महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-47, verse-25

उच्चावचाश्च बहवो नानावर्णा विषोल्बणाः ।
घोराश्च परिघप्रख्या दन्दशूका महाबलाः ।
प्रपेतुरग्नावुरगा मातृवाग्दण्डपीडिताः ॥२५॥

25. uccāvacāśca bahavo nānāvarṇā viṣolbaṇāḥ ,
ghorāśca parighaprakhyā dandaśūkā mahābalāḥ ,
prapeturagnāvuragā mātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍitāḥ.

25. uccāvacāḥ ca bahavaḥ nānāvarṇāḥ
viṣolbaṇāḥ ghorāḥ ca parighaprakhyāḥ
dandaśūkāḥ mahābalāḥ prapetuḥ
agnau uragāḥ mātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍitāḥ

25. Moreover, many (snakes) of various kinds and diverse colors, intensely poisonous; and dreadful, club-like, venomous serpents, immensely powerful, fell into the fire, tormented by the curse of their mother's words.

25. רבים מהם, גדולים וקטנים, בצבעים שונים, מלאי ארס, נוראים, דומים לאלות ברזל, נחשים נושכים בעלי כוח רב, נפלו אל האש, מעונים מקללת אמם.

Words meanings summery:

• उच्चावचाः (uccāvacāḥ) - of various kinds (referring to snakes) (various, high and low, uneven)

• च (ca) - and

• बहवः (bahavaḥ) - many (snakes) (many, numerous)

• नानावर्णाः (nānāvarṇāḥ) - of diverse colors (snakes) (of various colours, multi-colored)

• विषोल्बणाः (viṣolbaṇāḥ) - intensely poisonous (snakes) (filled with poison, abounding in poison, intensely poisonous)

• घोराः (ghorāḥ) - dreadful, fearsome (snakes) (terrible, dreadful, fierce)

• च (ca) - and

• परिघप्रख्याः (parighaprakhyāḥ) - looking like iron clubs (due to their size/shape) (resembling iron clubs/bars)

• दन्दशूकाः (dandaśūkāḥ) - venomous serpents (venomous serpents, fanged creatures)

• महाबलाः (mahābalāḥ) - immensely powerful (venomous serpents) (greatly powerful, immensely strong)

• प्रपेतुः (prapetuḥ) - they fell into (the fire) (they fell down, they dropped)

• अग्नौ (agnau) - into the sacrificial fire (in the fire)

• उरगाः (uragāḥ) - the serpents (who are the subject of the sacrifice) (serpents, snakes (lit. 'chest-goer'))

• मातृवाग्दण्डपीडिताः (mātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍitāḥ) - tormented by their mother's curse (Kaḍru's curse) (tormented by the punishment of their mother's words, afflicted by the curse of mother's speech)

Words meanings and morphology

उच्चावचाः (uccāvacāḥ) - of various kinds (referring to snakes) (various, high and low, uneven)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of uccāvaca

uccāvaca - high and low, various, diverse, mixed

Compound ucca (high) + avaca (low).

Compound type : dvandva (ucca+avaca)

• ucca – high, lofty, loud
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  From ud-√ci.
  Root: √ci (class 5)
• avaca – low, depressed, inferior
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  Prefix: ava

Note: Agrees with uragāḥ.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

बहवः (bahavaḥ) - many (snakes) (many, numerous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous, abundant

u-stem adjective.

नानावर्णाः (nānāvarṇāḥ) - of diverse colors (snakes) (of various colours, multi-colored)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nānāvarṇa

nānāvarṇa - of various colours, variegated

Compound nānā (various) + varṇa (colour).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (nānā+varṇa)

• nānā – various, diverse, manifold
  indeclinable
  Adverbial.
• varṇa – colour, tint, hue, caste, letter
  noun (masculine)
  action noun
  From √vṛ (to cover, choose).
  Root: √vṛ (class 5)

विषोल्बणाः (viṣolbaṇāḥ) - intensely poisonous (snakes) (filled with poison, abounding in poison, intensely poisonous)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of viṣolbaṇa

viṣolbaṇa - abounding in poison, greatly poisonous, excessively dangerous

Compound viṣa (poison) + ulbaṇa (excessive, abundant).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (viṣa+ulbaṇa)

• viṣa – poison, venom, bane
  noun (neuter)
  From √viṣ (to be active, to pervade).
  Root: √viṣ (class 3)
• ulbaṇa – excessive, abundant, prominent, terrible
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)

घोराः (ghorāḥ) - dreadful, fearsome (snakes) (terrible, dreadful, fierce)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ghora

ghora - terrible, dreadful, frightful, fierce, awful

From √ghūr (to move, to be dreadful).

Root: √ghūr (class 1)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

परिघप्रख्याः (parighaprakhyāḥ) - looking like iron clubs (due to their size/shape) (resembling iron clubs/bars)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of parighaprakhya

parighaprakhya - resembling an iron club or bar

Compound parigha (iron club) + prakhya (resembling).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (parigha+prakhya)

• parigha – iron club, bolt, cross-bar
  noun (masculine)
  action noun
  From pari-√han (to strike around).
  Prefix: pari
  Root: √han (class 2)
• prakhya – resembling, looking like, similar to
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  agent noun suffix
  From pra-√khyā (to appear, to be seen).
  Prefix: pra
  Root: √khyā (class 2)

दन्दशूकाः (dandaśūkāḥ) - venomous serpents (venomous serpents, fanged creatures)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of dandaśūka

dandaśūka - venomous serpent, a fanged animal, biting creature

intensive/frequentative (reduplicated)

From √daṃś (to bite) with reduplication and ūka suffix.

Root: √daṃś (class 1)

Note: Specific term for venomous snakes.

महाबलाः (mahābalāḥ) - immensely powerful (venomous serpents) (greatly powerful, immensely strong)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mahābala

mahābala - very strong, powerful

Compound mahā (great) + bala (strength).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahat+bala)

• mahat – great, large, strong, mighty
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  at-stem.
• bala – strength, power, force, might
  noun (neuter)
  From √bal (to live, breathe, be strong).
  Root: √bal (class 10)

Note: Agrees with dandaśūkāḥ and uragāḥ.

प्रपेतुः (prapetuḥ) - they fell into (the fire) (they fell down, they dropped)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past perfect (lit) of prapat

perfect tense (lit)

3rd person plural, perfect active.

Prefix: pra

Root: √pat (class 1)

Note: Subject is uragāḥ.

अग्नौ (agnau) - into the sacrificial fire (in the fire)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, god of fire (Agni), sacrificial fire

i-stem masculine noun.

उरगाः (uragāḥ) - the serpents (who are the subject of the sacrifice) (serpents, snakes (lit. 'chest-goer'))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of uraga

uraga - serpent, snake (lit. 'one who moves on the chest')

agent noun / descriptive noun

Compound uras (chest) + ga (going).

Compound type : upapada-tatpuruṣa (uras+ga)

• uras – chest, breast, front
  noun (neuter)
  as-stem neuter noun.
• ga – going, moving
  noun/suffix (masculine)
  agent noun suffix
  From √gam with ḍa suffix.
  Root: √gam (class 1)

मातृवाग्दण्डपीडिताः (mātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍitāḥ) - tormented by their mother's curse (Kaḍru's curse) (tormented by the punishment of their mother's words, afflicted by the curse of mother's speech)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍita

mātṛvāgdaṇḍapīḍita - oppressed/tormented by the punishment of mother's words/curse

Compound mātṛ (mother) + vāk (word) + daṇḍa (punishment/curse) + pīḍita (tormented).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mātṛ+vāc+daṇḍa+pīḍita)

• mātṛ – mother
  noun (feminine)
  ṛ-stem feminine noun.
• vāc – word, speech, voice, language
  noun (feminine)
  c-stem feminine noun.
  Root: √vac (class 2)
• daṇḍa – stick, staff, punishment, rod, fine, curse
  noun (masculine)
  From √daṇḍ (to punish).
  Root: √daṇḍ (class 10)
• pīḍita – tormented, oppressed, afflicted, harassed
  adjective (masculine/feminine/neuter)
  past participle (kta)
  From √pīḍ (to oppress, torment).
  Root: √pīḍ (class 10)

Note: Agrees with uragāḥ. This refers to the curse by Kaḍru on her snake sons.

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