महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-194, verse-17

वित्रासयेतामथ तौ ब्रह्माणममितौजसम् ।
वित्रास्यमानो बहुशो ब्रह्मा ताभ्यां महायशाः ।
अकम्पयत्पद्मनालं ततोऽबुध्यत केशवः ॥१७॥

17. vitrāsayetāmatha tau brahmāṇamamitaujasam ,
vitrāsyamāno bahuśo brahmā tābhyāṁ mahāyaśāḥ ,
akampayatpadmanālaṁ tato'budhyata keśavaḥ.

17. vitrāsayetām atha tau brahmāṇam
amitaujasam vitrāsyāmānaḥ bahuśaḥ
brahmā tābhyām mahāyaśāḥ akampayat
padmanālam tataḥ abudhyata keśavaḥ

17. Then, those two (Madhu and Kaiṭabha) began to frighten Brahmā, who possessed immeasurable might. Repeatedly tormented by those two, the glorious Brahmā shook the lotus-stalk, and thereupon, Keśava (Vishnu) awoke.

Words meanings summery:

• वित्रासयेताम् (vitrāsayetām) - They (Madhu and Kaiṭabha) began to frighten. (they (dual) would frighten, they proceeded to frighten)

• अथ (atha) - then, next, now

• तौ (tau) - Madhu and Kaiṭabha, implicitly understood from the previous verse. (those two)

• ब्रह्माणम् (brahmāṇam) - Brahmā (the creator god)

• अमितौजसम् (amitaujasam) - of immeasurable might, having unlimited energy

• वित्रास्यामानः (vitrāsyāmānaḥ) - being frightened, being terrified

• बहुशः (bahuśaḥ) - many times, repeatedly, greatly

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator god)

• ताभ्याम् (tābhyām) - By Madhu and Kaiṭabha. (by those two)

• महायशाः (mahāyaśāḥ) - very famous, glorious, renowned

• अकम्पयत् (akampayat) - he shook, he caused to tremble

• पद्मनालम् (padmanālam) - The stalk of the cosmic lotus from which Brahmā emerged. (the lotus-stalk)

• ततः (tataḥ) - thereupon, then, from that

• अबुध्यत (abudhyata) - he awoke, he became aware

• केशवः (keśavaḥ) - Keśava (an epithet of Vishnu)

Words meanings and morphology

वित्रासयेताम् (vitrāsayetām) - They (Madhu and Kaiṭabha) began to frighten. (they (dual) would frighten, they proceeded to frighten)

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of vitrāsaya

Optative/Potential Mood, Causative

From root tras (to tremble) with prefix vi and causative suffix aya. Third person dual, optative mood, active voice. In narrative contexts, optative can imply a past continuous or customary action ('they used to frighten', 'they proceeded to frighten').

Prefix: vi

Root: tras (class 1)

अथ (atha) - then, next, now

(indeclinable)

तौ (tau) - Madhu and Kaiṭabha, implicitly understood from the previous verse. (those two)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine dual nominative.

ब्रह्माणम् (brahmāṇam) - Brahmā (the creator god)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator god), the Supreme Being (brahman)

n-stem noun, masculine gender for the deity Brahmā.

Root: bṛh (class 1)

Note: Object of 'vitrāsayetām'

अमितौजसम् (amitaujasam) - of immeasurable might, having unlimited energy

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of amitaujas

amitaujas - of immeasurable might, having unlimited energy

bahuvrīhi compound: a (negative prefix) + mita (measured) + ojas (might). The sandhi `a + u = o` in `amitaujasam` is internal to the compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (amita+ojas)

• amita – unmeasured, unlimited
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle (negative)
  From a- (neg.) + mita (measured, from root mā)
  Prefix: a
  Root: mā (class 3)
• ojas – might, energy, vigor
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'brahmāṇam'

वित्रास्यामानः (vitrāsyāmānaḥ) - being frightened, being terrified

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vitrāsyāmāna

vitrāsyāmāna - being frightened, being terrified

Present Passive Participle (Ātmanepada)

From causative stem vitrāsya- (from vi-tras 'to tremble, frighten') with the śānac suffix.

Prefix: vi

Root: tras (class 1)

बहुशः (bahuśaḥ) - many times, repeatedly, greatly

(indeclinable)

From bahu (much, many) with suffix -śaḥ (distributive/adverbial).

ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā (the creator god)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of brahman

brahman - Brahmā (the creator god), the Supreme Being (brahman)

n-stem noun, masculine gender for the deity Brahmā.

Root: bṛh (class 1)

ताभ्याम् (tābhyām) - By Madhu and Kaiṭabha. (by those two)

(pronoun)

Instrumental, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine dual instrumental.

महायशाः (mahāyaśāḥ) - very famous, glorious, renowned

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahāyaśas

mahāyaśas - very famous, glorious, having great fame

bahuvrīhi compound: mahā (great) + yaśas (fame). `mahā` is a form of `mahat`.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahat+yaśas)

• mahat – great
  adjective (neuter)
• yaśas – fame, glory
  noun (neuter)

Note: Qualifies 'brahmā'

अकम्पयत् (akampayat) - he shook, he caused to tremble

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of kampaya

Imperfect Active, Causative

From root kamp (to tremble) with causative suffix aya. Augmented a- indicates imperfect past tense. Third person singular.

Root: kamp (class 1)

पद्मनालम् (padmanālam) - The stalk of the cosmic lotus from which Brahmā emerged. (the lotus-stalk)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of padmanāla

padmanāla - lotus-stalk

tatpuruṣa compound: padma (lotus) + nāla (stalk).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (padma+nāla)

• padma – lotus
  noun (neuter)
• nāla – stalk, stem
  noun (neuter)

ततः (tataḥ) - thereupon, then, from that

(indeclinable)

From pronoun tad + suffix tas.

अबुध्यत (abudhyata) - he awoke, he became aware

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of budh

Imperfect Middle

From root budh (to awaken), fourth class (divādi). Augmented a- indicates imperfect past tense. Third person singular, Ātmanepada ending.

Root: budh (class 4)

केशवः (keśavaḥ) - Keśava (an epithet of Vishnu)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of keśava

keśava - Keśava (an epithet of Vishnu, meaning 'having beautiful hair' or 'slayer of the demon Keśī')

bahuvrīhi compound: keśa (hair) + va (possessing).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (keśa)

• keśa – hair
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of 'abudhyata'