महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-255, verse-11

सहदेवस्तु संयाय रथेन गजयोधिनः ।
पातयामास नाराचैर्द्रुमेभ्य इव बर्हिणः ॥११॥

11. sahadevastu saṁyāya rathena gajayodhinaḥ ,
pātayāmāsa nārācairdrumebhya iva barhiṇaḥ.

11. sahadevaḥ tu saṃyāya rathena gaja-yodhinaḥ
pātayāmāsa nārācaiḥ drumebhyaḥ iva barhiṇaḥ

11. Sahadeva, from his chariot, attacked the elephant warriors. With his iron arrows, he struck them down as if they were peacocks falling from trees.

Words meanings summery:

• सहदेवः (sahadevaḥ) - Sahadeva

• तु (tu) - however (but, indeed, however, on the other hand)

• संयाय (saṁyāya) - having attacked (having approached, having attacked, having joined)

• रथेन (rathena) - by his chariot (by chariot, with a chariot)

• गज-योधिनः (gaja-yodhinaḥ) - the elephant warriors (of elephant warriors, elephant warriors (acc. pl.))

• पातयामास (pātayāmāsa) - struck down (caused to fall, struck down, felled)

• नाराचैः (nārācaiḥ) - by his iron arrows (by iron arrows, by arrows)

• द्रुमेभ्यः (drumebhyaḥ) - from trees (from trees, to trees)

• इव (iva) - as if (like, as, as if)

• बर्हिणः (barhiṇaḥ) - peacocks (peacocks, from a peacock)

Words meanings and morphology

सहदेवः (sahadevaḥ) - Sahadeva

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sahadeva

sahadeva - Sahadeva (name of the youngest Pandava brother)

तु (tu) - however (but, indeed, however, on the other hand)

(indeclinable)

संयाय (saṁyāya) - having attacked (having approached, having attacked, having joined)

(indeclinable)

absolutive (gerund)

Derived from verb root √yā (to go) with prefix sam-.

Prefix: sam

Root: yā (class 2)

रथेन (rathena) - by his chariot (by chariot, with a chariot)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of ratha

ratha - chariot, car

गज-योधिनः (gaja-yodhinaḥ) - the elephant warriors (of elephant warriors, elephant warriors (acc. pl.))

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of gaja-yodhin

gaja-yodhin - elephant fighter, elephant warrior

Compound type : tatpurusha (gaja+yodhin)

• gaja – elephant
  noun (masculine)
• yodhin – fighter, warrior
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from √yudh (to fight)
  Root: yudh (class 4)

Note: The genitive case here functions as the object of 'pātayāmāsa' or indicates 'among the elephant warriors'.

पातयामास (pātayāmāsa) - struck down (caused to fall, struck down, felled)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of pātaya

causative perfect active

Perfect tense (lit) of the causative stem of √pat (to fall)

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: āmāsa is the suffix for perfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice.

नाराचैः (nārācaiḥ) - by his iron arrows (by iron arrows, by arrows)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of nārāca

nārāca - iron arrow, missile

द्रुमेभ्यः (drumebhyaḥ) - from trees (from trees, to trees)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, plural of druma

druma - tree

Note: Can also be dative plural, but ablative ('from') makes sense with 'falling like'.

इव (iva) - as if (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

बर्हिणः (barhiṇaḥ) - peacocks (peacocks, from a peacock)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of barhin

barhin - peacock

Note: The comparison is that the elephant warriors fell like peacocks.