महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-6, chapter-91, verse-43

तमापतन्तं समरे गजं गजपतिः स च ।
दधार सुप्रतीकोऽपि वेलेव मकरालयम् ॥४३॥

43. tamāpatantaṁ samare gajaṁ gajapatiḥ sa ca ,
dadhāra supratīko'pi veleva makarālayam.

43. tam āpatantam samare gajam gajapatiḥ saḥ ca
dadhāra supratīkaḥ api velā iva makarālayam

43. saḥ gajapatiḥ supratīkaḥ api samare āpatantam
tam gajam velā iva makarālayam ca dadhāra

43. And that lord of elephants, Supratīka, indeed withstood the elephant (of Daśārṇa) that was approaching in battle, just as a shore holds back the ocean (makarālaya).

Words meanings summery:

• तम् (tam) - that (referring to Daśārṇa's elephant) (that, him)

• आपतन्तम् (āpatantam) - approaching (in battle) (approaching, falling upon)

• समरे (samare) - in the midst of battle (in battle, in war)

• गजम् (gajam) - the elephant of Daśārṇa (elephant)

• गजपतिः (gajapatiḥ) - Supratīka, Bhagadatta's elephant, described as a lord among elephants (lord of elephants)

• सः (saḥ) - that (referring to 'gajapatiḥ', i.e., Supratīka) (that, he)

• च (ca) - and, indeed (and, also)

• दधार (dadhāra) - held back, withstood (held, sustained, supported, resisted)

• सुप्रतीकः (supratīkaḥ) - the name of Bhagadatta's elephant (Supratīka (proper name))

• अपि (api) - indeed, also (also, even)

• वेला (velā) - the coastline or shore, which holds back the ocean (shore, bank, boundary)

• इव (iva) - like, in the same manner as (like, as, as if)

• मकरालयम् (makarālayam) - the ocean (makarālaya), which is held back by the shore (abode of sea-monsters, ocean)

Words meanings and morphology

तम् (tam) - that (referring to Daśārṇa's elephant) (that, him)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the elephant of Daśārṇa.

आपतन्तम् (āpatantam) - approaching (in battle) (approaching, falling upon)

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of āpatat

āpatat - approaching, falling upon, attacking

Present Active Participle

Derived from root 'pat' with prefix 'ā'.

Prefix: ā

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'gajam'.

समरे (samare) - in the midst of battle (in battle, in war)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of samara

samara - battle, war, combat

गजम् (gajam) - the elephant of Daśārṇa (elephant)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of gaja

gaja - elephant

Note: Direct object of 'dadhāra', modified by 'tam' and 'āpatantam'.

गजपतिः (gajapatiḥ) - Supratīka, Bhagadatta's elephant, described as a lord among elephants (lord of elephants)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of gajapati

gajapati - lord of elephants, elephant-king

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (gaja+pati)

• gaja – elephant
  noun (masculine)
• pati – lord, master, husband
  noun (masculine)

Note: Refers to Supratīka.

सः (saḥ) - that (referring to 'gajapatiḥ', i.e., Supratīka) (that, he)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'gajapatiḥ'.

च (ca) - and, indeed (and, also)

(indeclinable)

दधार (dadhāra) - held back, withstood (held, sustained, supported, resisted)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past perfect (liṭ) of dhṛ

Perfect tense

From root 'dhṛ'. Reduplicated perfect.

Root: dhṛ (class 3)

सुप्रतीकः (supratīkaḥ) - the name of Bhagadatta's elephant (Supratīka (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of supratīka

supratīka - having a beautiful front/aspect, name of an elephant

Compound of 'su' (good, beautiful) and 'pratīka' (front, face, symbol).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (su+pratīka)

• su – good, well, beautiful
  indeclinable
• pratīka – front, face, symbol, image
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: prati

Note: Subject of the sentence.

अपि (api) - indeed, also (also, even)

(indeclinable)

वेला (velā) - the coastline or shore, which holds back the ocean (shore, bank, boundary)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of velā

velā - shore, coast, bank, boundary, time

Note: Part of the simile.

इव (iva) - like, in the same manner as (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the simile.

मकरालयम् (makarālayam) - the ocean (makarālaya), which is held back by the shore (abode of sea-monsters, ocean)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of makarālaya

makarālaya - ocean (lit. abode of sea-monsters)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (makara+ālaya)

• makara – sea-monster, crocodile, mythical sea creature
  noun (masculine)
• ālaya – abode, dwelling, house
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: ā

Note: Object of 'dadhāra' in the simile.