महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-15, verse-31

के पुरस्तादवर्तन्त रक्षन्तो भीष्ममन्तिके ।
केऽरक्षन्नुत्तरं चक्रं वीरा वीरस्य युध्यतः ॥३१॥

31. ke purastādavartanta rakṣanto bhīṣmamantike ,
ke'rakṣannuttaraṁ cakraṁ vīrā vīrasya yudhyataḥ.

31. ke purastāt avartanta rakṣantaḥ bhīṣmam antike |
ke arakṣan uttaram cakram vīrāḥ vīrasya yudhyataḥ

31. ke purastāt antike bhīṣmam rakṣantaḥ avartanta? ke
vīrāḥ yudhyataḥ vīrasya uttaram cakram arakṣan?

31. Who stood in front, protecting Bhishma close by? And who were the brave warriors who guarded the left flank of the fighting hero?

Words meanings summery:

• के (ke) - who? (who? which?)

• पुरस्तात् (purastāt) - in front (in front, before, in the east)

• अवर्तन्त (avartanta) - they stood (their ground) (they were, they existed, they stood)

• रक्षन्तः (rakṣantaḥ) - protecting (protecting, guarding)

• भीष्मम् (bhīṣmam) - Bhishma

• अन्तिके (antike) - close by (near Bhishma) (near, close by, in the vicinity)

• अरक्षन् (arakṣan) - they protected (they protected, they guarded)

• उत्तरम् (uttaram) - the northern (left) (flank) (northern, upper, later, left (side))

• चक्रम् (cakram) - the wheel (of the chariot, implying the flank) (wheel, disc, army division, flank)

• वीराः (vīrāḥ) - heroes (heroes, brave ones)

• वीरस्य (vīrasya) - of the hero (Bhishma) (of the hero, of the brave one)

• युध्यतः (yudhyataḥ) - of the one who was fighting (fighting, battling, warring)

Words meanings and morphology

के (ke) - who? (who? which?)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ka

ka - who, which, what

Note: Subject of `avartanta` and `arakṣan`.

पुरस्तात् (purastāt) - in front (in front, before, in the east)

(indeclinable)

Derived from `puras` (in front) with `tāt` suffix.

अवर्तन्त (avartanta) - they stood (their ground) (they were, they existed, they stood)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of vṛt

Imperfect, Ātmanepada, 3rd person plural

From root `vṛt`.

Root: vṛt (class 1)

रक्षन्तः (rakṣantaḥ) - protecting (protecting, guarding)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, plural of rakṣant

rakṣant - protecting, guarding

Present Active Participle

From root `rakṣ` (to protect).

Root: rakṣ (class 1)

भीष्मम् (bhīṣmam) - Bhishma

(proper noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of bhīṣma

bhīṣma - The terrible one, Bhishma (Grandfather of the Kauravas and Pandavas)

From root `bhīṣ` (to frighten)

Root: bhīṣ

Note: Object of `rakṣantaḥ`.

अन्तिके (antike) - close by (near Bhishma) (near, close by, in the vicinity)

(indeclinable)

Null, but can be locative of noun `antika` (proximity).

Note: Indicates location relative to Bhishma.

अरक्षन् (arakṣan) - they protected (they protected, they guarded)

(verb)

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

Imperfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person plural

From root `rakṣ`.

Root: rakṣ (class 1)

उत्तरम् (uttaram) - the northern (left) (flank) (northern, upper, later, left (side))

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of uttara

uttara - northern, upper, later, higher, left (side), excellent

Root: tṝ (class 1)

चक्रम् (cakram) - the wheel (of the chariot, implying the flank) (wheel, disc, army division, flank)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of cakra

cakra - wheel, disc, circle, army division, region

Root: kḷp

Note: Object of `arakṣan`.

वीराः (vīrāḥ) - heroes (heroes, brave ones)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vīra

vīra - hero, brave, valiant

Note: Appositive to `ke`.

वीरस्य (vīrasya) - of the hero (Bhishma) (of the hero, of the brave one)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of vīra

vīra - hero, brave, valiant

Note: Possessive, referring to the hero Bhishma.

युध्यतः (yudhyataḥ) - of the one who was fighting (fighting, battling, warring)

(participle)

Genitive, masculine, singular of yudhyat

yudhyat - fighting, battling

Present Active Participle

From root `yudh` (to fight).

Root: yudh (class 4)