महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-80, verse-13

पूर्वमासन्नशृङ्गा वै गाव इत्यनुशुश्रुमः ।
शृङ्गार्थे समुपासन्त ताः किल प्रभुमव्ययम् ॥१३॥

13. pūrvamāsannaśṛṅgā vai gāva ityanuśuśrumaḥ ,
śṛṅgārthe samupāsanta tāḥ kila prabhumavyayam.

13. pūrvam āsan aśṛṅgāḥ vai gāvaḥ iti anuśuśrumaḥ
śṛṅgārthe samupāsanta tāḥ kila prabhum avyayam

13. vai pūrvam gāvaḥ aśṛṅgāḥ āsan iti anuśuśrumaḥ
kila tāḥ śṛṅgārthe avyayam prabhum samupāsanta

13. Indeed, we have heard that in ancient times, cows were hornless. It is said that for the sake of horns, those cows then worshipped the imperishable Lord.

Words meanings summery:

• पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - in ancient times (formerly, before, in ancient times)

• आसन् (āsan) - were, existed

• अशृङ्गाः (aśṛṅgāḥ) - hornless

• वै (vai) - indeed (indeed, verily, surely)

• गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

• इति (iti) - (marks the end of a reported speech or thought) (thus, so, in this manner)

• अनुशुश्रुमः (anuśuśrumaḥ) - we have heard, it is handed down by tradition

• शृङ्गार्थे (śṛṅgārthe) - for the sake of horns, for horns

• समुपासन्त (samupāsanta) - they worshipped, they served, they sat near with devotion

• ताः (tāḥ) - those cows (those (feminine))

• किल (kila) - it is said (indicating hearsay or tradition) (indeed, truly, it is said)

• प्रभुम् (prabhum) - the Lord, master, mighty one

• अव्ययम् (avyayam) - imperishable, immutable, eternal

Words meanings and morphology

पूर्वम् (pūrvam) - in ancient times (formerly, before, in ancient times)

(indeclinable)

Note: Acts as an adverb of time.

आसन् (āsan) - were, existed

(verb)

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

Imperfect

Third person plural imperfect active.

Root: as (class 2)

अशृङ्गाः (aśṛṅgāḥ) - hornless

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of aśṛṅga

aśṛṅga - hornless, without horns

A- (privative prefix) + śṛṅga (horn).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+śṛṅga)

• a – not, non, un-
  indeclinable
  Privative prefix
• śṛṅga – horn, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies gāvaḥ.

वै (vai) - indeed (indeed, verily, surely)

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle

गावः (gāvaḥ) - cows

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of go

go - cow, bull, cattle, earth, ray of light

o-stem noun

Note: Subject of āsan.

इति (iti) - (marks the end of a reported speech or thought) (thus, so, in this manner)

(indeclinable)

Particle

अनुशुश्रुमः (anuśuśrumaḥ) - we have heard, it is handed down by tradition

(verb)

1st person , plural, active, past perfect (liṭ) of anuśru

Perfect

First person plural perfect active, with prefix anu.

Prefix: anu

Root: śru (class 5)

शृङ्गार्थे (śṛṅgārthe) - for the sake of horns, for horns

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of śṛṅgārtha

śṛṅgārtha - for the sake of horns, purpose of horns

Compound: śṛṅga (horn) + artha (purpose, sake).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śṛṅga+artha)

• śṛṅga – horn, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)
• artha – purpose, aim, meaning, wealth, for the sake of
  noun (masculine)

Note: Indicates the purpose for worshipping.

समुपासन्त (samupāsanta) - they worshipped, they served, they sat near with devotion

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of samupās

Imperfect (ātmanepada)

Third person plural imperfect middle. With prefixes sam and upa.

Prefixes: sam+upa

Root: ās (class 2)

Note: Subject is tāḥ (the cows).

ताः (tāḥ) - those cows (those (feminine))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Subject of samupāsanta, referring back to gāvaḥ.

किल (kila) - it is said (indicating hearsay or tradition) (indeed, truly, it is said)

(indeclinable)

Particle

प्रभुम् (prabhum) - the Lord, master, mighty one

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of prabhu

prabhu - lord, master, ruler, mighty, powerful

From pra (forth) + root bhū (to be, become).

Prefix: pra

Root: bhū (class 1)

अव्ययम् (avyayam) - imperishable, immutable, eternal

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of avyaya

avyaya - imperishable, immutable, indestructible, eternal; an indeclinable word

A- (privative prefix) + vyaya (expenditure, decay).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+vyaya)

• a – not, non, un-
  indeclinable
  Privative prefix
• vyaya – expenditure, decay, destruction, decline
  noun (masculine)
  From vi (apart) + root i (to go) + a suffix.
  Prefix: vi
  Root: i (class 2)

Note: Qualifies prabhum.