महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-165, verse-49

आकर्णपलितः श्यामो वयसाशीतिपञ्चकः ।
त्वत्कृते व्यचरत्संख्ये स तु षोडशवर्षवत् ॥४९॥

49. ākarṇapalitaḥ śyāmo vayasāśītipañcakaḥ ,
tvatkṛte vyacaratsaṁkhye sa tu ṣoḍaśavarṣavat.

49. ākarṇapalitaḥ śyāmaḥ vayasā aśītipañcakaḥ
tvatkṛte vyacarat saṃkhye saḥ tu ṣoḍaśavarṣavat

49. ākarṇapalitaḥ śyāmaḥ aśītipañcakaḥ vayasā saḥ
tu tvatkṛte saṃkhye ṣoḍaśavarṣavat vyacarat

49. His hair was grey up to his ears, he was dark-complexioned, and eighty-five years of age. But for your sake, he moved about in battle as if he were sixteen years old.

Words meanings summery:

• आकर्णपलितः (ākarṇapalitaḥ) - grey-haired up to the ears

• श्यामः (śyāmaḥ) - dark-complexioned, dark (blue-black)

• वयसा (vayasā) - by age, in respect of age

• अशीतिपञ्चकः (aśītipañcakaḥ) - eighty-five

• त्वत्कृते (tvatkṛte) - for your sake, on your account

• व्यचरत् (vyacarat) - he moved about, he fought, he acted

• संख्ये (saṁkhye) - in battle, in combat

• सः (saḥ) - he

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• षोडशवर्षवत् (ṣoḍaśavarṣavat) - like a sixteen-year-old

Words meanings and morphology

आकर्णपलितः (ākarṇapalitaḥ) - grey-haired up to the ears

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of ākarṇapalita

ākarṇapalita - grey-haired up to the ears

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (ākarṇa+palita)

• ākarṇa – up to the ears
  indeclinable
  Indeclinable compound (avyayībhāva) or prefix 'ā-' with 'karṇa' (ear).
  Prefix: ā
• palita – grey, grey-haired
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √pal (to be grey) + suffix -ta.
  Root: pal (class 1)

Note: Qualifies the implied subject (Droṇa).

श्यामः (śyāmaḥ) - dark-complexioned, dark (blue-black)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śyāma

śyāma - dark, black, dark-blue, dark-complexioned

Note: Qualifies the implied subject.

वयसा (vayasā) - by age, in respect of age

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of vayas

vayas - age, time of life, period, strength

Note: Indicates the criterion for the following number.

अशीतिपञ्चकः (aśītipañcakaḥ) - eighty-five

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of aśītipañcaka

aśītipañcaka - eighty-five

Dvigu compound of 'aśīti' (eighty) and 'pañcaka' (group of five).

Compound type : dvigu (aśīti+pañcaka)

• aśīti – eighty
  numeral (feminine)
• pañcaka – group of five, five
  numeral (masculine)

Note: Qualifies the implied subject, stating his age.

त्वत्कृते (tvatkṛte) - for your sake, on your account

(indeclinable)

Compound 'tvat' (your) + 'kṛte' (for the sake of). The 'kṛte' part is often considered an indeclinable derived from the locative of 'kṛta'.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tvat+kṛta)

• tvat – your, from you
  pronoun
  Ablative form of 'tvam' (you), but here used as a possessive in compound.
• kṛta – done, made
  adjective (neuter)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root √kṛ (to do). Here, 'kṛte' is the locative singular of 'kṛta', functioning as an indeclinable meaning 'for the sake of'.
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Indicates purpose.

व्यचरत् (vyacarat) - he moved about, he fought, he acted

(verb)

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

Imperfect Active

Imperfect tense, 3rd person singular, active voice. From prefix 'vi-' + root √car (to move, wander).

Prefix: vi

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Main verb of the sentence.

संख्ये (saṁkhye) - in battle, in combat

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of saṃkhya

saṁkhya - battle, war, encounter

Note: Indicates the place/context of the action.

सः (saḥ) - he

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Subject of 'vyacarat'.

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

Note: Connective particle, indicating contrast.

षोडशवर्षवत् (ṣoḍaśavarṣavat) - like a sixteen-year-old

(indeclinable)

Compound of 'ṣoḍaśa' (sixteen) + 'varṣa' (year) + '-vat' (like, similar to).

Compound type : avyayībhāva (ṣoḍaśa+varṣa+vat)

• ṣoḍaśa – sixteen
  numeral
• varṣa – year
  noun (neuter)
• vat – like, as if, similar to
  indeclinable
  Indeclinable suffix denoting similarity.

Note: Adverbial usage, indicating comparison.