महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-253, verse-22

वैशंपायन उवाच ।
एतावदुक्त्वा प्रययुर्हि शीघ्रं तान्येव वर्त्मान्यनुवर्तमानाः ।
मुहुर्मुहुर्व्यालवदुच्छ्वसन्तो ज्यां विक्षिपन्तश्च महाधनुर्भ्यः ॥२२॥

22. vaiśaṁpāyana uvāca ,
etāvaduktvā prayayurhi śīghraṁ; tānyeva vartmānyanuvartamānāḥ ,
muhurmuhurvyālavaducchvasanto; jyāṁ vikṣipantaśca mahādhanurbhyaḥ.

22. vaiśampāyanaḥ uvāca | etāvat uktvā prayayuḥ
hi śīghram tāni eva vartmāni
anuvaratamānāḥ | muhuḥ muhuḥ vyālavat ucchvasantaḥ
jyām vikṣipantaḥ ca mahādhanurbhyaḥ

22. Vaiśampāyana said: Having spoken thus, they quickly departed, following those very same paths. They were breathing heavily like snakes again and again, and twanging the bowstrings from their great bows.

Words meanings summery:

• वैशम्पायनः (vaiśampāyanaḥ) - Vaiśampāyana

• उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

• एतावत् (etāvat) - having said this much (this much, so much)

• उक्त्वा (uktvā) - having said, having spoken

• प्रययुः (prayayuḥ) - they went forth, they departed

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

• शीघ्रम् (śīghram) - quickly, swiftly

• तानि (tāni) - those

• एव (eva) - those very same (only, just, very)

• वर्त्मानि (vartmāni) - paths, roads, ways

• अनुवरतमानाः (anuvaratamānāḥ) - following, continuing to follow

• मुहुः (muhuḥ) - repeatedly, again and again

• मुहुः (muhuḥ) - repeatedly, again and again

• व्यालवत् (vyālavat) - like a snake

• उच्छ्वसन्तः (ucchvasantaḥ) - breathing heavily, sighing, gasping

• ज्याम् (jyām) - bowstring

• विक्षिपन्तः (vikṣipantaḥ) - twanging, casting off, shaking

• च (ca) - and

• महाधनुर्भ्यः (mahādhanurbhyaḥ) - from their great bows

Words meanings and morphology

वैशम्पायनः (vaiśampāyanaḥ) - Vaiśampāyana

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vaiśampāyana

vaiśampāyana - name of a sage, narrator of the Mahābhārata

उवाच (uvāca) - said, spoke

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect past (lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

एतावत् (etāvat) - having said this much (this much, so much)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially here.

उक्त्वा (uktvā) - having said, having spoken

(indeclinable)

absolutive/gerund

Root: vac (class 2)

प्रययुः (prayayuḥ) - they went forth, they departed

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect past (lit) of pra-yā

Prefix: pra

Root: yā (class 2)

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, for

(indeclinable)

शीघ्रम् (śīghram) - quickly, swiftly

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially (neuter singular accusative/nominative form).

तानि (tāni) - those

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of tad

tad - that, those

एव (eva) - those very same (only, just, very)

(indeclinable)

वर्त्मानि (vartmāni) - paths, roads, ways

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of vartman

vartman - path, road, way

अनुवरतमानाः (anuvaratamānāḥ) - following, continuing to follow

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of anu-vṛt

vṛt - to turn, to be, to happen

Present Active Participle

Derived from root vṛt with prefix anu, ātmanepada form.

Prefix: anu

Root: vṛt (class 1)

मुहुः (muhuḥ) - repeatedly, again and again

(indeclinable)

मुहुः (muhuḥ) - repeatedly, again and again

(indeclinable)

व्यालवत् (vyālavat) - like a snake

(indeclinable)

Derived from 'vyāla' (snake/wild animal) with the suffix '-vat' (like, similar to).

उच्छ्वसन्तः (ucchvasantaḥ) - breathing heavily, sighing, gasping

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ut-śvas

śvas - to breathe, to sigh

Present Active Participle

Derived from root śvas with prefix ut.

Prefix: ut

Root: śvas (class 2)

ज्याम् (jyām) - bowstring

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of jyā

jyā - bowstring, chord, mother earth

विक्षिपन्तः (vikṣipantaḥ) - twanging, casting off, shaking

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vi-kṣip

kṣip - to throw, cast, send

Present Active Participle

Derived from root kṣip with prefix vi.

Prefix: vi

Root: kṣip (class 6)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

महाधनुर्भ्यः (mahādhanurbhyaḥ) - from their great bows

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, plural of mahādhanus

mahādhanus - great bow

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahat+dhanus)

• mahat – great, mighty, large
  adjective (masculine)
• dhanus – bow, weapon
  noun (neuter)