महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-11, chapter-6, verse-9

स यस्तु कूपवीनाहे तं वृक्षं परिसर्पति ।
षड्वक्त्रः कुञ्जरो राजन्स तु संवत्सरः स्मृतः ।
मुखानि ऋतवो मासाः पादा द्वादश कीर्तिताः ॥९॥

9. sa yastu kūpavīnāhe taṁ vṛkṣaṁ parisarpati ,
ṣaḍvaktraḥ kuñjaro rājansa tu saṁvatsaraḥ smṛtaḥ ,
mukhāni ṛtavo māsāḥ pādā dvādaśa kīrtitāḥ.

9. saḥ yaḥ tu kūpavīnāhe tam vṛkṣam
parisarpati ṣaḍvaktraḥ kuñjaraḥ rājan
saḥ tu saṃvatsaraḥ smṛtaḥ mukhāni
ṛtavaḥ māsāḥ pādāḥ dvādaśa kīrtitāḥ

9. rājan,
yaḥ saḥ ṣaḍvaktraḥ kuñjaraḥ kūpavīnāhe tam vṛkṣam parisarpati,
saḥ tu saṃvatsaraḥ smṛtaḥ.
mukhāni ṛtavaḥ (iti),
māsāḥ dvādaśa pādāḥ (iti) kīrtitāḥ.

9. O King, that six-faced elephant that moves around the tree on the rim of the well—that is indeed called the year. Its faces are said to be the seasons, and its twelve feet are declared to be the months.

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - Refers to the elephant. (he, that)

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet

• कूपवीनाहे (kūpavīnāhe) - on the rim of the well

• तम् (tam) - Refers to the tree. (that)

• वृक्षम् (vṛkṣam) - tree

• परिसर्प्ति (parisarpti) - moves around, creeps around

• षड्वक्त्रः (ṣaḍvaktraḥ) - Refers to the elephant. (six-faced, six-mouthed)

• कुञ्जरः (kuñjaraḥ) - elephant

• राजन् (rājan) - O King

• सः (saḥ) - he, that

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet

• संवत्सरः (saṁvatsaraḥ) - year

• स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered, called

• मुखानि (mukhāni) - faces, mouths

• ऋतवः (ṛtavaḥ) - seasons

• मासाः (māsāḥ) - months

• पादाः (pādāḥ) - feet, legs

• द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

• कीर्तिताः (kīrtitāḥ) - declared, spoken of, famed

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - Refers to the elephant. (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

यः (yaḥ) - who, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ya

ya - who, which, what

तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet

(indeclinable)

कूपवीनाहे (kūpavīnāhe) - on the rim of the well

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kūpavīnāha

kūpavīnāha - rim of a well, circumference of a well

Compound type : tatpurusha (kūpa+vīnāha)

• kūpa – well
  noun (masculine)
• vīnāha – binding, rim, circumference
  noun (masculine)

तम् (tam) - Refers to the tree. (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

वृक्षम् (vṛkṣam) - tree

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vṛkṣa

vṛkṣa - tree

परिसर्प्ति (parisarpti) - moves around, creeps around

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of sarpa

from root sṛp (to creep)

Prefix: pari

Root: sṛp (class 1)

षड्वक्त्रः (ṣaḍvaktraḥ) - Refers to the elephant. (six-faced, six-mouthed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ṣaḍvaktra

ṣaḍvaktra - six-faced, six-mouthed

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ṣaṣ+vaktra)

• ṣaṣ – six
  numeral
• vaktra – face, mouth
  noun (neuter)

Note: 'ṣaṣ' becomes 'ṣaḍ' in sandhi before 'v'.

कुञ्जरः (kuñjaraḥ) - elephant

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kuñjara

kuñjara - elephant (lit. one who roams in thickets/groves)

from kuñja (thicket) + ra (roam)

राजन् (rājan) - O King

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Root: rāj

Note: This is the vocative singular form.

सः (saḥ) - he, that

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

तु (tu) - but, indeed, yet

(indeclinable)

संवत्सरः (saṁvatsaraḥ) - year

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of saṃvatsara

saṁvatsara - year

स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - remembered, considered, called

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of smṛta

smṛta - remembered, called, considered, known

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root smṛ (to remember)

Root: smṛ (class 1)

मुखानि (mukhāni) - faces, mouths

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of mukha

mukha - face, mouth, chief, front

ऋतवः (ṛtavaḥ) - seasons

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ṛtu

ṛtu - season, fixed time, period

मासाः (māsāḥ) - months

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of māsa

māsa - month, moon

पादाः (pādāḥ) - feet, legs

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pāda

pāda - foot, leg, quarter, ray of light

द्वादश (dvādaśa) - twelve

(numeral)

Note: This numeral typically remains the same across genders and cases for numbers like 12.

कीर्तिताः (kīrtitāḥ) - declared, spoken of, famed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kīrtita

kīrtita - declared, celebrated, spoken of, famed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root kīrt (to praise, proclaim)

Root: kīrt (class 10)