महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-1, chapter-94, verse-13

वधः पशुवराहाणां तथैव मृगपक्षिणाम् ।
शंतनौ पृथिवीपाले नावर्तत वृथा नृप ॥१३॥

13. vadhaḥ paśuvarāhāṇāṁ tathaiva mṛgapakṣiṇām ,
śaṁtanau pṛthivīpāle nāvartata vṛthā nṛpa.

13. vadhaḥ paśuvarāhāṇām tathā eva mṛgapakṣiṇām
śaṃtanau pṛthivīpāle na āvartata vṛthā nṛpa

13. O King, when Śaṃtanu was the protector of the earth, no wanton killing of animals, boars, deer, or birds occurred.

Words meanings summery:

• वधः (vadhaḥ) - killing, slaughter, destruction

• पशुवराहाणाम् (paśuvarāhāṇām) - of animals and boars

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner, similarly

• एव (eva) - used to emphasize the preceding word (tathā) (only, indeed, just, precisely)

• मृगपक्षिणाम् (mṛgapakṣiṇām) - of deer and birds

• शंतनौ (śaṁtanau) - when Śaṃtanu was [king] (in/on/at Śaṃtanu)

• पृथिवीपाले (pṛthivīpāle) - when the protector of the earth (King Śaṃtanu) was [ruling] (in/on/at the protector of the earth, the king)

• न (na) - not, no

• आवर्तत (āvartata) - it occurred (in a particular way, i.e., needlessly) (it occurred, it took place, it returned)

• वृथा (vṛthā) - in vain, uselessly, needlessly, wantonly

• नृप (nṛpa) - addressed to the listener (O King!)

Words meanings and morphology

वधः (vadhaḥ) - killing, slaughter, destruction

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vadha

vadha - killing, slaughter, striking, destruction

Derived from the root `han` (to strike, kill) with a suffix `a`.

Root: han (class 2)

पशुवराहाणाम् (paśuvarāhāṇām) - of animals and boars

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of paśuvarāha

paśuvarāha - animals and boars

Compound type : dvandva (paśu+varāha)

• paśu – animal, beast, cattle
  noun (masculine)
• varāha – boar, wild hog
  noun (masculine)

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, in that manner, similarly

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - used to emphasize the preceding word (tathā) (only, indeed, just, precisely)

(indeclinable)

मृगपक्षिणाम् (mṛgapakṣiṇām) - of deer and birds

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of mṛgapakṣin

mṛgapakṣin - deer and birds

Compound type : dvandva (mṛga+pakṣin)

• mṛga – deer, wild animal
  noun (masculine)
• pakṣin – bird
  noun (masculine)

शंतनौ (śaṁtanau) - when Śaṃtanu was [king] (in/on/at Śaṃtanu)

(proper noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of śaṃtanu

śaṁtanu - Śaṃtanu (a famous king in Hindu mythology, ancestor of the Kurus)

पृथिवीपाले (pṛthivīpāle) - when the protector of the earth (King Śaṃtanu) was [ruling] (in/on/at the protector of the earth, the king)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of pṛthivīpāla

pṛthivīpāla - protector of the earth, king

Compound type : tatpurusha (pṛthivī+pāla)

• pṛthivī – earth, world
  noun (feminine)
• pāla – protector, guardian, keeper
  noun (masculine)
  From root `pāl` (to protect) with suffix `a`.
  Root: pāl (class 10)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

आवर्तत (āvartata) - it occurred (in a particular way, i.e., needlessly) (it occurred, it took place, it returned)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of vṛt

Imperfect Middle Third Person Singular

From root `vṛt` (to exist, turn) with prefix `ā`.

Prefix: ā

Root: vṛt (class 1)

वृथा (vṛthā) - in vain, uselessly, needlessly, wantonly

(indeclinable)

नृप (nṛpa) - addressed to the listener (O King!)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, ruler (literally 'protector of men')