महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-58, verse-40

हृतोत्तमाङ्गाः स्कन्धेषु गजानां गजयोधिनः ।
अदृश्यन्ताचलाग्रेषु द्रुमा भग्नशिखा इव ॥४०॥

40. hṛtottamāṅgāḥ skandheṣu gajānāṁ gajayodhinaḥ ,
adṛśyantācalāgreṣu drumā bhagnaśikhā iva.

40. hṛtottamāṅgāḥ skandheṣu gajānām gajayodhinaḥ
adṛśyanta acalāgreṣu drumāḥ bhagnaśikhāḥ iva

40. hṛtottamāṅgāḥ gajayodhinaḥ gajānām skandheṣu
bhagnaśikhāḥ drumāḥ acalāgreṣu iva adṛśyanta

40. The elephant warriors, with their heads severed, appeared on the shoulders of the elephants like trees with broken tops on mountain peaks.

Words meanings summery:

• हृतोत्तमाङ्गाः (hṛtottamāṅgāḥ) - (warriors) whose heads have been severed (whose best parts (heads) are taken/severed)

• स्कन्धेषु (skandheṣu) - on the shoulders (of the elephants) (on the shoulders, on the trunks (of trees))

• गजानाम् (gajānām) - of the elephants (on whose shoulders the warriors stood) (of the elephants)

• गजयोधिनः (gajayodhinaḥ) - the warriors fighting from elephants (elephant warriors)

• अदृश्यन्त (adṛśyanta) - they appeared (like trees) (they were seen, they appeared)

• अचलाग्रेषु (acalāgreṣu) - on the peaks of mountains (in the simile) (on mountain peaks)

• द्रुमाः (drumāḥ) - trees (in the simile) (trees)

• भग्नशिखाः (bhagnaśikhāḥ) - (trees) with broken tops/branches (whose tops are broken, having broken crests)

• इव (iva) - like (in a simile) (like, as, as if)

Words meanings and morphology

हृतोत्तमाङ्गाः (hṛtottamāṅgāḥ) - (warriors) whose heads have been severed (whose best parts (heads) are taken/severed)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of hṛtottamāṅga

hṛtottamāṅga - one whose head (uttamāṅga) is severed (hṛta)

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (hṛta+uttamāṅga)

• hṛta – taken, carried, seized, stolen, removed, severed
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From √hṛ (to take, carry) + kta suffix.
  Root: hṛ (class 1)
• uttamāṅga – the best limb, chief part; head
  noun (neuter)

Note: This entire compound acts as an adjective for gajayodhinaḥ.

स्कन्धेषु (skandheṣu) - on the shoulders (of the elephants) (on the shoulders, on the trunks (of trees))

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of skandha

skandha - shoulder, trunk of a tree, main stem, section

Root: skandh (class 1)

गजानाम् (gajānām) - of the elephants (on whose shoulders the warriors stood) (of the elephants)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of gaja

gaja - elephant

गजयोधिनः (gajayodhinaḥ) - the warriors fighting from elephants (elephant warriors)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of gajayodhin

gajayodhin - elephant warrior, one who fights from an elephant

Compound type : tatpurusha (gaja+yodhin)

• gaja – elephant
  noun (masculine)
• yodhin – warrior, fighter
  adjective/noun (masculine)
  From √yudh (to fight) + ṇini suffix.
  Root: yudh (class 4)

अदृश्यन्त (adṛśyanta) - they appeared (like trees) (they were seen, they appeared)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, past imperfect (laṅ) of adṛśyanta

Imperfect tense, 3rd person plural, passive voice

augment a- + root dṛś + passive stem suffix ya + middle ending anta.

Root: dṛś (class 1)

अचलाग्रेषु (acalāgreṣu) - on the peaks of mountains (in the simile) (on mountain peaks)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of acalāgra

acalāgra - mountain peak, summit of a hill

Compound type : tatpurusha (acala+agra)

• acala – immovable, mountain
  noun (masculine)
  Negation of 'cala' (movable)
  Prefix: a
  Root: cal (class 1)
• agra – foremost, tip, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)

द्रुमाः (drumāḥ) - trees (in the simile) (trees)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of druma

druma - tree

Root: dru (class 1)

भग्नशिखाः (bhagnaśikhāḥ) - (trees) with broken tops/branches (whose tops are broken, having broken crests)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhagnaśikhā

bhagnaśikhā - one whose peak/top is broken; having broken branches

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bhagna+śikhā)

• bhagna – broken, shattered
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From √bhañj (to break) + kta suffix.
  Root: bhañj (class 7)
• śikhā – peak, crest, top, flame, tuft of hair
  noun (feminine)

Note: Agrees with drumāḥ.

इव (iva) - like (in a simile) (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)