महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-304, verse-22

तैलपात्रं यथा पूर्णं कराभ्यां गृह्य पूरुषः ।
सोपानमारुहेद्भीतस्तर्ज्यमानोऽसिपाणिभिः ॥२२॥

22. tailapātraṁ yathā pūrṇaṁ karābhyāṁ gṛhya pūruṣaḥ ,
sopānamāruhedbhītastarjyamāno'sipāṇibhiḥ.

22. tailapātram yathā pūrṇam karābhyām gṛhya pūruṣaḥ
sopānam āruhet bhītaḥ tarjyamānaḥ asipāṇibhiḥ

22. yathā pūruṣaḥ pūrṇam tailapātram karābhyām gṛhya
asipāṇibhiḥ tarjyamānaḥ bhītaḥ sopānam āruhet

22. Just as a person might ascend a staircase, holding a full oil pot with both hands, fearful and being threatened by men with swords in their hands...

Words meanings summery:

• तैलपात्रम् (tailapātram) - an oil vessel, an oil pot

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as

• पूर्णम् (pūrṇam) - full (of oil) (full, complete)

• कराभ्याम् (karābhyām) - with two hands

• गृह्य (gṛhya) - holding (having taken, having seized, having held)

• पूरुषः (pūruṣaḥ) - a person (a person, a man, a male being, the Cosmic Person (puruṣa))

• सोपानम् (sopānam) - a staircase, steps

• आरुहेत् (āruhet) - should ascend, should climb

• भीतः (bhītaḥ) - frightened (afraid, frightened, fearful)

• तर्ज्यमानः (tarjyamānaḥ) - being threatened, being intimidated

• असिपाणिभिः (asipāṇibhiḥ) - by men with swords (by those with swords in hand)

Words meanings and morphology

तैलपात्रम् (tailapātram) - an oil vessel, an oil pot

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tailapātra

tailapātra - oil vessel, oil pot

tatpuruṣa compound: `taila` (oil) + `pātra` (vessel)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (taila+pātra)

• taila – oil, sesame oil
  noun (neuter)
• pātra – vessel, pot, receptacle
  noun (neuter)

Note: Object of `gṛhya`.

यथा (yathā) - as, just as

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a simile.

पूर्णम् (pūrṇam) - full (of oil) (full, complete)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pūrṇa

pūrṇa - full, complete, filled

Past Passive Participle

P.P.P. of root `pṛ` (to fill)

Root: pṛ (class 3)

Note: Qualifies `tailapātram`.

कराभ्याम् (karābhyām) - with two hands

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, dual of kara

kara - hand, ray (of light)

Note: Indicates means by which `gṛhya` is performed.

गृह्य (gṛhya) - holding (having taken, having seized, having held)

(indeclinable)

absolutive

absolutive of root `grah`

Root: grah (class 9)

Note: Adverbial participle describing the action of the `pūruṣaḥ`.

पूरुषः (pūruṣaḥ) - a person (a person, a man, a male being, the Cosmic Person (puruṣa))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pūruṣa

pūruṣa - a person, a man, a male being, the Cosmic Person

Note: Subject of `āruhet`.

सोपानम् (sopānam) - a staircase, steps

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sopāna

sopāna - staircase, steps

Note: Object of `āruhet`.

आरुहेत् (āruhet) - should ascend, should climb

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of ruh

Optative

3rd person singular optative active, parasmaipada, root `ruh` with prefix `ā`

Prefix: ā

Root: ruh (class 1)

Note: The main verb of the first part of the simile.

भीतः (bhītaḥ) - frightened (afraid, frightened, fearful)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīta

bhīta - afraid, frightened, fearful

Past Passive Participle

P.P.P. of root `bhī`

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Qualifies `pūruṣaḥ`.

तर्ज्यमानः (tarjyamānaḥ) - being threatened, being intimidated

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tarjyamāna

tarjyamāna - being threatened, being intimidated

Present Passive Participle

Present Passive Participle of root `tarj`

Root: tarj (class 10)

Note: Qualifies `pūruṣaḥ`.

असिपाणिभिः (asipāṇibhiḥ) - by men with swords (by those with swords in hand)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of asipāṇi

asipāṇi - sword in hand, one holding a sword

bahuvrīhi compound: `asi` (sword) + `pāṇi` (hand), meaning 'one whose sword is in hand'

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (asi+pāṇi)

• asi – sword
  noun (masculine)
• pāṇi – hand
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agent of `tarjyamānaḥ`.