महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-36, verse-3

निमेषादपि कौन्तेय यस्यायुरपचीयते ।
सूच्येवाञ्जनचूर्णस्य किमिति प्रतिपालयेत् ॥३॥

3. nimeṣādapi kaunteya yasyāyurapacīyate ,
sūcyevāñjanacūrṇasya kimiti pratipālayet.

3. nimeṣāt api kaunteya yasya āyuḥ apacīyate
sūcyā iva añjanacūrṇasya kim iti pratipālayet

3. O son of Kunti, why should one wait when life diminishes with every blink of an eye, just as a needle gradually removes collyrium powder?

Words meanings summery:

• निमेषात् (nimeṣāt) - from a wink, from an instant

• अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

• कौन्तेय (kaunteya) - O Arjuna (O son of Kunti)

• यस्य (yasya) - whose, of whom

• आयुः (āyuḥ) - life, lifespan

• अपचीयते (apacīyate) - is diminished, decreases, wears away

• सूच्या (sūcyā) - by a needle

• इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

• अञ्जनचूर्णस्य (añjanacūrṇasya) - of collyrium powder

• किम् (kim) - why then (why, what)

• इति (iti) - then (thus, so)

• प्रतिपालयेत् (pratipālayet) - should one wait (should one wait, should one protect)

Words meanings and morphology

निमेषात् (nimeṣāt) - from a wink, from an instant

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of nimeṣa

nimeṣa - a wink, a twinkle of the eye, an instant

Prefix: ni

Root: miṣ (class 4)

अपि (api) - even (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

कौन्तेय (kaunteya) - O Arjuna (O son of Kunti)

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of kaunteya

kaunteya - son of Kunti

Derived from Kuntī, referring to Arjuna

यस्य (yasya) - whose, of whom

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: Genitive singular of 'yad', agreeing with 'āyuḥ'.

आयुः (āyuḥ) - life, lifespan

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of āyus

āyus - life, vital power, lifespan

अपचीयते (apacīyate) - is diminished, decreases, wears away

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (laṭ) of apacī

Prefix: apa

Root: ci (class 5)

Note: Derived from `apa-√ci`.

सूच्या (sūcyā) - by a needle

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of sūcī

sūcī - a needle, an indicator, a point

इव (iva) - just as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

अञ्जनचूर्णस्य (añjanacūrṇasya) - of collyrium powder

(noun)

Genitive, neuter, singular of añjanacūrṇa

añjanacūrṇa - collyrium powder

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (añjana+cūrṇa)

• añjana – collyrium, antimony, black pigment for eyes
  noun (neuter)
  Derived from `añj` (to anoint)
  Root: añj (class 7)
• cūrṇa – powder, dust
  noun (neuter)

किम् (kim) - why then (why, what)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative particle.

इति (iti) - then (thus, so)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used to indicate the end of a quote or for emphasis.

प्रतिपालयेत् (pratipālayet) - should one wait (should one wait, should one protect)

(verb)

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

Causative of `prati-√pāl`

Prefix: prati

Root: pāl (class 10)