महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-3, chapter-75, verse-24

ततस्तौ सहितौ रात्रिं कथयन्तौ पुरातनम् ।
वने विचरितं सर्वमूषतुर्मुदितौ नृप ॥२४॥

24. tatastau sahitau rātriṁ kathayantau purātanam ,
vane vicaritaṁ sarvamūṣaturmuditau nṛpa.

24. tataḥ tau sahitau rātrim kathayantau purātanam
vane viceritam sarvam ūṣatuḥ muditau nṛpa

24. O King, then those two, happy and together, spent the night recounting all their past experiences wandering in the forest.

Words meanings summery:

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter, from that, hence

• तौ (tau) - Nala and Damayantī (those two, they)

• सहितौ (sahitau) - together (Nala and Damayantī) (accompanied, together with, united)

• रात्रिम् (rātrim) - night

• कथयन्तौ (kathayantau) - recounting (their experiences) (narrating, telling, conversing)

• पुरातनम् (purātanam) - past (experiences) (ancient, old, former)

• वने (vane) - in the forest, forest (locative)

• विचेरितम् (viceritam) - their experiences of wandering (wandered, roamed, spent)

• सर्वम् (sarvam) - all (their experiences) (all, whole, every)

• ऊषतुः (ūṣatuḥ) - they dwelt, they stayed, they spent (the night)

• मुदितौ (muditau) - happy, joyful, delighted

• नृप (nṛpa) - O king!, king

Words meanings and morphology

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thereafter, from that, hence

(indeclinable)

तौ (tau) - Nala and Damayantī (those two, they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

Note: Refers to Nala and Damayantī.

सहितौ (sahitau) - together (Nala and Damayantī) (accompanied, together with, united)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of sahita

sahita - accompanied, united, together

Derived from saha + itā (past participle of i- "to go", here with prefix sa- "with")

Prefix: sa

Root: i (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'tau'.

रात्रिम् (rātrim) - night

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of rātri

rātri - night

Note: Object of the implied action of spending (ūṣatuḥ).

कथयन्तौ (kathayantau) - recounting (their experiences) (narrating, telling, conversing)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of kathayat

kathayat - narrating, telling

Present Active Participle

Derived from the verb kath ('to tell') with the present participle suffix -at.

Root: kath (class 10)

Note: Agrees with 'tau'.

पुरातनम् (purātanam) - past (experiences) (ancient, old, former)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of purātana

purātana - ancient, old, former

Derived from purā ('formerly') with the suffix -tana.

Note: Agrees with 'viceritam sarvam'.

वने (vane) - in the forest, forest (locative)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove

Note: Indicates the location of their wanderings.

विचेरितम् (viceritam) - their experiences of wandering (wandered, roamed, spent)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vicerita

vicerita - wandered, roamed, behavior, conduct

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √car ('to move, wander') with prefix vi- and past participle suffix -ta. Used here as a noun meaning 'wandering' or 'experiences of wandering'.

Prefix: vi

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Object of kathayantau.

सर्वम् (sarvam) - all (their experiences) (all, whole, every)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sarva

sarva - all, whole, every

Note: Agrees with 'viceritam'. Refers to 'all their experiences/wanderings'.

ऊषतुः (ūṣatuḥ) - they dwelt, they stayed, they spent (the night)

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, perfect (liṭ) of vas

Perfect tense (liṭ) 3rd person dual from √vas (to dwell).

Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Main verb of the sentence, subject is 'tau'.

मुदितौ (muditau) - happy, joyful, delighted

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of mudita

mudita - delighted, joyful, glad

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √mud ('to rejoice') with the past participle suffix -ta.

Root: mud (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'tau'.

नृप (nṛpa) - O king!, king

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of nṛpa

nṛpa - king, ruler

Compound: nṛ (man) + pa (protector).

Compound type : tatpurusha (nṛ+pa)

• nṛ – man, human being
  noun (masculine)
• pa – protector, preserver
  noun (masculine)
  From √pā (to protect)
  Root: pā (class 2)

Note: Address to the narrator's audience.