महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-48, verse-54

अन्तरं च प्रहारेषु तर्कयन्तौ महारथौ ।
राजन्नन्तरमार्गस्थौ स्थितावास्तां मुहुर्मुहुः ॥५४॥

54. antaraṁ ca prahāreṣu tarkayantau mahārathau ,
rājannantaramārgasthau sthitāvāstāṁ muhurmuhuḥ.

54. antaram ca prahāreṣu tarkayantau mahārathau
rājan antara-mārgasthau sthitau āstām muhur-muhuḥ

54. rājan mahārathau ca prahāreṣu antaram tarkayantau
antara-mārgasthau muhur-muhuḥ sthitau āstām

54. And the two great warriors (maharathau), O King, constantly watching for openings (antaram) in their attacks (prahāreṣu), positioned themselves in the intervening space (antara-mārgasthau) and stood firm repeatedly.

Words meanings summery:

• अन्तरम् (antaram) - opening, opportune moment (interval, space, opening, opportunity, difference, inside)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• प्रहारेषु (prahāreṣu) - during the exchanges of blows/attacks (in blows, in attacks, during assaults)

• तर्कयन्तौ (tarkayantau) - watching for, anticipating (deliberating, inferring, watching for, speculating)

• महारथौ (mahārathau) - the two great warriors (two great charioteers, two great warriors)

• राजन् (rājan) - O King

• अन्तर-मार्गस्थौ (antara-mārgasthau) - positioned in the intervening space (standing in the intervening path/space)

• स्थितौ (sthitau) - stood, positioned (stood, situated, positioned)

• आस्ताम् (āstām) - they (two) were, they remained (they (two) were, existed)

• मुहुर्-मुहुः (muhur-muhuḥ) - repeatedly, again and again (repeatedly, again and again, constantly)

Words meanings and morphology

अन्तरम् (antaram) - opening, opportune moment (interval, space, opening, opportunity, difference, inside)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of antara

antara - interval, space, difference, interior, opportunity

Note: Direct object of 'tarkayantau'.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

प्रहारेषु (prahāreṣu) - during the exchanges of blows/attacks (in blows, in attacks, during assaults)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of prahāra

prahāra - blow, stroke, attack, assault

Derived from root 'hṛ' with prefix 'pra'

Prefix: pra

Root: hṛ (class 1)

Note: Indicates the context or time 'during' the attacks.

तर्कयन्तौ (tarkayantau) - watching for, anticipating (deliberating, inferring, watching for, speculating)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tarkayat

tarkay - to consider, to speculate, to infer, to watch for

Present Active Participle

Present active participle of the causative stem 'tarkay' (derived from root 'tark')

Root: tark (class 10)

Note: Agrees with 'maharathau'.

महारथौ (mahārathau) - the two great warriors (two great charioteers, two great warriors)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of maharatha

maharatha - great charioteer, great warrior, one who fights from a great chariot

Compound type : Karmadharaya/Bahuvrihi (mahā+ratha)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective (masculine)
• ratha – chariot, warrior (one who fights from a chariot)
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

राजन् (rājan) - O King

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, sovereign

Note: Used to address Dhṛtarāṣṭra or another listener.

अन्तर-मार्गस्थौ (antara-mārgasthau) - positioned in the intervening space (standing in the intervening path/space)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of antara-mārgastha

antara-mārgastha - standing in the middle path, situated in the intervening space

Compound type : Tatpurusha (antara+mārga+stha)

• antara – intervening, middle, inner, space
  adjective/noun (neuter)
• mārga – path, road, way
  noun (masculine)
• stha – standing, staying, situated
  adjective (masculine)
  Suffix derived from root 'sthā' (to stand)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'maharathau'.

स्थितौ (sthitau) - stood, positioned (stood, situated, positioned)

(participle)

Nominative, masculine, dual of sthita

sthita - stood, situated, fixed, present, firm

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'sthā' (to stand)

Root: sthā (class 1)

Note: Used predicatively with 'āstām' to form a periphrastic perfect-like construction ('they stood').

आस्ताम् (āstām) - they (two) were, they remained (they (two) were, existed)

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, imperfect (laṅ) of as

Imperfect

Root: as (class 2)

मुहुर्-मुहुः (muhur-muhuḥ) - repeatedly, again and again (repeatedly, again and again, constantly)

(indeclinable)

Repetitive adverbial expression