महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-141, verse-3

अथ ते तमसा ग्रस्ता निहन्यन्ते स्म दानवैः ।
देवा नृपतिशार्दूल सहैव बलिभिस्तदा ॥३॥

3. atha te tamasā grastā nihanyante sma dānavaiḥ ,
devā nṛpatiśārdūla sahaiva balibhistadā.

3. atha te tamasā grastāḥ nihanyante sma dānavaiḥ
devāḥ nṛpatiśārdūla saha eva balibhiḥ tadā

3. atha te tamasā grastāḥ dānavaiḥ nihanyante sma.
he nṛpatiśārdūla,
tadā devāḥ saha eva balibhiḥ (āsan).

3. Then those (gods), seized by darkness (tamas), were being slain by the demons (dānavas). O tiger among kings, the gods (devas) themselves were (present) at that time, even with the mighty (demons) (balibhiḥ).

Words meanings summery:

• अथ (atha) - then (then, now, thereupon, therefore)

• ते (te) - those (gods/luminaries, referring to Soma and Bhāskara implicitly) (they, those)

• तमसा (tamasā) - by darkness (caused by Svarbhānu) (by darkness, by ignorance)

• ग्रस्ताः (grastāḥ) - seized (by darkness) (seized, devoured, consumed)

• निहन्यन्ते (nihanyante) - they were being slain (they are killed, they are being struck)

• स्म (sma) - indicates past continuous action (an enclitic particle, indicates past action when combined with present tense verb)

• दानवैः (dānavaiḥ) - by the demons (by demons, by the Dānavas)

• देवाः (devāḥ) - the gods (gods, deities)

• नृपतिशार्दूल (nṛpatiśārdūla) - O tiger among kings (addressing the listener, likely Arjuna) (O tiger among kings, O best of kings)

• सह (saha) - along with (with, together with)

• एव (eva) - even (only, just, indeed, even)

• बलिभिः (balibhiḥ) - by the mighty (demons) (by the mighty ones, by the strong ones, by the Balis (demons))

• तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

Words meanings and morphology

अथ (atha) - then (then, now, thereupon, therefore)

(indeclinable)

ते (te) - those (gods/luminaries, referring to Soma and Bhāskara implicitly) (they, those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Subject of nihanyante sma, refers to devas/Soma-Bhāskara from previous context.

तमसा (tamasā) - by darkness (caused by Svarbhānu) (by darkness, by ignorance)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tamas

tamas - darkness, gloom; ignorance, inertia

Root: tam (class 4)

Note: Agent in passive participle construction

ग्रस्ताः (grastāḥ) - seized (by darkness) (seized, devoured, consumed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of grasta

grasta - seized, devoured, overcome, eclipsed

Past Passive Participle

Formed from root gras (to seize, swallow)

Root: gras (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'te'

निहन्यन्ते (nihanyante) - they were being slain (they are killed, they are being struck)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, present (laṭ) of han

Present Tense

Root han (class 2), with prefix ni, passive voice

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Used with sma to indicate past continuous action

स्म (sma) - indicates past continuous action (an enclitic particle, indicates past action when combined with present tense verb)

(indeclinable)

दानवैः (dānavaiḥ) - by the demons (by demons, by the Dānavas)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of dānava

dānava - demon, son of Danu

Patronymic from Danu

Note: Agent in passive construction

देवाः (devāḥ) - the gods (gods, deities)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of deva

deva - god, deity, divine

From root div (to shine)

Root: div (class 4)

Note: Subject (implicitly 'were there')

नृपतिशार्दूल (nṛpatiśārdūla) - O tiger among kings (addressing the listener, likely Arjuna) (O tiger among kings, O best of kings)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nṛpatiśārdūla

nṛpatiśārdūla - best of kings, tiger among men (epithet for a king)

Tatpuruṣa compound: nṛpati (king) + śārdūla (tiger)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nṛpati+śārdūla)

• nṛpati – king, ruler of men
  noun (masculine)
  Compound: nṛ (man) + pati (master)
• śārdūla – tiger, chief, excellent one
  noun (masculine)
  Root: śṛd (class 1)

सह (saha) - along with (with, together with)

(indeclinable)

Preposition/adverb

एव (eva) - even (only, just, indeed, even)

(indeclinable)

Intensifying particle

Note: Emphasizes 'saha'

बलिभिः (balibhiḥ) - by the mighty (demons) (by the mighty ones, by the strong ones, by the Balis (demons))

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of balin

balin - powerful, strong, mighty; name of a demon (Bali)

Derived from bala (strength)

Note: Governed by 'saha'

तदा (tadā) - at that time (then, at that time)

(indeclinable)

Temporal adverb from tad