महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-72, verse-16

आत्मैव हि नलं वेत्ति या चास्य तदनन्तरा ।
न हि वै तानि लिङ्गानि नलं शंसन्ति कर्हिचित् ॥१६॥

16. ātmaiva hi nalaṁ vetti yā cāsya tadanantarā ,
na hi vai tāni liṅgāni nalaṁ śaṁsanti karhicit.

16. ātmā eva hi nalam vetti yā ca asya tat anantarā
| na hi vai tāni liṅgāni nalam śaṃsanti karhicit

16. Indeed, only his own self (ātman) knows Nala, and she who is immediately next to him. For surely, those identifying marks never reveal Nala.

Words meanings summery:

• आत्मा (ātmā) - Nala's own inner self or being. (self, soul, spirit (ātman))

• एव (eva) - Emphasizes "self", meaning "only the self". (indeed, just, only, exactly)

• हि (hi) - Provides emphasis or a causal link. (for, indeed, surely)

• नलम् (nalam) - The King Nala. (Nala)

• वेत्ति (vetti) - knows

• या (yā) - Refers to Damayantī. (who, which (feminine singular))

• च (ca) - and, also

• अस्य (asya) - Of Nala. (of him, his)

• तत् (tat) - Here, tadanantarā (immediately after/next to that) used as part of an adverbial compound with anantarā. (that, for that reason)

• अनन्तरा (anantarā) - Referring to Damayantī, who is Nala's wife and thus "immediately next to him." (immediately next to, without interval, close)

• न (na) - not, no

• हि (hi) - for, indeed, surely

• वै (vai) - Emphatic particle. (indeed, truly, certainly)

• तानि (tāni) - Referring to liṅgāni (marks/signs). (those)

• लिङ्गानि (liṅgāni) - External physical or behavioral signs. (marks, signs, characteristics, tokens)

• नलम् (nalam) - The King Nala. (Nala)

• शंसन्ति (śaṁsanti) - The signs do not reveal Nala's identity. (reveal, indicate, praise)

• कर्हिचित् (karhicit) - In a negative context, "never". (ever, at any time)

Words meanings and morphology

आत्मा (ātmā) - Nala's own inner self or being. (self, soul, spirit (ātman))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ātman

ātman - self, soul, spirit; the individual soul; the Supreme Self (ātman)

Root: an

एव (eva) - Emphasizes "self", meaning "only the self". (indeed, just, only, exactly)

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - Provides emphasis or a causal link. (for, indeed, surely)

(indeclinable)

नलम् (nalam) - The King Nala. (Nala)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nala

nala - Nala (a king, hero of the Nalopakhyana)

वेत्ति (vetti) - knows

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of vid

Present active

From root vid (to know), 3rd person singular, Present tense, adadi (class 2) root.

Root: vid (class 2)

या (yā) - Refers to Damayantī. (who, which (feminine singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

Relative pronoun, feminine nominative singular.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अस्य (asya) - Of Nala. (of him, his)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of idam

idam - this, this one

Demonstrative pronoun, masculine genitive singular.

तत् (tat) - Here, tadanantarā (immediately after/next to that) used as part of an adverbial compound with anantarā. (that, for that reason)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, that one

Demonstrative pronoun, neuter nominative/accusative singular, or used as a part of a compound.

अनन्तरा (anantarā) - Referring to Damayantī, who is Nala's wife and thus "immediately next to him." (immediately next to, without interval, close)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of anantara

anantara - without interval, immediate, next

From a (not) + antara (interval).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+antara)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• antara – interval, space, difference, inner
  noun (neuter)

Note: Agrees with yā. The phrase tadanantarā functions as an adjective describing yā.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

हि (hi) - for, indeed, surely

(indeclinable)

वै (vai) - Emphatic particle. (indeed, truly, certainly)

(indeclinable)

तानि (tāni) - Referring to liṅgāni (marks/signs). (those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of tad

tad - that, that one

Demonstrative pronoun, neuter nominative/accusative plural.

लिङ्गानि (liṅgāni) - External physical or behavioral signs. (marks, signs, characteristics, tokens)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of liṅga

liṅga - mark, sign, characteristic, token, gender

Root: lig

नलम् (nalam) - The King Nala. (Nala)

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nala

nala - Nala (a king, hero of the Nalopakhyana)

शंसन्ति (śaṁsanti) - The signs do not reveal Nala's identity. (reveal, indicate, praise)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of śaṃs

Present active

From root śaṃs (to praise/declare), 3rd person plural, Present tense.

Root: śaṃs (class 1)

कर्हिचित् (karhicit) - In a negative context, "never". (ever, at any time)

(indeclinable)

Derived from karhi (when) + cit (indefinite particle).