महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-154, verse-2

धारयामास चात्मानं धारणासु यथाक्रमम् ।
तस्योर्ध्वमगमन्प्राणाः संनिरुद्धा महात्मनः ॥२॥

2. dhārayāmāsa cātmānaṁ dhāraṇāsu yathākramam ,
tasyordhvamagamanprāṇāḥ saṁniruddhā mahātmanaḥ.

2. dhārayāmāsa ca ātmānam dhāraṇāsu yathākramam tasya
ūrdhvam agaman prāṇāḥ saṃniruddhāḥ mahātmanaḥ

2. ca saḥ yathākramam dhāraṇāsu ātmānam dhārayāmāsa.
tasya mahātmanaḥ saṃniruddhāḥ prāṇāḥ ūrdhvam agaman.

2. He also held his breath (ātman) in the prescribed stages of concentration (dhāraṇā). The vital breaths (prāṇa) of that great soul (mahātman), having been fully restrained, then ascended upwards.

Words meanings summery:

• धारयामास (dhārayāmāsa) - he held (his breath) (he held, sustained, supported, maintained)

• च (ca) - and also (and, also)

• आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his (own) breath (ātman), as part of yogic practice (self, soul, spirit, vital breath)

• धारणासु (dhāraṇāsu) - in the prescribed stages of yogic concentration (dhāraṇā) (in concentrations, in fixations, in stages of mental focus)

• यथाक्रमम् (yathākramam) - in the proper sequence (of yogic practices) (in due order, successively, according to sequence)

• तस्य (tasya) - of him (Bhishma) (his, of him)

• ऊर्ध्वम् (ūrdhvam) - upwards (indicating ascent) (upwards, above, high)

• अगमन् (agaman) - they ascended (the prāṇas) (they went, they moved)

• प्राणाः (prāṇāḥ) - the vital breaths (prāṇa) within the body (vital breaths, life-airs, life-forces)

• संनिरुद्धाः (saṁniruddhāḥ) - having been fully restrained (through yogic practice) (restrained, controlled, checked, stopped)

• महात्मनः (mahātmanaḥ) - of that great soul (mahātman), Bhishma (of the great soul, of the magnanimous one)

Words meanings and morphology

धारयामास (dhārayāmāsa) - he held (his breath) (he held, sustained, supported, maintained)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of dhṛ

Perfect tense, causative form, 3rd person singular

Derived from root dhṛ (1st class, bhū group) with causative suffix -āya, then perfect tense formation

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Causative form (dhāraya) used here.

च (ca) - and also (and, also)

(indeclinable)

आत्मानम् (ātmānam) - his (own) breath (ātman), as part of yogic practice (self, soul, spirit, vital breath)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit, breath, life, essence, mind

Note: In this context, referring to the vital breath or life principle.

धारणासु (dhāraṇāsu) - in the prescribed stages of yogic concentration (dhāraṇā) (in concentrations, in fixations, in stages of mental focus)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, plural of dhāraṇā

dhāraṇā - act of holding or bearing; firmness, steadiness; concentration of the mind, a stage in yoga

From root dhṛ (to hold) + ana suffix

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

यथाक्रमम् (yathākramam) - in the proper sequence (of yogic practices) (in due order, successively, according to sequence)

(indeclinable)

Avyayībhāva compound of yathā (as) and krama (order)

Compound type : avyayībhāva (yathā+krama)

• yathā – as, just as, in proportion to
  indeclinable
• krama – step, order, sequence, method
  noun (masculine)
  Root: kram (class 1)

तस्य (tasya) - of him (Bhishma) (his, of him)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Bhishma.

ऊर्ध्वम् (ūrdhvam) - upwards (indicating ascent) (upwards, above, high)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used as an adverb here, indicating direction.

अगमन् (agaman) - they ascended (the prāṇas) (they went, they moved)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of gam

Imperfect tense, 3rd person plural

Derived from root gam (1st class, bhū group) with augment 'a-'

Root: gam (class 1)

प्राणाः (prāṇāḥ) - the vital breaths (prāṇa) within the body (vital breaths, life-airs, life-forces)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of prāṇa

prāṇa - breath, vital air, life-force; one of the five vital airs in yogic philosophy

Derived from pra- (prefix) + an (to breathe)

Prefix: pra

Root: an (class 2)

Note: Refers to the subtle vital energies in the body.

संनिरुद्धाः (saṁniruddhāḥ) - having been fully restrained (through yogic practice) (restrained, controlled, checked, stopped)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of saṃniruddha

saṁniruddha - restrained, checked, confined, blocked

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root rudh (to obstruct) with prefixes sam- and ni-

Prefixes: sam+ni

Root: rudh (class 7)

Note: Agrees with 'prāṇāḥ'.

महात्मनः (mahātmanaḥ) - of that great soul (mahātman), Bhishma (of the great soul, of the magnanimous one)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, magnanimous, noble; a great person, a mahatma

Bahuvrīhi compound: mahat (great) + ātman (soul)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahat+ātman)

• mahat – great, large, vast, mighty
  adjective (neuter)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, breath
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with 'tasya', referring to Bhishma.