महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-10, chapter-6, verse-24

तां चापदं घोरतरां प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ।
यदुद्यम्य महत्कृत्यं भयादपि निवर्तते ॥२४॥

24. tāṁ cāpadaṁ ghoratarāṁ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ ,
yadudyamya mahatkṛtyaṁ bhayādapi nivartate.

24. tām ca āpadam ghoratarām pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ
yat udyamya mahat kṛtyam bhayāt api nivartate

24. ca manīṣiṇaḥ tām ghoratarām āpadam pravadanti
yat mahat kṛtyam udyamya bhayāt api nivartate

24. And wise ones declare that calamity even more terrible when, having undertaken a great task, one turns back from it out of fear.

Words meanings summery:

• ताम् (tām) - that (calamity) (that, her)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• आपदम् (āpadam) - calamity (calamity, misfortune, distress)

• घोरतराम् (ghoratarām) - even more terrible (more terrible, more dreadful)

• प्रवदन्ति (pravadanti) - they declare (they declare, they say, they speak)

• मनीषिणः (manīṣiṇaḥ) - wise ones (wise ones, intelligent persons, thinkers)

• यत् (yat) - when (introduces a clause explaining the condition for the calamity) (which, that (relative pronoun, or conjunction))

• उद्यम्य (udyamya) - having undertaken (having undertaken, having raised, having lifted up)

• महत् (mahat) - great (great, large, important)

• कृत्यम् (kṛtyam) - task (deed, action, task, what is to be done)

• भयात् (bhayāt) - out of fear (from fear, out of fear)

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• निवर्तते (nivartate) - one turns back (he/she/it turns back, refrains, returns)

Words meanings and morphology

ताम् (tām) - that (calamity) (that, her)

(pronoun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

आपदम् (āpadam) - calamity (calamity, misfortune, distress)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of āpad

āpad - calamity, misfortune, distress, danger

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Object of 'pravadanti'.

घोरतराम् (ghoratarām) - even more terrible (more terrible, more dreadful)

(adjective)

Accusative, feminine, singular of ghoratara

ghora - terrible, dreadful, fearful, awful

Comparative

Comparative degree formed with suffix -tara.

Root: ghū (class 1)

प्रवदन्ति (pravadanti) - they declare (they declare, they say, they speak)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of vad

Present tense, 3rd person plural active voice.

Prefix: pra

Root: vad (class 1)

मनीषिणः (manīṣiṇaḥ) - wise ones (wise ones, intelligent persons, thinkers)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of manīṣin

manīṣin - wise, intelligent, thoughtful

Root: man (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'pravadanti'.

यत् (yat) - when (introduces a clause explaining the condition for the calamity) (which, that (relative pronoun, or conjunction))

(indeclinable)

Relative pronoun, here functioning as a conjunction meaning 'when' or 'that (which happens)'.

Note: Acts as a subordinating conjunction, introducing the condition.

उद्यम्य (udyamya) - having undertaken (having undertaken, having raised, having lifted up)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root yam with upasarga ud + lyap suffix.

Prefix: ud

Root: yam (class 1)

Note: Expresses an action completed prior to the main verb 'nivartate'.

महत् (mahat) - great (great, large, important)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, important, significant

Root: mah (class 1)

Note: Adjective agreeing with 'kṛtyam'.

कृत्यम् (kṛtyam) - task (deed, action, task, what is to be done)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kṛtya

kṛtya - deed, action, task, duty, what is to be done

Gerundive (Potential Passive Participle)

Derived from root kṛ (to do) + tyā suffix, neuter nominative/accusative singular.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

भयात् (bhayāt) - out of fear (from fear, out of fear)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of bhaya

bhaya - fear, dread, alarm

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Indicates the cause or reason for turning back.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

निवर्तते (nivartate) - one turns back (he/she/it turns back, refrains, returns)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of vṛt

Present tense, 3rd person singular middle voice (ātmanepada).

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: The main verb of the 'yat' clause.