महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-80, verse-4

ते तस्य कवचं भित्त्वा पपुः शोणितमाहवे ।
असूनिव विचिन्वन्तो देहे तस्य महात्मनः ॥४॥

4. te tasya kavacaṁ bhittvā papuḥ śoṇitamāhave ,
asūniva vicinvanto dehe tasya mahātmanaḥ.

4. te tasya kavacaṃ bhittvā papuḥ śoṇitam āhave
asūn iva vicinvantaḥ dehe tasya mahātmanaḥ

4. te tasya kavacaṃ bhittvā āhave śoṇitam papuḥ,
tasya mahātmanaḥ dehe asūn iva vicinvantaḥ

4. Those (arrows), having pierced his (Yudhiṣṭhira's) armor in battle, drank his blood, as if extracting the very life-breaths (asūn) from the body of that great-souled one.

Words meanings summery:

• ते (te) - those (arrows) (those, they)

• तस्य (tasya) - of Yudhiṣṭhira (his, of him)

• कवचं (kavacaṁ) - armor, mail

• भित्त्वा (bhittvā) - having pierced, having broken, having split

• पपुः (papuḥ) - they drank

• शोणितम् (śoṇitam) - blood

• आहवे (āhave) - in battle, in war

• असून् (asūn) - lives, vital breaths, life-forces

• इव (iva) - as if, like

• विचिन्वन्तः (vicinvantaḥ) - as if trying to extract (searching for, extracting, picking out)

• देहे (dehe) - in the body, from the body

• तस्य (tasya) - of Yudhiṣṭhira (his, of him)

• महात्मनः (mahātmanaḥ) - of Yudhiṣṭhira, the great-souled one (of the great-souled one)

Words meanings and morphology

ते (te) - those (arrows) (those, they)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the seven arrows shot by Śrutāyuṣa from the previous verse.

तस्य (tasya) - of Yudhiṣṭhira (his, of him)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Yudhiṣṭhira.

कवचं (kavacaṁ) - armor, mail

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of kavaca

kavaca - armor, cuirass

Note: Object of `bhittvā`.

भित्त्वा (bhittvā) - having pierced, having broken, having split

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (Gerund)

Root bhid (to break), absolutive form.

Root: bhid (class 7)

पपुः (papuḥ) - they drank

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (lit) of pā

Perfect Active

Root pā (to drink), perfect third person plural, parasmaipada.

Root: pā (class 1)

Note: Subject is `te` (the arrows).

शोणितम् (śoṇitam) - blood

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of śoṇita

śoṇita - blood, red

Note: Object of `papuḥ`.

आहवे (āhave) - in battle, in war

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of āhava

āhava - battle, war, combat

Root: hve (class 1)

असून् (asūn) - lives, vital breaths, life-forces

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of asu

asu - breath, life, vital breath

Note: Object of `vicinvantaḥ`.

इव (iva) - as if, like

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

विचिन्वन्तः (vicinvantaḥ) - as if trying to extract (searching for, extracting, picking out)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ci

ci - to gather, collect, search for

Present Active Participle

Root ci (to collect) with prefix vi. Present active participle, nominative plural masculine.

Prefix: vi

Root: ci (class 5)

Note: Agrees with `te` (the arrows).

देहे (dehe) - in the body, from the body

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of deha

deha - body

Note: Implies extraction from the body, hence translated as 'from the body'.

तस्य (tasya) - of Yudhiṣṭhira (his, of him)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Yudhiṣṭhira.

महात्मनः (mahātmanaḥ) - of Yudhiṣṭhira, the great-souled one (of the great-souled one)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mahātman

mahātman - great-souled, noble, magnificent

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+ātman)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, essential nature
  noun (masculine)

Note: Agrees with `tasya` (Yudhiṣṭhira).