महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-11, chapter-6, verse-5

यत्तदुच्यति कान्तारं महत्संसार एव सः ।
वनं दुर्गं हि यत्त्वेतत्संसारगहनं हि तत् ॥५॥

5. yattaducyati kāntāraṁ mahatsaṁsāra eva saḥ ,
vanaṁ durgaṁ hi yattvetatsaṁsāragahanaṁ hi tat.

5. yat tat ucyate kāntāram mahatsaṃsāraḥ eva saḥ |
vanam durgam hi yat tu etat saṃsāragahanam hi tat

5. yat tat kāntāram ucyate,
saḥ mahatsaṃsāraḥ eva hi yat tu etat durgam vanam,
tat hi saṃsāragahanam

5. That which is spoken of as a wilderness, that is indeed the great cycle of existence (saṃsāra). And that which is a difficult forest, that is indeed the dense thicket of existence (saṃsāra).

Words meanings summery:

• यत् (yat) - that which (which, what, that)

• तत् (tat) - that (that, it)

• उच्यते (ucyate) - is spoken of (is spoken of, is called)

• कान्तारम् (kāntāram) - a wilderness (wilderness, great forest, desert)

• महत्संसारः (mahatsaṁsāraḥ) - the great cycle of existence (saṃsāra) (great cycle of existence, great mundane world)

• एव (eva) - indeed (indeed, only, certainly)

• सः (saḥ) - that (refers to the wilderness / great saṃsāra) (he, that)

• वनम् (vanam) - a forest (forest, wood)

• दुर्गम् (durgam) - difficult (forest) (difficult, hard to pass, inaccessible, fortress)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for)

• यत् (yat) - that which (which, what, that)

• तु (tu) - and (but, on the other hand, indeed)

• एतत् (etat) - that (which) (this, that)

• संसारगहनम् (saṁsāragahanam) - the dense thicket of existence (saṃsāra) (dense thicket of existence, impenetrable forest of saṃsāra)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for)

• तत् (tat) - that (refers to the dense thicket of saṃsāra) (that, it)

Words meanings and morphology

यत् (yat) - that which (which, what, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, who

Relative pronoun. Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

तत् (tat) - that (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun. Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

उच्यते (ucyate) - is spoken of (is spoken of, is called)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (lat) of vac

present passive indicative

Third person singular, present tense, passive voice, ātmanepada. Root vac (to speak), undergoes saṃprasāraṇa (v -> u) in passive. Although devanagari shows 'ucyati', context strongly suggests passive 'ucyate' for the translation 'spoken of'. Meter might allow 'a' for 'e'.

Root: vac (class 2)

कान्तारम् (kāntāram) - a wilderness (wilderness, great forest, desert)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kāntāra

kāntāra - wilderness, great forest, desert

Note: Also accusative. Predicate nominative for ucyate.

महत्संसारः (mahatsaṁsāraḥ) - the great cycle of existence (saṃsāra) (great cycle of existence, great mundane world)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahatsaṃsāra

mahatsaṁsāra - great cycle of existence, great mundane world

Compound.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahat+saṃsāra)

• mahat – great, large, important
  adjective
  Stem form, used here as the first member of a compound.
• saṃsāra – cycle of rebirths, world, mundane existence
  noun (masculine)
  From sam (with) + root sṛ (to flow, move).
  Prefix: sam
  Root: sṛ (class 1)

Note: This is a compound noun, acting as the subject.

एव (eva) - indeed (indeed, only, certainly)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

सः (saḥ) - that (refers to the wilderness / great saṃsāra) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun. Masculine nominative singular.

वनम् (vanam) - a forest (forest, wood)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove, thicket

Root: van (class 1)

Note: Also accusative.

दुर्गम् (durgam) - difficult (forest) (difficult, hard to pass, inaccessible, fortress)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of durga

durga - difficult, hard to pass, inaccessible, fortress, difficulty

From dur (bad, difficult) + root gam (to go).

Prefix: dur

Root: gam (class 1)

Note: Also accusative.

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic or causal particle.

यत् (yat) - that which (which, what, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, who

Relative pronoun. Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

तु (tu) - and (but, on the other hand, indeed)

(indeclinable)

Particle expressing contrast or continuation.

एतत् (etat) - that (which) (this, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this here

Demonstrative pronoun. Neuter nominative/accusative singular.

Note: Also accusative.

संसारगहनम् (saṁsāragahanam) - the dense thicket of existence (saṃsāra) (dense thicket of existence, impenetrable forest of saṃsāra)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of saṃsāragahana

saṁsāragahana - dense thicket of saṃsāra, impenetrable forest of worldly existence

Compound.

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (saṃsāra+gahana)

• saṃsāra – cycle of rebirths, world, mundane existence
  noun (masculine)
  From sam (with) + root sṛ (to flow, move).
  Prefix: sam
  Root: sṛ (class 1)
• gahana – dense, impenetrable, deep, thicket, jungle
  adjective/noun (neuter)
  From root gah (to be deep).
  Root: gah (class 1)

Note: Also accusative.

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely, for)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic or causal particle.

तत् (tat) - that (refers to the dense thicket of saṃsāra) (that, it)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun. Neuter nominative/accusative singular.