महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-169, verse-11

रात्र्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामायुरल्पतरं यदा ।
गाधोदके मत्स्य इव सुखं विन्देत कस्तदा ।
तदेव वन्ध्यं दिवसमिति विद्याद्विचक्षणः ॥११॥

11. rātryāṁ rātryāṁ vyatītāyāmāyuralpataraṁ yadā ,
gādhodake matsya iva sukhaṁ vindeta kastadā ,
tadeva vandhyaṁ divasamiti vidyādvicakṣaṇaḥ.

11. rātryām rātryām vyatītāyām āyuḥ
alpataram yadā gādha udake matsyaḥ iva
sukham vindeta kaḥ tadā tat eva
vandhyam divasam iti vidyāt vicakṣaṇaḥ

11. vicakṣaṇaḥ vidyāt yadā rātryām rātryām
vyatītāyām āyuḥ alpataram tadā
gādha udake matsyaḥ iva kaḥ sukham
vindeta iti tat eva divasam vandhyam

11. When night after night passes, and life becomes shorter, who then can find happiness, like a fish in shallow water? A discerning person (vicakṣaṇa) should know that such a day is indeed unproductive.

Words meanings summery:

• रात्र्याम् (rātryām) - in the night, during the night

• रात्र्याम् (rātryām) - in the night, during the night

• व्यतीतायाम् (vyatītāyām) - having passed, elapsed, gone by

• आयुः (āyuḥ) - life, lifespan, duration of life

• अल्पतरम् (alpataram) - shorter, less, more meager

• यदा (yadā) - when, whenever

• गाध (gādha) - shallow, fordable

• उदके (udake) - in the water

• मत्स्यः (matsyaḥ) - fish

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• सुखम् (sukham) - happiness, pleasure, ease

• विन्देत (vindeta) - may find, should find, may obtain

• कः (kaḥ) - who?

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• तत् (tat) - that, it

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• वन्ध्यम् (vandhyam) - barren, unproductive, futile, wasted

• दिवसम् (divasam) - day

• इति (iti) - Marks the end of a quotation or thought. (thus, so, in this way)

• विद्यात् (vidyāt) - should know, may know, one should understand

• विचक्षणः (vicakṣaṇaḥ) - discerning person, wise person, intelligent person

Words meanings and morphology

रात्र्याम् (rātryām) - in the night, during the night

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of rātri

rātri - night, darkness

Note: Used in repetition 'rātryām rātryām' to emphasize 'each successive night'.

रात्र्याम् (rātryām) - in the night, during the night

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of rātri

rātri - night, darkness

Note: Used in repetition 'rātryām rātryām' to emphasize 'each successive night'.

व्यतीतायाम् (vyatītāyām) - having passed, elapsed, gone by

(adjective)

Locative, feminine, singular of vyatīta

vyatīta - passed, gone by, elapsed

Past Passive Participle

Root i (to go) with prefixes vi and ati; suffix -ta

Prefixes: vi+ati

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'rātryām'.

आयुः (āyuḥ) - life, lifespan, duration of life

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of āyus

āyus - life, vital power, duration of life

अल्पतरम् (alpataram) - shorter, less, more meager

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of alpatara

alpatara - shorter, less, more meager (comparative of alpa 'small')

Comparative suffix -tara added to alpa (small, little)

Note: Agrees with 'āyuḥ'.

यदा (yadā) - when, whenever

(indeclinable)

गाध (gādha) - shallow, fordable

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of gādha

gādha - shallow, fordable, easily traversed

Note: Agrees with 'udake' in 'gādha udake'.

उदके (udake) - in the water

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of udaka

udaka - water

मत्स्यः (matsyaḥ) - fish

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of matsya

matsya - fish

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

सुखम् (sukham) - happiness, pleasure, ease

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sukha

sukha - happiness, pleasure, comfort, ease

विन्देत (vindeta) - may find, should find, may obtain

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, optative (liṅ) of vind

Root: vid (class 6)

कः (kaḥ) - who?

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - who, what, which

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

तत् (tat) - that, it

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, it, he, she

Note: Refers to 'divasam' indirectly via the predicate 'vandhyam'.

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

वन्ध्यम् (vandhyam) - barren, unproductive, futile, wasted

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vandhya

vandhya - barren, unproductive, fruitless, sterile, futile

Note: Agrees with 'divasam'.

दिवसम् (divasam) - day

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of divasa

divasa - day

Note: Object of 'vidyāt' (should know).

इति (iti) - Marks the end of a quotation or thought. (thus, so, in this way)

(indeclinable)

विद्यात् (vidyāt) - should know, may know, one should understand

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of vid

Root: vid (class 2)

विचक्षणः (vicakṣaṇaḥ) - discerning person, wise person, intelligent person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vicakṣaṇa

vicakṣaṇa - discerning, clever, intelligent, wise (noun: a wise man)

Agent noun/adjective from vi-cakṣ

From root cakṣ (to see, perceive) with prefix vi (distinguish)

Prefix: vi

Root: cakṣ (class 2)