महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-2, chapter-11, verse-69

युद्धं च पृष्ठगमनं पृथिवीक्षयकारकम् ।
किंचिदेव निमित्तं च भवत्यत्र क्षयावहम् ॥६९॥

69. yuddhaṁ ca pṛṣṭhagamanaṁ pṛthivīkṣayakārakam ,
kiṁcideva nimittaṁ ca bhavatyatra kṣayāvaham.

69. yuddham ca pṛṣṭhagamanam pṛthivīkṣayakārakam
kiñcit eva nimittam ca bhavati atra kṣayāvaham

69. War and retreat are both causes of the destruction of the world. And in this matter, even a minor reason can become a cause of ruin.

Words meanings summery:

• युद्धम् (yuddham) - war, battle, fight

• च (ca) - and

• पृष्ठगमनम् (pṛṣṭhagamanam) - retreating, turning one's back, flight

• पृथिवीक्षयकारकम् (pṛthivīkṣayakārakam) - causing destruction of the earth/world

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - a minor (something, anything, a little)

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

• निमित्तम् (nimittam) - reason (cause, reason, pretext)

• च (ca) - and

• भवति (bhavati) - becomes, happens, exists

• अत्र (atra) - in this matter (here, in this (context))

• क्षयावहम् (kṣayāvaham) - causing destruction, bringing ruin

Words meanings and morphology

युद्धम् (yuddham) - war, battle, fight

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yuddha

yuddha - battle, fight, war

Past Passive Participle (used as noun)

From √yudh (to fight) + kta.

Root: √yudh (class 4)

Note: One of the subjects.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

पृष्ठगमनम् (pṛṣṭhagamanam) - retreating, turning one's back, flight

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pṛṣṭhagamana

pṛṣṭhagamana - going backward, retreat, flight

Compound type : tatpurusha (pṛṣṭha+gamana)

• pṛṣṭha – back, rear
  noun (neuter)
• gamana – going, motion, journey
  noun (neuter)
  From √gam (to go) + lyuṭ (ana) suffix.
  Root: √gam (class 1)

Note: Another subject.

पृथिवीक्षयकारकम् (pṛthivīkṣayakārakam) - causing destruction of the earth/world

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of pṛthivīkṣayakāraka

pṛthivīkṣayakāraka - causing the destruction of the earth, destructive to the world

Compound type : tatpurusha (pṛthivī+kṣaya+kāraka)

• pṛthivī – earth, world
  noun (feminine)
• kṣaya – destruction, ruin, decay, loss
  noun (masculine)
  From √kṣi (to destroy, diminish).
  Root: √kṣi (class 5)
• kāraka – causing, making, performing; cause, agent
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun / adjective
  From √kṛ (to do, make) + ṇvul (aka) suffix.
  Root: √kṛ (class 8)

Note: Agrees with 'yuddham' and 'pṛṣṭhagamanam'.

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - a minor (something, anything, a little)

(indeclinable)

Formed from `kim` + `cit`. Used as an indefinite pronoun/adjective.

Note: Refers to 'nimittam'.

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphasizes 'kiñcit'.

निमित्तम् (nimittam) - reason (cause, reason, pretext)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of nimitta

nimitta - cause, reason, motive, sign, omen

Note: Subject of 'bhavati'.

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

भवति (bhavati) - becomes, happens, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of √bhū

Present indicative active, 3rd person singular.

Root: √bhū (class 1)

अत्र (atra) - in this matter (here, in this (context))

(indeclinable)

क्षयावहम् (kṣayāvaham) - causing destruction, bringing ruin

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kṣayāvaha

kṣayāvaha - bringing destruction, causing ruin, destructive

Compound type : tatpurusha (kṣaya+āvaha)

• kṣaya – destruction, ruin, decay, loss
  noun (masculine)
  From √kṣi (to destroy, diminish).
  Root: √kṣi (class 5)
• āvaha – bringing, causing, producing, leading to
  adjective (masculine)
  agent noun / adjective
  From ā-√vah (to carry, bring).
  Prefix: ā
  Root: √vah (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'nimittam'.