महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-239, verse-4

प्रसार्येह यथाङ्गानि कूर्मः संहरते पुनः ।
तद्वन्महान्ति भूतानि यवीयःसु विकुर्वते ॥४॥

4. prasāryeha yathāṅgāni kūrmaḥ saṁharate punaḥ ,
tadvanmahānti bhūtāni yavīyaḥsu vikurvate.

4. prasārya iha yathā aṅgāni kūrmaḥ saṃharate
punaḥ tadvat mahānti bhūtāni yavīyaḥsu vikurvate

4. yathā kūrmaḥ aṅgāni iha prasārya punaḥ saṃharate,
tadvat mahānti bhūtāni yavīyaḥsu vikurvate

4. Just as a tortoise withdraws its extended limbs, similarly the great elements (mahābhūtas) differentiate themselves into smaller entities.

Words meanings summery:

• प्रसार्य (prasārya) - having extended, having spread out

• इह (iha) - here, in this world, now

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in what manner

• अङ्गानि (aṅgāni) - limbs, body parts, constituent parts

• कूर्मः (kūrmaḥ) - tortoise, turtle

• संहरते (saṁharate) - withdraws, retracts, collects, destroys

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, once more, moreover

• तद्वत् (tadvat) - similarly, in that manner, like that

• महान्ति (mahānti) - great, large, mighty

• भूतानि (bhūtāni) - the great elements (mahābhūtas) (elements, beings, creatures, entities)

• यवीयःसु (yavīyaḥsu) - in/among the smaller, in/among the younger

• विकुर्वते (vikurvate) - they transform, they differentiate, they modify, they act diversely

Words meanings and morphology

प्रसार्य (prasārya) - having extended, having spread out

(indeclinable)

Absolutive/Gerund

Derived from root sṛ (to move, to spread) with prefix pra, forming an absolutive (gerund).

Prefix: pra

Root: sṛ (class 3)

इह (iha) - here, in this world, now

(indeclinable)

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, in what manner

(indeclinable)

अङ्गानि (aṅgāni) - limbs, body parts, constituent parts

(noun)

neuter, plural of aṅga

aṅga - limb, body, part, constituent part

कूर्मः (kūrmaḥ) - tortoise, turtle

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kūrma

kūrma - tortoise, turtle; a particular nerve or vital air

संहरते (saṁharate) - withdraws, retracts, collects, destroys

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of saṃhṛ

From root hṛ (to seize, carry) with prefix sam (together).

Prefix: sam

Root: hṛ (class 1)

Note: ātmanepada form

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, once more, moreover

(indeclinable)

तद्वत् (tadvat) - similarly, in that manner, like that

(indeclinable)

Adverbial suffix -vat (like, similar to) applied to tad (that).

महान्ति (mahānti) - great, large, mighty

(adjective)

neuter, plural of mahat

mahat - great, large, vast, mighty

भूतानि (bhūtāni) - the great elements (mahābhūtas) (elements, beings, creatures, entities)

(noun)

neuter, plural of bhūta

bhūta - being, creature, element, existing, past

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root bhū (to be, become) as a past passive participle, used nominally.

Root: bhū (class 1)

यवीयःसु (yavīyaḥsu) - in/among the smaller, in/among the younger

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, plural of yavīyas

yavīyas - younger, smaller, less

Comparative degree of yuvan (young) or related to yava (small).

विकुर्वते (vikurvate) - they transform, they differentiate, they modify, they act diversely

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of vikṛ

From root kṛ (to do, make) with prefix vi (apart, distinctly).

Prefix: vi

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: ātmanepada form