महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-144, verse-4

तावुभौ समरे शूरौ शरकण्टकिनौ तदा ।
व्यराजेतां महाराज कण्टकैरिव शाल्मली ॥४॥

4. tāvubhau samare śūrau śarakaṇṭakinau tadā ,
vyarājetāṁ mahārāja kaṇṭakairiva śālmalī.

4. tau ubhau samare śūrau śarakaṇṭakinau tadā
| vyarājetām mahārāja kaṇṭakaiḥ iva śālmalī

4. mahārāja tadā samare śarakaṇṭakinau tau
ubhau śūrau kaṇṭakaiḥ śālmalī iva vyarājetām

4. Then, O great King, those two heroes in battle, bristling with arrows, shone brightly like two Silk Cotton trees (śālmalī) covered with thorns.

Words meanings summery:

• तौ (tau) - those two

• उभौ (ubhau) - both, two

• समरे (samare) - in battle, in war, in combat

• शूरौ (śūrau) - heroes, brave ones, warriors

• शरकण्टकिनौ (śarakaṇṭakinau) - thorny with arrows, bristling with arrows

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• व्यराजेताम् (vyarājetām) - they shone, they appeared splendid

• महाराज (mahārāja) - O great King!

• कण्टकैः (kaṇṭakaiḥ) - with thorns, with barbs

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• शाल्मली (śālmalī) - two Silk Cotton trees (Silk Cotton tree)

Words meanings and morphology

तौ (tau) - those two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

उभौ (ubhau) - both, two

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of ubha

ubha - both, two

Note: Agrees with 'tau vīrau'.

समरे (samare) - in battle, in war, in combat

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of samara

samara - battle, war, combat

शूरौ (śūrau) - heroes, brave ones, warriors

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of śūra

śūra - hero, brave man, warrior, valiant

शरकण्टकिनौ (śarakaṇṭakinau) - thorny with arrows, bristling with arrows

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of śarakaṇṭakin

śarakaṇṭakin - covered with arrow-thorns, bristling with arrows

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śara+kaṇṭakin)

• śara – arrow, reed
  noun (masculine)
• kaṇṭakin – thorny, prickly, bristling with thorns
  adjective (masculine)
  Derived from kaṇṭaka (thorn) with suffix -in.

Note: Agrees with 'tau ubhau śūrau'.

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

व्यराजेताम् (vyarājetām) - they shone, they appeared splendid

(verb)

3rd person , dual, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of rāj

Imperfect Middle

Imperfect tense, 3rd person dual, middle voice, with upasarga vi-.

Prefix: vi

Root: rāj (class 1)

महाराज (mahārāja) - O great King!

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahārājan

mahārājan - great king, emperor

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+rājan)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)

Note: Addressed to Dhritarashtra by Sanjaya.

कण्टकैः (kaṇṭakaiḥ) - with thorns, with barbs

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of kaṇṭaka

kaṇṭaka - thorn, prickle, difficulty, enemy

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

शाल्मली (śālmalī) - two Silk Cotton trees (Silk Cotton tree)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, dual of śālmalī

śālmalī - Silk Cotton tree (Bombax malabaricum)

Note: The dual form is implied by the context of 'tau ubhau' (those two both) and the simile.