महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-138, verse-23

महावने दाव इव प्रदीप्ते यथा प्रभा भास्करस्यापि नश्येत् ।
तथा तवासीद्ध्वजिनी प्रदीप्ता महाभये भारत भीमरूपा ॥२३॥

23. mahāvane dāva iva pradīpte; yathā prabhā bhāskarasyāpi naśyet ,
tathā tavāsīddhvajinī pradīptā; mahābhaye bhārata bhīmarūpā.

23. mahā-vane dāva iva pra-dīpte yathā
prabhā bhāskarasya api naśyet
| tathā tat āsīt dhvajinī pra-dīptā
mahā-bhaye bhārata bhīma-rūpā

23. bhārata yathā pra-dīpte mahā-vane
dāva iva bhāskarasya prabhā api
naśyet tathā tat pra-dīptā
bhīma-rūpā dhvajinī mahā-bhaye āsīt

23. O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata), just as the radiance of the sun itself would vanish in a great forest ablaze with a forest fire, so too was that blazing army, with its terrifying appearance, in the midst of great fear.

Words meanings summery:

• महा-वने (mahā-vane) - in a great forest

• दाव (dāva) - forest fire, conflagration

• इव (iva) - like, as, as it were

• प्र-दीप्ते (pra-dīpte) - ablaze, ignited, glowing intensely

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, in which way

• प्रभा (prabhā) - radiance, light, splendor

• भास्करस्य (bhāskarasya) - of the sun, of the sun-maker

• अपि (api) - even, also, too

• नश्येत् (naśyet) - may vanish, would perish

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that way

• तत् (tat) - that

• आसीत् (āsīt) - it was, it existed

• ध्वजिनी (dhvajinī) - army (literally 'one having banners')

• प्र-दीप्ता (pra-dīptā) - blazing, shining intensely

• महा-भये (mahā-bhaye) - in great fear, in great danger

• भारत (bhārata) - O descendant of Bharata, O Bhārata

• भीम-रूपा (bhīma-rūpā) - having a terrifying form, dreadful in appearance

Words meanings and morphology

महा-वने (mahā-vane) - in a great forest

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of mahā-vana

mahā-vana - great forest, large forest

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+vana)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• vana – forest, wood
  noun (neuter)

दाव (dāva) - forest fire, conflagration

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dāva

dāva - forest fire, conflagration

Note: Subject of comparison.

इव (iva) - like, as, as it were

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

प्र-दीप्ते (pra-dīpte) - ablaze, ignited, glowing intensely

(adjective)

Locative, neuter, singular of pra-dīpta

pra-dīpta - ablaze, intensely shining, ignited

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root √dīp (to shine) with prefix pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: dīp (class 4)

Note: Modifies 'mahā-vane'.

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, in which way

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces the comparison clause.

प्रभा (prabhā) - radiance, light, splendor

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of prabhā

prabhā - light, lustre, radiance, splendor

Note: Subject of 'naśyet'.

भास्करस्य (bhāskarasya) - of the sun, of the sun-maker

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of bhāskara

bhāskara - the sun, sun-maker

Note: Possessive, 'of the sun'.

अपि (api) - even, also, too

(indeclinable)

Note: Emphatic particle.

नश्येत् (naśyet) - may vanish, would perish

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of naś

Optative mood, 3rd person singular

Intransitive verb, optative conjugation of √naś (4P)

Root: naś (class 4)

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that way

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative to 'yathā'.

तत् (tat) - that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, this

Note: Refers to the army ('dhvajinī').

आसीत् (āsīt) - it was, it existed

(verb)

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

Imperfect tense, 3rd person singular

Intransitive verb, imperfect conjugation of √as (2P)

Root: as (class 2)

ध्वजिनी (dhvajinī) - army (literally 'one having banners')

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of dhvajinī

dhvajinī - army, host (literally 'one having banners')

Note: Subject of 'āsīt'.

प्र-दीप्ता (pra-dīptā) - blazing, shining intensely

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of pra-dīpta

pra-dīpta - ablaze, intensely shining, ignited

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root √dīp (to shine) with prefix pra-

Prefix: pra

Root: dīp (class 4)

Note: Modifies 'dhvajinī'.

महा-भये (mahā-bhaye) - in great fear, in great danger

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of mahā-bhaya

mahā-bhaya - great fear, great danger

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+bhaya)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• bhaya – fear, dread, danger
  noun (neuter)

Note: Context indicates 'in the midst of great danger/fear' for the army itself, or causing great fear.

भारत (bhārata) - O descendant of Bharata, O Bhārata

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of bhārata

bhārata - descendant of Bharata, Indian

भीम-रूपा (bhīma-rūpā) - having a terrifying form, dreadful in appearance

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of bhīma-rūpa

bhīma-rūpa - of a terrible form, dreadful in appearance

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bhīma+rūpa)

• bhīma – terrible, dreadful, formidable
  adjective
• rūpa – form, appearance, shape
  noun (neuter)

Note: Modifies 'dhvajinī'.