महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-29, verse-123

षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि यं यान्तं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयुः ।
नक्षत्रराजं वर्षान्ते व्यभ्रे ज्योतिर्गणा इव ॥१२३॥

123. ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi yaṁ yāntaṁ pṛṣṭhato'nvayuḥ ,
nakṣatrarājaṁ varṣānte vyabhre jyotirgaṇā iva.

123. ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi yam yāntam pṛṣṭhataḥ anvayuḥ
nakṣatrarājam varṣānte vyabhre jyotirgaṇāḥ iva

123. yam ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi yāntam pṛṣṭhataḥ anvayuḥ
varṣānte vyabhre nakṣatrarājam jyotirgaṇāḥ iva

123. Sixty thousand sons followed him from behind as he proceeded, just as hosts of stars follow the moon (the king of constellations) at the end of the rainy season when the sky is clear.

Words meanings summery:

• षष्टिः (ṣaṣṭiḥ) - sixty

• पुत्रसहस्राणि (putrasahasrāṇi) - thousands of sons

• यम् (yam) - referring to King Sagara (whom)

• यान्तम् (yāntam) - as he proceeded (going, moving)

• पृष्ठतः (pṛṣṭhataḥ) - from behind, behind, at the back

• अन्वयुः (anvayuḥ) - followed

• नक्षत्रराजम् (nakṣatrarājam) - king of stars, the moon

• वर्षान्ते (varṣānte) - at the end of the rainy season

• व्यभ्रे (vyabhre) - when the sky is clear (cloudless, clear)

• ज्योतिर्गणाः (jyotirgaṇāḥ) - hosts of stars, groups of luminaries

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

Words meanings and morphology

षष्टिः (ṣaṣṭiḥ) - sixty

(numeral)

Note: Indeclinable numeral sometimes takes case endings

पुत्रसहस्राणि (putrasahasrāṇi) - thousands of sons

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of putrasahasra

putrasahasra - thousand sons

Compound type : tatpurusha (putra+sahasra)

• putra – son
  noun (masculine)
• sahasra – thousand
  noun (neuter)

Note: Also accusative plural neuter

यम् (yam) - referring to King Sagara (whom)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ya

ya - who, which

यान्तम् (yāntam) - as he proceeded (going, moving)

(participle)

Accusative, masculine, singular of yāt

yāt - going, moving

Present Active Participle

Derived from root yā- with śatṛ suffix

Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'yam'

पृष्ठतः (pṛṣṭhataḥ) - from behind, behind, at the back

(indeclinable)

Suffix -tas added to pṛṣṭha

अन्वयुः (anvayuḥ) - followed

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of anvi

Prefix: anu

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Derived from anu- + √i (to go)

नक्षत्रराजम् (nakṣatrarājam) - king of stars, the moon

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nakṣatrarāja

nakṣatrarāja - king of stars, the moon

Compound type : tatpurusha (nakṣatra+rājan)

• nakṣatra – star, constellation
  noun (neuter)
• rājan – king
  noun (masculine)

Note: Object of comparison with 'yam yāntam'

वर्षान्ते (varṣānte) - at the end of the rainy season

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of varṣānta

varṣānta - end of the rainy season

Compound type : tatpurusha (varṣā+anta)

• varṣā – rainy season, rain
  noun (feminine)
• anta – end
  noun (masculine)

Note: Denotes time

व्यभ्रे (vyabhre) - when the sky is clear (cloudless, clear)

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of vyabhra

vyabhra - cloudless

Derivation from vi + abhra

Compound type : bahuvrihi (vi+abhra)

• vi – without
  indeclinable
• abhra – cloud
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with an implied 'ākāśe' or similar, or simply adverbial sense

ज्योतिर्गणाः (jyotirgaṇāḥ) - hosts of stars, groups of luminaries

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jyotirgaṇa

jyotirgaṇa - host of stars, group of luminaries

Compound type : tatpurusha (jyotis+gaṇa)

• jyotis – light, luminary, star
  noun (neuter)
• gaṇa – group, host, multitude
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of the simile

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)