महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-5, chapter-70, verse-21

एतच्च मरणं तात यदस्मात्पतितादिव ।
ज्ञातयो विनिवर्तन्ते प्रेतसत्त्वादिवासवः ॥२१॥

21. etacca maraṇaṁ tāta yadasmātpatitādiva ,
jñātayo vinivartante pretasattvādivāsavaḥ.

21. etat ca maraṇam tāta yat asmāt patitāt iva
jñātayaḥ vinivartante pretasattvāt iva āsavaḥ

21. This, too, dear one, is a form of destruction: that relatives completely abandon a person who has fallen (into destitution), just as vital airs depart from a dead or ghostly being.

Words meanings summery:

• एतत् (etat) - this (state of affairs mentioned earlier) (this, this (thing))

• च (ca) - also (and, also)

• मरणम् (maraṇam) - a form of destruction or ruin (death, dying, destruction)

• तात (tāta) - dear one (dear one, father, son, friend (term of endearment))

• यत् (yat) - that (introducing a clause explaining 'this death') (that, which, because)

• अस्मात् (asmāt) - from this (person in such a state) (from this, from him)

• पतितात् (patitāt) - from a person fallen into destitution (from a fallen one, from a degraded one)

• इव (iva) - just as, as if (like, as, as if)

• ज्ञातयः (jñātayaḥ) - relatives, kinsmen, family members

• विनिवर्तन्ते (vinivartante) - they abandon entirely (they turn away completely, they retreat entirely)

• प्रेतसत्त्वात् (pretasattvāt) - from a dead body or ghostly form (from a ghostly being, from a dead person, from a spirit)

• इव (iva) - just as, as if (like, as, as if)

• आसवः (āsavaḥ) - vital airs, life breaths (leaving a dead body) (vital airs, senses, fermented liquor, demons)

Words meanings and morphology

एतत् (etat) - this (state of affairs mentioned earlier) (this, this (thing))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this (near object/idea)

Note: Refers to the situation described in the previous verse.

च (ca) - also (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conjunction

मरणम् (maraṇam) - a form of destruction or ruin (death, dying, destruction)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of maraṇa

maraṇa - death, dying, destruction

Verbal noun

From root 'mṛ' (to die)

Root: mṛ (class 6)

तात (tāta) - dear one (dear one, father, son, friend (term of endearment))

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of tāta

tāta - father, son, dear one (term of endearment)

यत् (yat) - that (introducing a clause explaining 'this death') (that, which, because)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - that, which, who, because

Note: Relative pronoun referring back to "etat maraṇam".

अस्मात् (asmāt) - from this (person in such a state) (from this, from him)

(pronoun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of idám

idám - this, this one, he/she/it

Note: Refers to the person who has lost possessions.

पतितात् (patitāt) - from a person fallen into destitution (from a fallen one, from a degraded one)

(adjective)

Ablative, masculine, singular of patita

patita - fallen, degraded, outcast, dropped

Past Passive Participle

From root 'pat' (to fall)

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Used substantively.

इव (iva) - just as, as if (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

ज्ञातयः (jñātayaḥ) - relatives, kinsmen, family members

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of jñāti

jñāti - relative, kinsman, family member

Root: jñā

विनिवर्तन्ते (vinivartante) - they abandon entirely (they turn away completely, they retreat entirely)

(verb)

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

Prefixes: vi+ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: (ātmanepada)

प्रेतसत्त्वात् (pretasattvāt) - from a dead body or ghostly form (from a ghostly being, from a dead person, from a spirit)

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of pretasattva

pretasattva - a ghostly being, a dead body, a spirit

Compound: preta (departed, dead) + sattva (being, essence)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (preta+sattva)

• preta – departed, dead, ghost, spirit of the dead
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From 'pra-i' (to go forth, depart)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: i (class 2)
• sattva – being, existence, essence, spirit, vital energy
  noun (neuter)
  From root 'as' (to be) or 'san' (to exist)

इव (iva) - just as, as if (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

आसवः (āsavaḥ) - vital airs, life breaths (leaving a dead body) (vital airs, senses, fermented liquor, demons)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of āsava

āsava - vital air, breath, senses, fermented liquor, demon

From root 'su' (to press out, distill)

Root: su

Note: Refers to the life-force or senses.