महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-14, chapter-17, verse-17

ततः सवेदनः सद्यो जीवः प्रच्यवते क्षरन् ।
शरीरं त्यजते जन्तुश्छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु ।
वेदनाभिः परीतात्मा तद्विद्धि द्विजसत्तम ॥१७॥

17. tataḥ savedanaḥ sadyo jīvaḥ pracyavate kṣaran ,
śarīraṁ tyajate jantuśchidyamāneṣu marmasu ,
vedanābhiḥ parītātmā tadviddhi dvijasattama.

17. tataḥ sāvedanaḥ sadyaḥ jīvaḥ
pracyavate kṣaran śarīram tyajate jantuḥ
chidyamāneṣu marmasu vedanābhiḥ
parītātmā tat viddhi dvijasattama

17. tataḥ sadyaḥ sāvedanaḥ kṣaran jīvaḥ
pracyavate jantuḥ śarīram tyajate
chidyamāneṣu marmasu vedanābhiḥ
parītātmā tat viddhi dvijasattama

17. Then, immediately, the living principle (jīva) departs with pain and decays. When the vital points (marmasu) are being severed, the creature abandons the body, its individual self (ātman) overwhelmed by pains. Know this, O best of the twice-born.

Words meanings summery:

• ततः (tataḥ) - Indicating sequence in time. (then, thereupon, from that)

• सावेदनः (sāvedanaḥ) - Refers to jīvaḥ. (with pain, experiencing pain, painful)

• सद्यः (sadyaḥ) - immediately, instantly, freshly, at once

• जीवः (jīvaḥ) - The animating principle, distinct from the physical body. (life, soul, living principle, living being)

• प्रच्यवते (pracyavate) - falls away, departs, is lost, degenerates

• क्षरन् (kṣaran) - Metaphorically 'flowing away' or 'leaking' or 'decaying' (as life/strength ebbs). (flowing, wasting away, decaying, perishing)

• शरीरम् (śarīram) - the body

• त्यजते (tyajate) - leaves, abandons, forsakes

• जन्तुः (jantuḥ) - creature, living being, person

• छिद्यमानेषु (chidyamāneṣu) - being cut, being severed, being broken

• मर्मसु (marmasu) - Anatomical points where injury is fatal. (in the vital spots, in the vulnerable points)

• वेदनाभिः (vedanābhiḥ) - by pains, by sensations of suffering

• परीतात्मा (parītātmā) - Describes the state of the creature's ātman. (one whose self is encompassed/overwhelmed (by pain))

• तत् (tat) - Refers to the entire preceding description of how life and body depart. (that)

• विद्धि (viddhi) - know, understand, recognize

• द्विजसत्तम (dvijasattama) - Refers to the addressed person, likely a Brahmin. (O best among the twice-born)

Words meanings and morphology

ततः (tataḥ) - Indicating sequence in time. (then, thereupon, from that)

(indeclinable)

Adverbial derivative from tad.

सावेदनः (sāvedanaḥ) - Refers to jīvaḥ. (with pain, experiencing pain, painful)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sāvedana

sāvedana - accompanied by pain, painful, full of feeling

Bahuvrīhi compound: sa (with) + vedanā (pain/sensation). 'Having pain'.

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (sa+vedanā)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
  Prefix/indeclinable.
• vedanā – pain, sensation, feeling, perception
  noun (feminine)
  From root vid (to know, perceive).
  Root: vid (class 2)

सद्यः (sadyaḥ) - immediately, instantly, freshly, at once

(indeclinable)

Adverb.

जीवः (jīvaḥ) - The animating principle, distinct from the physical body. (life, soul, living principle, living being)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jīva

jīva - life, soul, living being, vital principle, individual soul

From root jīv (to live).

Root: jīv (class 1)

प्रच्यवते (pracyavate) - falls away, departs, is lost, degenerates

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of pracyu

Present middle third singular. From prefix pra- + root cyu (to move, fall).

Prefix: pra

Root: cyu (class 1)

क्षरन् (kṣaran) - Metaphorically 'flowing away' or 'leaking' or 'decaying' (as life/strength ebbs). (flowing, wasting away, decaying, perishing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kṣarat

kṣarat - flowing, dripping, wasting away, decaying, perishing

Present Active Participle

From root kṣar (to flow, melt, perish) + śatṛ suffix.

Root: kṣar (class 1)

शरीरम् (śarīram) - the body

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śarīra

śarīra - body, form, frame

Root: śṝ (class 9)

त्यजते (tyajate) - leaves, abandons, forsakes

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of tyaj

Present middle third singular. From root tyaj (class 1, 'to abandon'). Here used in Ātmanepada.

Root: tyaj (class 1)

जन्तुः (jantuḥ) - creature, living being, person

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of jantu

jantu - creature, living being, person

From root jan (to be born).

Root: jan (class 4)

छिद्यमानेषु (chidyamāneṣu) - being cut, being severed, being broken

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, plural of chidyamāna

chidyamāna - being cut, being severed, being broken

Present Passive Participle

From root chid (to cut) + passive infix ya + śānac suffix.

Root: chid (class 7)

Note: Describes the state of the marmasu when the event occurs.

मर्मसु (marmasu) - Anatomical points where injury is fatal. (in the vital spots, in the vulnerable points)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of marman

marman - vital spot, vulnerable point, weak point, secret

From root mṛ (to die).

Root: mṛ (class 1)

Note: Used in a locative absolute construction.

वेदनाभिः (vedanābhiḥ) - by pains, by sensations of suffering

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, plural of vedanā

vedanā - pain, sensation, feeling, perception, suffering

From root vid (to know, perceive).

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Agent or means by which the ātman is overwhelmed.

परीतात्मा (parītātmā) - Describes the state of the creature's ātman. (one whose self is encompassed/overwhelmed (by pain))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parītātman

parītātman - one whose self is surrounded/overwhelmed

Bahuvrīhi compound: parīta (surrounded/overwhelmed) + ātman (self/soul).

Compound type : Bahuvrīhi (parīta+ātman)

• parīta – surrounded, encompassed, overwhelmed, gone around
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From prefix pari- + root i (to go) + kta suffix.
  Prefix: pari
  Root: i (class 2)
• ātman – self, soul, individual essence, vital breath
  noun (masculine)
  Root: an (class 2)

Note: Refers to jantuḥ.

तत् (tat) - Refers to the entire preceding description of how life and body depart. (that)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Object of viddhi.

विद्धि (viddhi) - know, understand, recognize

(verb)

2nd person , singular, active, imperative (loṭ) of vid

Imperative active second singular (irregular form). Root vid (class 2, 'to know').

Root: vid (class 2)

द्विजसत्तम (dvijasattama) - Refers to the addressed person, likely a Brahmin. (O best among the twice-born)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of dvijasattama

dvijasattama - best among the twice-born (Brahmin)

Compound of dvija (twice-born) + sattama (best among). sattama is a superlative suffix for 'best'.

Compound type : Tatpuruṣa (dvija+sattama)

• dvija – twice-born (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya; also bird, tooth)
  noun (masculine)
  Compound of dvi (two) + ja (born).
  Root: jan (class 4)
• sattama – best, most excellent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative form of sat (good, existing), or a suffix. Used here as a suffix to 'dvija' to mean 'best among dvijas'.