महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-54, verse-11

तान्समीक्ष्य ततः सर्वान्निर्विशेषाकृतीन्स्थितान् ।
संदेहादथ वैदर्भी नाभ्यजानान्नलं नृपम् ।
यं यं हि ददृशे तेषां तं तं मेने नलं नृपम् ॥११॥

11. tānsamīkṣya tataḥ sarvānnirviśeṣākṛtīnsthitān ,
saṁdehādatha vaidarbhī nābhyajānānnalaṁ nṛpam ,
yaṁ yaṁ hi dadṛśe teṣāṁ taṁ taṁ mene nalaṁ nṛpam.

11. tān samīkṣya tataḥ sarvān nirviśeṣākṛtīn
sthitān saṃdehāt atha vaidarbhī
na abhyajānāt nalam nṛpam yam yam hi
dadṛśe teṣām tam tam mene nalam nṛpam

11. After seeing all of them standing there with indistinguishable forms, the princess of Vidarbha (Vaidarbhī) then, due to her doubt, could not recognize King Nala. Indeed, whomever of them she saw, him she took to be King Nala.

Words meanings summery:

• तान् (tān) - those five men (them)

• समीक्ष्य (samīkṣya) - having seen, after observing

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter

• सर्वान् (sarvān) - all of them

• निर्विशेषाकृतीन् (nirviśeṣākṛtīn) - having indistinguishable forms, of identical appearance

• स्थितान् (sthitān) - standing, positioned

• संदेहात् (saṁdehāt) - from doubt, due to doubt

• अथ (atha) - then, now, thereupon

• वैदर्भी (vaidarbhī) - Princess Damayantī (princess of Vidarbha)

• न (na) - not

• अभ्यजानात् (abhyajānāt) - she did not recognize, she did not know

• नलम् (nalam) - King Nala (Nala)

• नृपम् (nṛpam) - king

• यम् यम् (yam yam) - whichever one of them (whomever)

• हि (hi) - indeed, for

• ददृशे (dadṛśe) - she saw

• तेषाम् (teṣām) - of the five men (of them)

• तम् तम् (tam tam) - each one of them (him, that one)

• मेने (mene) - she thought, she considered

• नलम् (nalam) - King Nala (Nala)

• नृपम् (nṛpam) - king

Words meanings and morphology

तान् (tān) - those five men (them)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the 'puruṣān' (men) from the previous verse

समीक्ष्य (samīkṣya) - having seen, after observing

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

Derived from root īkṣ (to see) with prefix sam-, and suffix -ya

Prefix: sam

Root: īkṣ (class 1)

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter

(indeclinable)

Suffix -tas applied to tad

सर्वान् (sarvān) - all of them

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of sarva

sarva - all, every, whole

Note: Qualifies 'tān'

निर्विशेषाकृतीन् (nirviśeṣākṛtīn) - having indistinguishable forms, of identical appearance

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of nirviśeṣākṛti

nirviśeṣākṛti - having indistinguishable forms, identical in appearance

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (nirviśeṣa+ākṛti)

• nirviśeṣa – without distinction, indistinguishable
  adjective
  Derived from viśeṣa with prefix nir-
  Prefix: nis
• ākṛti – form, appearance, shape
  noun (feminine)
  Derived from root kṛ 'to make' with prefix ā-
  Prefix: ā
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Adjective modifying 'tān'

स्थितान् (sthitān) - standing, positioned

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, plural of sthita

sthita - standing, situated, existing

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root sthā (to stand), suffix -ta

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'tān'

संदेहात् (saṁdehāt) - from doubt, due to doubt

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of saṃdeha

saṁdeha - doubt, uncertainty, suspicion

Derived from root dih 'to smear, to doubt' with prefix sam-

Prefix: sam

Root: dih (class 4)

अथ (atha) - then, now, thereupon

(indeclinable)

वैदर्भी (vaidarbhī) - Princess Damayantī (princess of Vidarbha)

(proper noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of vaidarbhī

vaidarbhī - princess of Vidarbha, (Nala's wife, Damayantī)

Feminine derivative from Vidarbha

न (na) - not

(indeclinable)

Negating particle

अभ्यजानात् (abhyajānāt) - she did not recognize, she did not know

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of abhijñā

Imperfect Active

Form of root jñā (to know) with prefix abhi-, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada, imperfect tense

Prefix: abhi

Root: jñā (class 9)

नलम् (nalam) - King Nala (Nala)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nala

nala - Nala (a king, protagonist of the Nala-Damayantī story)

Note: Object of 'abhyajānāt'

नृपम् (nṛpam) - king

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, monarch

Note: Appositive to 'nalam'

यम् यम् (yam yam) - whichever one of them (whomever)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, whatever

Relative pronoun, repeated for distributive meaning

Note: Repetition (dvirvacana) for distributive meaning

हि (hi) - indeed, for

(indeclinable)

Particle used for emphasis or explanation

ददृशे (dadṛśe) - she saw

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, perfect (liṭ) of dṛś

Perfect Middle

Form of root dṛś, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada, perfect tense

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: The subject is 'Vaidarbhī'

तेषाम् (teṣām) - of the five men (of them)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the five men

तम् तम् (tam tam) - each one of them (him, that one)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun, repeated for correlative meaning

Note: Correlative to 'yam yam'

मेने (mene) - she thought, she considered

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, perfect (liṭ) of man

Perfect Middle

Form of root man (to think), 3rd person singular, ātmanepada, perfect tense

Root: man (class 4)

Note: The subject is 'Vaidarbhī'

नलम् (nalam) - King Nala (Nala)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nala

nala - Nala (a king, protagonist of the Nala-Damayantī story)

Note: Object of 'mene'

नृपम् (nṛpam) - king

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, monarch

Note: Appositive to 'nalam'