may be, should be)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of as

root verb, 2nd conjugation, Parasmaipada

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Potential mood, meaning 'may be' or 'should be'.

अग्नेः (agneḥ) - by fire, from fire (of fire, from fire)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, god of fire

Note: Used here with a sense of agent, 'by fire'.

आकाश-चारिणाम् (ākāśa-cāriṇām) - for us, aerial beings (birds) (of those who move in the sky, for aerial beings)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, plural of ākāśa-cārin

ākāśa-cārin - one who moves in the sky, aerial being, bird

Compound type : tatpurusha (ākāśa+cārin)

• ākāśa – sky, space, ether
  noun (masculine)
• cārin – moving, going, traversing
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun from √car
  Derived from root √car (to move) with suffix -in
  Root: car (class 1)

Note: Refers to the birds (Jaritā and her children).

अन्ववेक्ष्य (anvavekṣya) - having considered (carefully) (having looked at, having considered, having examined)

(indeclinable)

absolutive/gerund

Derived from root √īkṣ (to see) with prefixes anu-ava and suffix -ya

Prefixes: anu+ava

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

Note: An absolutive (gerund) verb form.

एतत् (etat) - these (two options) (this, these)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, these

From pronominal stem 'idam'

Note: Refers to 'ubhayam'.

उभयम् (ubhayam) - both (dangers) (both, both of them)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ubhaya

ubhaya - both, two kinds

Note: Modifies 'etat', referring to the two options/dangers.

श्रेयान् (śreyān) - better, preferable (better, superior, more excellent)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreyas

śreyas - better, superior, more excellent, welfare, good fortune

comparative degree of śrī/praśasya

Note: Agrees with 'dāhaḥ'.

दाहः (dāhaḥ) - burning (by fire) (burning, combustion, conflagration)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dāha

dāha - burning, combustion, conflagration, heat

action noun from √dah

Derived from root √dah (to burn) with suffix -a

Root: dah (class 1)

Note: Subject of the sentence 'burning is better'.

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

भक्षणम् (bhakṣaṇam) - being devoured (by the mouse) (eating, devouring, food)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of bhakṣaṇa

bhakṣaṇa - eating, devouring, food, consumption

action noun from √bhakṣ

Derived from root √bhakṣ (to eat) with suffix -ana

Root: bhakṣ (class 10)

Note: Often understood as being 'eaten' when contrasted with burning, as a result of an action.