महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-2, chapter-38, verse-28

सोऽनपत्यश्च वृद्धश्च मिथ्याधर्मानुशासनात् ।
हंसवत्त्वमपीदानीं ज्ञातिभ्यः प्राप्नुया वधम् ॥२८॥

28. so'napatyaśca vṛddhaśca mithyādharmānuśāsanāt ,
haṁsavattvamapīdānīṁ jñātibhyaḥ prāpnuyā vadham.

28. saḥ anapatyaḥ ca vṛddhaḥ ca mithyā dharma anuśāsanāt
haṃsavattvam api idānīm jñātibhyaḥ prāpnuyāt vadham

28. He, being childless and old, due to misguided adherence to natural law (dharma), may now even face destruction from his kinsmen, like a swan.

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - he (referring to the childless person from previous verses) (he, that)

• अनपत्यः (anapatyaḥ) - childless (childless, without offspring)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• वृद्धः (vṛddhaḥ) - old, aged (old, aged, grown)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, misguided (falsely, wrongly, in vain)

• धर्म (dharma) - natural law (dharma) (natural law, constitution, duty, virtue, righteousness)

• अनुशासनात् (anuśāsanāt) - from the teaching/instruction (from instruction, from teaching, from command)

• हंसवत्त्वम् (haṁsavattvam) - fate like that of a swan (allusion to a story) (the state of being like a swan, swan-like nature)

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• इदानीम् (idānīm) - now, currently (now, at this time)

• ज्ञातिभ्यः (jñātibhyaḥ) - from his relatives/kinsmen (from relatives, to relatives)

• प्राप्नुयात् (prāpnuyāt) - may he obtain, he would meet (may obtain, should obtain, would obtain)

• वधम् (vadham) - destruction, death (death, killing, destruction)

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - he (referring to the childless person from previous verses) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun

Note: Subject of the sentence.

अनपत्यः (anapatyaḥ) - childless (childless, without offspring)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of anapatya

anapatya - childless, without progeny

Negated form of apatya (offspring). 'an-' is a negative prefix.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (an+apatya)

• an – not, un-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix
• apatya – offspring, child, progeny
  noun (neuter)
  Root: pat (class 1)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction

Note: Joins 'anapatyaḥ' and 'vṛddhaḥ'.

वृद्धः (vṛddhaḥ) - old, aged (old, aged, grown)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vṛddha

vṛddha - old, aged, grown, increased, prospered

Past Passive Participle

From root vṛdh (to grow, increase) + suffix kta (past passive participle)

Root: vṛdh (class 1)

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction

मिथ्या (mithyā) - falsely, misguided (falsely, wrongly, in vain)

(indeclinable)

Adverb

Note: Forms part of the compound `mithyādharmanuśāsanāt`.

धर्म (dharma) - natural law (dharma) (natural law, constitution, duty, virtue, righteousness)

(noun)

masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, duty, virtue, righteousness

From root dhṛ (to uphold, support)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

Note: Forms part of the compound `mithyādharmanuśāsanāt`.

अनुशासनात् (anuśāsanāt) - from the teaching/instruction (from instruction, from teaching, from command)

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of anuśāsana

anuśāsana - instruction, teaching, command, rule

From anu-śās (to instruct)

Prefix: anu

Root: śās (class 2)

Note: Indicates cause or reason: "due to false instruction of natural law (dharma)".

हंसवत्त्वम् (haṁsavattvam) - fate like that of a swan (allusion to a story) (the state of being like a swan, swan-like nature)

(noun)

neuter, singular of haṃsavattva

haṁsavattva - the state or condition of being a swan or like a swan

From haṃsa (swan) + vat (like) + tva (abstract noun suffix)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (haṃsa+vat+tva)

• haṃsa – swan, goose, a kind of mythical bird, soul (ātman)
  noun (masculine)
• vat – like, similar to
  indeclinable
  Suffix forming adjectives/adverbs of comparison
• tva – suffix for abstract noun (e.g. -ness, -hood)
  suffix (neuter)
  Abstract noun suffix

Note: Object of `prāpnuyāt`.

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

Particle

Note: Emphasizes the possibility of such an unfortunate fate.

इदानीम् (idānīm) - now, currently (now, at this time)

(indeclinable)

Temporal adverb

ज्ञातिभ्यः (jñātibhyaḥ) - from his relatives/kinsmen (from relatives, to relatives)

(noun)

masculine, plural of jñāti

jñāti - kinsman, relative, family

From root jñā (to know)

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: Ablative here to indicate source of destruction.

प्राप्नुयात् (prāpnuyāt) - may he obtain, he would meet (may obtain, should obtain, would obtain)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of prāp

Optative mood, active voice

Parasmaipada verb, optative, 3rd person singular. Formed from pra + āp.

Prefix: pra

Root: āp (class 5)

Note: Expresses potential or wish.

वधम् (vadham) - destruction, death (death, killing, destruction)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of vadha

vadha - killing, slaughter, destruction, stroke

From root vadh (to strike, kill)

Root: vadh (class 1)