महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-131, verse-19

श्येनाः कपोतान्खादन्ति स्थितिरेषा सनातनी ।
मा राजन्मार्गमाज्ञाय कदलीस्कन्धमारुह ॥१९॥

19. śyenāḥ kapotānkhādanti sthitireṣā sanātanī ,
mā rājanmārgamājñāya kadalīskandhamāruha.

19. śyenāḥ kapotān khādanti sthitiḥ eṣā sanātanī
mā rājan mārgam ājñāya kadalīskandham āruha

19. Hawks eat pigeons; this is an eternal (sanātanī) natural law (dharma). O king, do not, knowing this proper course of action (mārga), attempt something futile like climbing a banana tree trunk!

Words meanings summery:

• श्येनाः (śyenāḥ) - hawks, falcons

• कपोतान् (kapotān) - pigeons, doves

• खादन्ति (khādanti) - they eat, they devour

• स्थितिः (sthitiḥ) - state, condition, custom, rule, natural law

• एषा (eṣā) - this

• सनातनी (sanātanī) - eternal, perpetual, ancient

• मा (mā) - do not

• राजन् (rājan) - O King Śibi (king, ruler)

• मार्गम् (mārgam) - proper course of action (path, way, course)

• आज्ञाय (ājñāya) - having known, having understood

• कदलीस्कन्धम् (kadalīskandham) - a metaphor for an impossible or futile task (banana tree trunk)

• आरुह (āruha) - climb, ascend

Words meanings and morphology

श्येनाः (śyenāḥ) - hawks, falcons

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śyena

śyena - hawk, falcon

कपोतान् (kapotān) - pigeons, doves

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of kapota

kapota - pigeon, dove

खादन्ति (khādanti) - they eat, they devour

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (laṭ) of khād

present active

Class 1, Parasmaipada

Root: khād (class 1)

स्थितिः (sthitiḥ) - state, condition, custom, rule, natural law

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sthiti

sthiti - standing, position, state, condition, rule, custom, natural law

from root sthā

Root: sthā (class 1)

एषा (eṣā) - this

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of etad

etad - this, he, she, it (near)

सनातनी (sanātanī) - eternal, perpetual, ancient

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of sanātana

sanātana - eternal, perpetual, ancient, everlasting

मा (mā) - do not

(indeclinable)

prohibitive particle used with imperative verbs

राजन् (rājan) - O King Śibi (king, ruler)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

मार्गम् (mārgam) - proper course of action (path, way, course)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mārga

mārga - path, road, way, course, usage, custom, proper course of action

आज्ञाय (ājñāya) - having known, having understood

(indeclinable)

absolutive/gerund

root jñā with upasarga ā, ending in -ya

Prefix: ā

Root: jñā (class 9)

Note: absolutive

कदलीस्कन्धम् (kadalīskandham) - a metaphor for an impossible or futile task (banana tree trunk)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of kadalīskandha

kadalīskandha - banana tree trunk

Compound type : tatpurusha (kadalī+skandha)

• kadalī – banana tree
  noun (feminine)
• skandha – trunk, stem, shoulder
  noun (masculine)

आरुह (āruha) - climb, ascend

(verb)

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

imperative active

root ruh with upasarga ā

Prefix: ā

Root: ruh (class 1)