महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-15, verse-17

कथं भीष्मेण संग्राममकुर्वन्पाण्डुनन्दनाः ।
कथं च नाजयद्भीष्मो द्रोणे जीवति संजय ॥१७॥

17. kathaṁ bhīṣmeṇa saṁgrāmamakurvanpāṇḍunandanāḥ ,
kathaṁ ca nājayadbhīṣmo droṇe jīvati saṁjaya.

17. katham bhīṣmeṇa saṃgrāmam akurvan pāṇḍunandanāḥ
katham ca na ajayat bhīṣmaḥ droṇe jīvati saṃjaya

17. saṃjaya katham pāṇḍunandanāḥ bhīṣmeṇa saṃgrāmam
akurvan ca katham bhīṣmaḥ droṇe jīvati na ajayat

17. O Saṃjaya, how is it that the sons of Pāṇḍu (Pāṇḍavas) did not wage battle against Bhīṣma? And how is it that Bhīṣma did not conquer while Droṇa was still alive?

Words meanings summery:

• कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

• भीष्मेण (bhīṣmeṇa) - by Bhīṣma, with Bhīṣma

• संग्रामम् (saṁgrāmam) - battle, war

• अकुर्वन् (akurvan) - they did not do, they did not wage

• पाण्डुनन्दनाः (pāṇḍunandanāḥ) - the sons of Pāṇḍu, the Pāṇḍavas

• कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

• च (ca) - and, also

• न (na) - not, no

• अजयत् (ajayat) - did conquer, won

• भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma

• द्रोणे (droṇe) - in Droṇa, while Droṇa was present

• जीवति (jīvati) - while living, being alive

• संजय (saṁjaya) - O Saṃjaya

Words meanings and morphology

कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

(indeclinable)

भीष्मेण (bhīṣmeṇa) - by Bhīṣma, with Bhīṣma

(proper noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhīṣma (proper name)

संग्रामम् (saṁgrāmam) - battle, war

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of saṃgrāma

saṁgrāma - battle, war, combat

from sam + grabh/grah + ghañ

Prefix: sam

Root: grah (class 9)

अकुर्वन् (akurvan) - they did not do, they did not wage

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of kṛ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: negated by implicit 'na'

पाण्डुनन्दनाः (pāṇḍunandanāḥ) - the sons of Pāṇḍu, the Pāṇḍavas

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pāṇḍunandana

pāṇḍunandana - son of Pāṇḍu, delight of Pāṇḍu

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (pāṇḍu+nandana)

• pāṇḍu – Pāṇḍu (proper name)
  proper noun (masculine)
• nandana – son, child, delight
  noun (masculine)
  root nand + lyuṭ
  Root: nand (class 1)

कथम् (katham) - how, why, in what manner

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

अजयत् (ajayat) - did conquer, won

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of ji

Root: ji (class 1)

भीष्मः (bhīṣmaḥ) - Bhīṣma

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - Bhīṣma (proper name)

द्रोणे (droṇe) - in Droṇa, while Droṇa was present

(proper noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of droṇa

droṇa - Droṇa (proper name)

Note: denotes concomitance or simultaneous action (sati saptamī)

जीवति (jīvati) - while living, being alive

(participle)

Locative, masculine, singular of jīvat

jīvat - living, alive

present active participle

root jīv + śatṛ

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: agrees with droṇe in sati saptamī construction

संजय (saṁjaya) - O Saṃjaya

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of saṃjaya

saṁjaya - Saṃjaya (proper name)