महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-108, verse-17

कनिष्ठास्तं नमस्येरन्सर्वे छन्दानुवर्तिनः ।
तमेव चोपजीवेरन्यथैव पितरं तथा ॥१७॥

17. kaniṣṭhāstaṁ namasyeransarve chandānuvartinaḥ ,
tameva copajīveranyathaiva pitaraṁ tathā.

17. kaniṣṭhāḥ tam namasyeran sarve chandānuvartinaḥ
tam eva ca upajīveran yathā eva pitaraṃ tathā

17. sarve chandānuvartinaḥ kaniṣṭhāḥ tam namasyeran
ca yathā eva pitaraṃ tathā tam eva upajīveran

17. All the younger ones, following his will, should revere him. And they should depend on him, just as they would on a father.

Words meanings summery:

• कनिष्ठाः (kaniṣṭhāḥ) - the youngest, juniors, inferiors

• तम् (tam) - him

• नमस्येरन् (namasyeran) - they should revere, they should bow down to

• सर्वे (sarve) - all, everyone

• छन्दानुवर्तिनः (chandānuvartinaḥ) - followers of his will, compliant, obedient

• तम् (tam) - him

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• च (ca) - and

• उपजीवेरन् (upajīveran) - they should depend on, they should live upon

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• पितरं (pitaraṁ) - father

• तथा (tathā) - so, likewise, thus

Words meanings and morphology

कनिष्ठाः (kaniṣṭhāḥ) - the youngest, juniors, inferiors

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of kaniṣṭha

kaniṣṭha - youngest, smallest, inferior

तम् (tam) - him

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

नमस्येरन् (namasyeran) - they should revere, they should bow down to

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of namasya

denominative verb from 'namas'

Formed from the noun 'namas' (reverence) with the denominative suffix -ya.

Root: namas

सर्वे (sarve) - all, everyone

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole

छन्दानुवर्तिनः (chandānuvartinaḥ) - followers of his will, compliant, obedient

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of chandānuvartin

chandānuvartin - following one's will, obedient, compliant

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (chandas+anuvartin)

• chandas – will, desire, intention, Veda, meter
  noun (neuter)
• anuvartin – following, obeying, compliant
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun derived from verb 'anuvṛt'
  Derived from the root vṛt with prefix anu and suffix -in.
  Prefix: anu
  Root: vṛt (class 1)

तम् (tam) - him

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

उपजीवेरन् (upajīveran) - they should depend on, they should live upon

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of upajīv

Prefix: upa

Root: jīv (class 1)

यथा (yathā) - as, just as

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

पितरं (pitaraṁ) - father

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of pitṛ

pitṛ - father, ancestor

तथा (tathā) - so, likewise, thus

(indeclinable)