महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-263, verse-35

वायुभक्षस्ततः पश्चाद्बहून्वर्षगणानभूत् ।
न चास्य क्षीयते प्राणस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥३५॥

35. vāyubhakṣastataḥ paścādbahūnvarṣagaṇānabhūt ,
na cāsya kṣīyate prāṇastadadbhutamivābhavat.

35. vāyubhakṣaḥ tataḥ paścāt bahūn varṣagaṇān abhūt na
ca asya kṣīyate prāṇaḥ tat adbhutam iva abhavat

35. tataḥ paścāt (saḥ) bahūn varṣagaṇān vāyubhakṣaḥ abhūt
ca asya prāṇaḥ na kṣīyate tat iva adbhutam abhavat

35. Thereafter, for many consecutive years, he subsisted solely on air. And yet, his vital energy (prāṇa) did not diminish, which seemed truly astonishing.

Words meanings summery:

• वायुभक्षः (vāyubhakṣaḥ) - subsisted solely on air (subsisting on air, air-eater)

• ततः (tataḥ) - thereafter (thereafter, thence, from that)

• पश्चात् (paścāt) - afterwards (afterwards, behind, later)

• बहून् (bahūn) - many

• वर्षगणान् (varṣagaṇān) - consecutive years (years, periods of years)

• अभूत् (abhūt) - he was (subsisting on air) (became, was, existed)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• च (ca) - And yet (and, also)

• अस्य (asya) - his (his, of this (masculine/neuter))

• क्षीयते (kṣīyate) - did diminish (diminishes, wastes away, perishes)

• प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) - his vital energy (prāṇa) (breath, life-force, vital air)

• तत् (tat) - that (fact) (that, this)

• अद्भुतम् (adbhutam) - truly astonishing (wonderful, astonishing, amazing)

• इव (iva) - seemed (as if) (as if, like, as, in a manner)

• अभवत् (abhavat) - seemed (happened, became)

Words meanings and morphology

वायुभक्षः (vāyubhakṣaḥ) - subsisted solely on air (subsisting on air, air-eater)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vāyubhakṣa

vāyubhakṣa - subsisting on air

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (vāyu+bhakṣa)

• vāyu – wind, air
  noun (masculine)
• bhakṣa – eating, food
  noun (masculine)
  from root bhakṣ (to eat)
  Root: bhakṣ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with the implied subject (the Brahmin).

ततः (tataḥ) - thereafter (thereafter, thence, from that)

(indeclinable)

पश्चात् (paścāt) - afterwards (afterwards, behind, later)

(indeclinable)

बहून् (bahūn) - many

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of bahu

bahu - much, many, numerous

Note: Agrees with 'varṣagaṇān'.

वर्षगणान् (varṣagaṇān) - consecutive years (years, periods of years)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of varṣagaṇa

varṣagaṇa - a series of years, many years

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (varṣa+gaṇa)

• varṣa – year, rain
  noun (neuter)
• gaṇa – group, multitude, series
  noun (masculine)

Note: Denotes duration.

अभूत् (abhūt) - he was (subsisting on air) (became, was, existed)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past aorist (luṅ) of bhū

aorist active

root bhū, aorist tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: bhū (class 1)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - And yet (and, also)

(indeclinable)

अस्य (asya) - his (his, of this (masculine/neuter))

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the Brahmin.

क्षीयते (kṣīyate) - did diminish (diminishes, wastes away, perishes)

(verb)

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

present middle

root kṣi, present tense, 3rd person singular, middle voice (or passive of kṣī-)

Root: kṣi (class 5)

प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) - his vital energy (prāṇa) (breath, life-force, vital air)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prāṇa

prāṇa - breath, life-force, vital air, energy

Prefix: pra

Root: an (class 2)

Note: The word prāṇa is used directly in the translation.

तत् (tat) - that (fact) (that, this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the preceding statement.

अद्भुतम् (adbhutam) - truly astonishing (wonderful, astonishing, amazing)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of adbhuta

adbhuta - wonderful, marvelous, astonishing, a wonder

Note: Agrees with 'tat'.

इव (iva) - seemed (as if) (as if, like, as, in a manner)

(indeclinable)

अभवत् (abhavat) - seemed (happened, became)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of bhū

imperfect active

root bhū, imperfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root: bhū (class 1)