महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-318, verse-5

स्रवन्ति न निवर्तन्ते स्रोतांसि सरितामिव ।
आयुरादाय मर्त्यानां रात्र्यहानि पुनः पुनः ॥५॥

5. sravanti na nivartante srotāṁsi saritāmiva ,
āyurādāya martyānāṁ rātryahāni punaḥ punaḥ.

5. sravanti na nivartante srotāṃsi saritām iva
āyuḥ ādāya martyānām rātryahāni punaḥ punaḥ

5. rātryahāni punaḥ punaḥ martyānām āyuḥ ādāya
srotāṃsi saritām iva sravanti na nivartante

5. Like river currents that flow forth and do not return, nights and days repeatedly carry away the life (āyuḥ) of mortals.

Words meanings summery:

• स्रवन्ति (sravanti) - flow, stream, ooze

• न (na) - not, no

• निवर्तन्ते (nivartante) - return, turn back

• स्रोतांसि (srotāṁsi) - streams, currents

• सरिताम् (saritām) - of rivers

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

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

• आदाय (ādāya) - having taken, taking away, seizing

• मर्त्यानाम् (martyānām) - of mortals, of human beings

• रात्र्यहानि (rātryahāni) - nights and days

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, repeatedly

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, repeatedly

Words meanings and morphology

स्रवन्ति (sravanti) - flow, stream, ooze

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of sru

Root: sru (class 1)

Note: Used both for streams and implied for nights/days.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

निवर्तन्ते (nivartante) - return, turn back

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of nivṛt

From ni- + vṛt (to turn)

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Used both for streams and implied for nights/days.

स्रोतांसि (srotāṁsi) - streams, currents

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of srotas

srotas - stream, current, torrent

Root: sru (class 1)

Note: Subject of 'sravanti' and 'nivartante' in the simile.

सरिताम् (saritām) - of rivers

(noun)

Genitive, feminine, plural of sarit

sarit - river, stream

Root: sṛ (class 1)

Note: Qualifies 'srotāṃsi'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

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

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of āyus

āyus - life, lifespan, vital power

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Object of 'ādāya'.

आदाय (ādāya) - having taken, taking away, seizing

(indeclinable)

absolutive/gerund

From ā- + dā (to give, to take)

Prefix: ā

Root: dā (class 3)

मर्त्यानाम् (martyānām) - of mortals, of human beings

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of martya

martya - mortal, human being

Root: mṛ (class 1)

Note: Possessive, 'lifespan of mortals'.

रात्र्यहानि (rātryahāni) - nights and days

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of rātryahan

rātryahan - nights and days

Compound type : dvandva (rātri+ahan)

• rātri – night
  noun (feminine)
• ahan – day
  noun (neuter)

Note: Subject (like 'srotāṃsi').

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, repeatedly

(indeclinable)

Note: Part of the iterative expression 'punaḥ punaḥ'.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, repeatedly

(indeclinable)

Note: Part of the iterative expression 'punaḥ punaḥ'.