महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-45, verse-18

गूहन्ति सर्पा इव गह्वराणि स्वशिक्षया स्वेन वृत्तेन मर्त्याः ।
तेषु प्रमुह्यन्ति जना विमूढा यथाध्वानं मोहयन्ते भयाय ।
योगिनस्तं प्रपश्यन्ति भगवन्तं सनातनम् ॥१८॥

18. gūhanti sarpā iva gahvarāṇi; svaśikṣayā svena vṛttena martyāḥ ,
teṣu pramuhyanti janā vimūḍhā; yathādhvānaṁ mohayante bhayāya ,
yoginastaṁ prapaśyanti bhagavantaṁ sanātanam.

18. gūhanti sarpāḥ iva gahvarāṇi svaśikṣayā svena
vṛttena martyāḥ teṣu pramuhyanti janāḥ
vimūḍhāḥ yathā adhvanaṃ mohayante bhayāya
yoginaḥ tam prapaśyanti bhagavantam sanātanam

18. Just as snakes hide themselves in caves, mortals obscure (the truth) through their self-taught practices and conduct. Among such mortals, bewildered people become utterly confused, just as they lose their way on a path due to fear. Yogis distinctly perceive that eternal (sanātana) Lord (bhagavant).

Words meanings summery:

• गूहन्ति (gūhanti) - they hide, they conceal

• सर्पाः (sarpāḥ) - snakes

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• गह्वराणि (gahvarāṇi) - caves, deep places, impenetrable places

• स्वशिक्षया (svaśikṣayā) - by one's own teaching/instruction, by self-discipline

• स्वेन (svena) - by one's own

• वृत्तेन (vṛttena) - by conduct, by manner of life

• मर्त्याः (martyāḥ) - mortals, human beings

• तेषु (teṣu) - among such mortals (among them, in them)

• प्रमुह्यन्ति (pramuhyanti) - they become utterly bewildered/deluded

• जनाः (janāḥ) - people, men

• विमूढाः (vimūḍhāḥ) - bewildered, deluded, foolish

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as

• अध्वनं (adhvanaṁ) - the path, the road

• मोहयन्ते (mohayante) - they lose their way (they cause to be bewildered, they are deluded)

• भयाय (bhayāya) - for fear, due to fear

• योगिनः (yoginaḥ) - yogis, practitioners of yoga (yoga)

• तम् (tam) - the Lord (him)

• प्रपश्यन्ति (prapaśyanti) - they distinctly see, they perceive

• भगवन्तम् (bhagavantam) - the Lord, the worshipful one

• सनातनम् (sanātanam) - eternal, perpetual

Words meanings and morphology

गूहन्ति (gūhanti) - they hide, they conceal

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (laṭ) of guh

Root verb, class 6

Root: guh (class 6)

सर्पाः (sarpāḥ) - snakes

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of sarpa

sarpa - snake, serpent

From sṛp (to creep)

Root: sṛp (class 1)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

गह्वराणि (gahvarāṇi) - caves, deep places, impenetrable places

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of gahvara

gahvara - cave, cavern, deep place, abyss, thicket, impenetrable place

Note: Object of 'hide'.

स्वशिक्षया (svaśikṣayā) - by one's own teaching/instruction, by self-discipline

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of svaśikṣā

svaśikṣā - self-instruction, self-discipline, one's own teaching/doctrine

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+śikṣā)

• sva – own, one's own
  adjective (neuter)
• śikṣā – learning, instruction, teaching, study, discipline
  noun (feminine)
  From śikṣ (to learn, to teach)
  Root: śikṣ (class 1)

स्वेन (svena) - by one's own

(adjective)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of sva

sva - own, one's own

Note: Agrees with vṛttena.

वृत्तेन (vṛttena) - by conduct, by manner of life

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of vṛtta

vṛtta - happened, occurred, conduct, behavior, manner of life, treatise

Past Passive Participle (used as noun)

From vṛt (to turn, to exist)

Root: vṛt (class 1)

मर्त्याः (martyāḥ) - mortals, human beings

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of martya

martya - mortal, human being, man

From mṛ (to die)

Root: mṛ (class 6)

Note: Subject of 'gūhanti'.

तेषु (teṣu) - among such mortals (among them, in them)

(pronoun)

Locative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'martyāḥ'.

प्रमुह्यन्ति (pramuhyanti) - they become utterly bewildered/deluded

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (laṭ) of muh

Root verb, class 4

Prefix: pra

Root: muh (class 4)

जनाः (janāḥ) - people, men

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jana

jana - person, people, man, creature

Note: Subject of 'pramuhyanti'.

विमूढाः (vimūḍhāḥ) - bewildered, deluded, foolish

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vimūḍha

vimūḍha - bewildered, deluded, confused, foolish

Past Passive Participle

From vi + muh (to be bewildered)

Prefix: vi

Root: muh (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'janāḥ'.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as

(indeclinable)

अध्वनं (adhvanaṁ) - the path, the road

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of adhvan

adhvan - path, road, way, course, journey

Note: Object of 'mohayante'.

मोहयन्ते (mohayante) - they lose their way (they cause to be bewildered, they are deluded)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present indicative (laṭ) of muh

Causative stem mohaya- from root muh, used here in middle voice

Root: muh (class 4)

भयाय (bhayāya) - for fear, due to fear

(noun)

Dative, neuter, singular of bhaya

bhaya - fear, dread, terror

Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Indicates purpose or cause.

योगिनः (yoginaḥ) - yogis, practitioners of yoga (yoga)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of yogin

yogin - one who practices yoga (yoga), a yogi, an ascetic, a meditator

From yoga (union, discipline)

तम् (tam) - the Lord (him)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the Lord.

प्रपश्यन्ति (prapaśyanti) - they distinctly see, they perceive

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present indicative (laṭ) of dṛś

Root verb, class 1 (present stem paśya-)

Prefix: pra

Root: dṛś (class 1)

भगवन्तम् (bhagavantam) - the Lord, the worshipful one

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of bhagavat

bhagavat - possessing fortune, glorious, divine, worshipful, Lord

From bhaga (fortune, excellence)

सनातनम् (sanātanam) - eternal, perpetual

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of sanātana

sanātana - eternal, perpetual, ancient, everlasting

Note: Qualifies 'bhagavantam'.