महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-4, chapter-18, verse-15

यं स्म राजसहस्राणि तेजसाप्रतिमानि वै ।
समरे नातिवर्तन्ते वेलामिव महार्णवः ॥१५॥

15. yaṁ sma rājasahasrāṇi tejasāpratimāni vai ,
samare nātivartante velāmiva mahārṇavaḥ.

15. yam sma rājasahasrāṇi tejasā apratimāni vai
samare na ativartante velām iva mahārṇavaḥ

15. Indeed, thousands of kings, unparalleled in their might, cannot surpass him in battle, just as a great ocean cannot transgress its shore.

Words meanings summery:

• यम् (yam) - whom (Arjuna) (whom, which, who)

• स्म (sma) - indeed, certainly; used with present tense verbs to denote past action

• राजसहस्राणि (rājasahasrāṇi) - thousands of kings

• तेजसा (tejasā) - by their inherent power/might (by splendor, by power, by might, by energy)

• अप्रतिमानि (apratimāni) - unparalleled, unequaled, unmatched

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely, verily

• समरे (samare) - in battle, in war, in conflict

• न (na) - not, no

• अतिवर्तन्ते (ativartante) - they surpass, they transgress, they overcome

• वेलाम् (velām) - shore (of the ocean) (shore, boundary, limit, time)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• महार्णवः (mahārṇavaḥ) - great ocean

Words meanings and morphology

यम् (yam) - whom (Arjuna) (whom, which, who)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - which, who, what

Note: Refers to Arjuna

स्म (sma) - indeed, certainly; used with present tense verbs to denote past action

(indeclinable)

राजसहस्राणि (rājasahasrāṇi) - thousands of kings

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, plural of rājasahasra

rājasahasra - a thousand kings

Compound of rājan (king) and sahasra (thousand)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (rājan+sahasra)

• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)
• sahasra – thousand
  noun (neuter)

Note: Subject of ativartante

तेजसा (tejasā) - by their inherent power/might (by splendor, by power, by might, by energy)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tejas

tejas - brilliance, splendor, power, energy, might, spiritual power

Note: Qualifies the kings' strength

अप्रतिमानि (apratimāni) - unparalleled, unequaled, unmatched

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, plural of apratima

apratima - unequaled, unparalleled, peerless

Compound of 'a' (negation) and 'pratima' (comparison, image)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+pratima)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• pratima – likeness, image, comparison, equal
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: prati

Note: Agrees with rājasahasrāṇi

वै (vai) - indeed, surely, verily

(indeclinable)

Note: Adds emphasis

समरे (samare) - in battle, in war, in conflict

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of samara

samara - battle, war, conflict

Root: smṛ (class 1)

Note: Denotes the location of the action

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अतिवर्तन्ते (ativartante) - they surpass, they transgress, they overcome

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (laṭ) of ativart

Prefix: ati

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: The subject is rājasahasrāṇi

वेलाम् (velām) - shore (of the ocean) (shore, boundary, limit, time)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of velā

velā - limit, boundary, shore, coast, time, opportunity

Note: Object of ativartante

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a simile

महार्णवः (mahārṇavaḥ) - great ocean

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mahārṇava

mahārṇava - great ocean, vast sea

Compound of mahā (great) and arṇava (ocean)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+arṇava)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• arṇava – ocean, sea
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of the simile, compared to rājasahasrāṇi