महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-51, verse-38

च्यवन उवाच ।
कृपणस्य च यच्चक्षुर्मुनेराशीविषस्य च ।
नरं समूलं दहति कक्षमग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥३८॥

38. cyavana uvāca ,
kṛpaṇasya ca yaccakṣurmunerāśīviṣasya ca ,
naraṁ samūlaṁ dahati kakṣamagniriva jvalan.

38. cyavanaḥ uvāca kṛpaṇasya ca yat cakṣuḥ muneḥ āśīviṣasya
ca naram samūlam dahati kakṣam agniḥ iva jvalan

38. cyavanaḥ uvāca yat kṛpaṇasya cakṣuḥ ca āśīviṣasya
muneḥ ca naram samūlam dahati agniḥ jvalan kakṣam iva

38. Cyavana said: The gaze of a miser, and also the gaze of a sage (muni) who is like a poisonous snake, burns a man completely, just as a blazing fire burns dry grass.

Words meanings summery:

• च्यवनः (cyavanaḥ) - the sage Cyavana (Cyavana (a sage's name))

• उवाच (uvāca) - Cyavana spoke (he said, spoke)

• कृपणस्य (kṛpaṇasya) - of a stingy, selfish person (of a miser, of a wretched person)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• यत् (yat) - which (referring to the eye/gaze) (which, what, that)

• चक्षुः (cakṣuḥ) - the gaze (eye, sight, gaze)

• मुनेः (muneḥ) - of a revered (muni) (of a sage (muni), of an ascetic)

• आशीविषस्य (āśīviṣasya) - of a venomous serpent (of a poisonous snake (whose poison is in its fangs))

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• नरम् (naram) - a person (a man, a human being)

• समूलम् (samūlam) - completely, root and all (with roots, completely, utterly)

• दहति (dahati) - incinerates (burns, consumes, destroys)

• कक्षम् (kakṣam) - dry undergrowth (dry grass, dry forest, thicket, undergrowth)

• अग्निः (agniḥ) - fire (fire, Agni (god of fire))

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if, similar to)

• ज्वलन् (jvalan) - blazing (fire) (burning, blazing, shining)

Words meanings and morphology

च्यवनः (cyavanaḥ) - the sage Cyavana (Cyavana (a sage's name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of cyavana

cyavana - Cyavana (name of a prominent sage in Hindu mythology)

Root: cyu (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - Cyavana spoke (he said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

Perfect tense (liṭ lakāra), 3rd person singular, active voice. The root 'vac' is an athematic verb, undergoing reduplication in the perfect tense.

Root: vac (class 2)

कृपणस्य (kṛpaṇasya) - of a stingy, selfish person (of a miser, of a wretched person)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of kṛpaṇa

kṛpaṇa - miserly, wretched, poor, pitiable, stingy

Derived from root kṛp (to lament, to pity) with suffix -aṇa.

Root: kṛp (class 10)

Note: Modifies 'cakṣuḥ' implicitly (the eye of a miser).

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunctive particle.

यत् (yat) - which (referring to the eye/gaze) (which, what, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, what, who

Note: Refers to 'cakṣuḥ'.

चक्षुः (cakṣuḥ) - the gaze (eye, sight, gaze)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of cakṣus

cakṣus - eye, sight, power of seeing

Neuter noun ending in -as.

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

मुनेः (muneḥ) - of a revered (muni) (of a sage (muni), of an ascetic)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of muni

muni - sage, ascetic, saint, silent one (muni)

आशीविषस्य (āśīviṣasya) - of a venomous serpent (of a poisonous snake (whose poison is in its fangs))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of āśīviṣa

āśīviṣa - a serpent whose poison is in its fangs (āśī), venomous

Compound formed from 'āśī' (fang) and 'viṣa' (poison).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (āśī+viṣa)

• āśī – fang, serpent's tooth, poison-fang
  noun (feminine)
• viṣa – poison, venom
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with 'muneḥ', suggesting a sage who is like a poisonous snake in temperament.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunctive particle.

नरम् (naram) - a person (a man, a human being)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nara

nara - man, person, male, hero

Derived from root nṛ (to lead).

Root: nṛ

Note: Direct object of 'dahati'.

समूलम् (samūlam) - completely, root and all (with roots, completely, utterly)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of samūla

samūla - with roots, root and all, completely, utterly

Compound 'sa' (with) + 'mūla' (root). Can be Bahuvrihi (having roots) or Avyayībhāva (along with the roots) when used adverbially.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+mūla)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
  Prefix/indeclinable indicating 'with'.
• mūla – root, origin, foundation, base
  noun (neuter)

Note: Functions adverbially, agreeing in form with 'naram'.

दहति (dahati) - incinerates (burns, consumes, destroys)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of dah

Present tense (laṭ lakāra), 3rd person singular, active voice. Root 'dah' is 1st class, P-pada.

Root: dah (class 1)

कक्षम् (kakṣam) - dry undergrowth (dry grass, dry forest, thicket, undergrowth)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kakṣa

kakṣa - dry grass, thicket, dry wood, forest, armpit

Note: Object of implied 'burns' in the simile.

अग्निः (agniḥ) - fire (fire, Agni (god of fire))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of agni

agni - fire, Agni (Vedic deity), digestive fire

Note: Subject of the simile, implied to be burning.

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if, similar to)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison.

ज्वलन् (jvalan) - blazing (fire) (burning, blazing, shining)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jvalat

jvalat - burning, shining, blazing

present active participle

Derived from root jval (to blaze, shine).

Root: jval (class 1)