महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-94, verse-20

अपकृत्य बलस्थस्य दूरस्थोऽस्मीति नाश्वसेत् ।
श्येनानुचरितैर्ह्येते निपतन्ति प्रमाद्यतः ॥२०॥

20. apakṛtya balasthasya dūrastho'smīti nāśvaset ,
śyenānucaritairhyete nipatanti pramādyataḥ.

20. apakṛtya balasthsasya dūrasthaḥ asmi iti na āśvaset
śyena anucaritaiḥ hi ete nipatanti pramādyataḥ

20. balasthasya apakṛtya dūrasthaḥ asmi iti na āśvaset
hi śyena anucaritaiḥ ete pramādyataḥ nipatanti

20. One should not feel secure, thinking "I am far away," after harming a powerful person. For, these (powerful enemies), like hawks, swoop down upon those who are negligent.

Words meanings summery:

• अपकृत्य (apakṛtya) - having harmed, having injured

• बलस्थस्य (balasthasya) - of one who is strong, of one in power

• दूरस्थः (dūrasthaḥ) - far away, remote

• अस्मि (asmi) - I am

• इति (iti) - marks the end of a quote or thought (thus, so saying)

• न (na) - not

• आश्वसेत् (āśvaset) - one should feel secure, one should trust, one should take comfort

• श्येन (śyena) - hawk, eagle

• अनुचरितैः (anucaritaiḥ) - by the swift, predatory movements of hawks (implied comparison with `śyena`) (by those who follow, by behaviors)

• हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

• एते (ete) - these powerful enemies (implied from context of 'balasthasya') (these (ones))

• निपतन्ति (nipatanti) - they fall upon, they attack, they descend

• प्रमाद्यतः (pramādyataḥ) - of one who is negligent, of one who errs, of one who is careless

Words meanings and morphology

अपकृत्य (apakṛtya) - having harmed, having injured

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root `kṛ` with prefix `apa-`, forming an absolutive. The suffix is `-tya` because of the prefix.

Prefix: apa

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Expresses an action completed before the main verb.

बलस्थस्य (balasthasya) - of one who is strong, of one in power

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of balastha

balastha - standing in power, strong, powerful

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (bala+stha)

• bala – strength, power
  noun (neuter)
• stha – standing, situated in
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

दूरस्थः (dūrasthaḥ) - far away, remote

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dūrastha

dūrastha - standing far off, remote, distant

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dūra+stha)

• dūra – distance, far
  noun (neuter)
• stha – standing, situated in
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Predicate of `asmi`.

अस्मि (asmi) - I am

(verb)

1st person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Root `as` (Class 2, `adādi`), first person singular Present tense, Active voice.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Implied subject is "I".

इति (iti) - marks the end of a quote or thought (thus, so saying)

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Note: Negates `āśvaset`.

आश्वसेत् (āśvaset) - one should feel secure, one should trust, one should take comfort

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi liṅ) of śvas

Root `śvas` (Class 2, `adādi`), with prefix `ā-`, third person singular Optative active.

Prefix: ā

Root: śvas (class 2)

Note: Implied subject is "one" or "a person".

श्येन (śyena) - hawk, eagle

(noun)

masculine, singular of śyena

śyena - hawk, eagle

Note: Used here in comparison with `anucaritaiḥ`.

अनुचरितैः (anucaritaiḥ) - by the swift, predatory movements of hawks (implied comparison with `śyena`) (by those who follow, by behaviors)

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of anucarita

anucarita - followed, behaved, course of action, behavior

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root `car` (to move, to follow) with prefix `anu-`. Also functions as a noun 'behavior'.

Prefix: anu

Root: car (class 1)

हि (hi) - indeed, for, because

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle indicating cause or emphasis.

एते (ete) - these powerful enemies (implied from context of 'balasthasya') (these (ones))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Note: Refers to the powerful persons mentioned earlier.

निपतन्ति (nipatanti) - they fall upon, they attack, they descend

(verb)

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

Root `pat` (Class 1, `bhūvādi`), with prefix `ni-`, third person plural Present tense, Active voice.

Prefix: ni

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Subject is `ete`.

प्रमाद्यतः (pramādyataḥ) - of one who is negligent, of one who errs, of one who is careless

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mad

mad - to be intoxicated, to be negligent, to err

Present Active Participle

Root `mad` (Class 4, `divādi`), with prefix `pra-`, forming a present active participle `pramādyat`. This form is masculine singular genitive.

Prefix: pra

Root: mad (class 4)

Note: Governed by `nipatanti` (fall upon whom).