महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-165, verse-59

निहता हयभूयिष्ठाः संग्रामे निशितैः शरैः ।
तावका निहते द्रोणे गतासव इवाभवन् ॥५९॥

59. nihatā hayabhūyiṣṭhāḥ saṁgrāme niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ,
tāvakā nihate droṇe gatāsava ivābhavan.

59. nihataḥ hayabhūyiṣṭhāḥ saṃgrāme niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
tāvakāḥ nihate droṇe gatāsavaḥ iva abhavan

59. nihate droṇe tāvakāḥ hayabhūyiṣṭhāḥ nihataḥ
saṃgrāme niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ abhavan iva gatāsavaḥ

59. When Drona was slain, your soldiers—who were predominantly horsemen killed in battle by sharp arrows—became as if lifeless.

Words meanings summery:

• निहतः (nihataḥ) - slain, killed, destroyed

• हयभूयिष्ठाः (hayabhūyiṣṭhāḥ) - predominantly horsemen (predominantly horses, consisting mostly of horses, largely horsemen)

• संग्रामे (saṁgrāme) - in battle, in war

• निशितैः (niśitaiḥ) - by sharp, by keen

• शरैः (śaraiḥ) - by arrows

• तावकाः (tāvakāḥ) - your (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's) soldiers (your men, your people, those belonging to you)

• निहते (nihate) - when (Drona) was slain (when slain, when killed, in the slain (one))

• द्रोणे (droṇe) - when Drona was (slain) (in Drona, to Drona)

• गतासवः (gatāsavaḥ) - lifeless, dead, having lost life

• इव (iva) - as if, like, similar to

• अभवन् (abhavan) - they became, they existed

Words meanings and morphology

निहतः (nihataḥ) - slain, killed, destroyed

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nihata

nihata - slain, killed, destroyed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root han (to strike, kill) with prefix ni.

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Qualifies 'tāvakāḥ'.

हयभूयिष्ठाः (hayabhūyiṣṭhāḥ) - predominantly horsemen (predominantly horses, consisting mostly of horses, largely horsemen)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of hayabhūyiṣṭha

hayabhūyiṣṭha - predominantly horses, consisting mostly of horses, largely horsemen

Compound adjective: haya (horse) + bhūyiṣṭha (most numerous, predominant).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (haya+bhūyiṣṭha)

• haya – horse
  noun (masculine)
  Root: hi (class 5)
• bhūyiṣṭha – most numerous, most abundant, predominant
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative degree of 'bahu' (many).

Note: Qualifies 'tāvakāḥ'.

संग्रामे (saṁgrāme) - in battle, in war

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃgrāma

saṁgrāma - battle, war, combat

Derived from prefix sam + root gram.

Prefix: sam

Root: gram (class 1)

निशितैः (niśitaiḥ) - by sharp, by keen

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of niśita

niśita - sharp, keen, whetted

Past Passive Participle

From root śi (to sharpen) with prefix ni.

Prefix: ni

Root: śi (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'śaraiḥ'.

शरैः (śaraiḥ) - by arrows

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of śara

śara - arrow, reed

Root: śṛ (class 1)

तावकाः (tāvakāḥ) - your (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's) soldiers (your men, your people, those belonging to you)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tāvaka

tāvaka - yours, belonging to you, your men

Derived from 'tva' (you). Used as a substantive.

निहते (nihate) - when (Drona) was slain (when slain, when killed, in the slain (one))

(adjective)

Locative, masculine, singular of nihata

nihata - slain, killed, destroyed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root han (to strike, kill) with prefix ni.

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Part of locative absolute construction 'nihate Droṇe'.

द्रोणे (droṇe) - when Drona was (slain) (in Drona, to Drona)

(proper noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of droṇa

droṇa - Drona (name of a preceptor)

Note: Part of locative absolute construction 'nihate Droṇe'.

गतासवः (gatāsavaḥ) - lifeless, dead, having lost life

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of gatāsu

gatāsu - lifeless, dead, whose life (asu) has departed (gata)

Bahuvrīhi compound: gata (gone) + asu (life).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (gata+asu)

• gata – gone, departed, lost
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root gam (to go).
  Root: gam (class 1)
• asu – life, vital breath, spirit
  noun (masculine)
  Root: as (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'tāvakāḥ'.

इव (iva) - as if, like, similar to

(indeclinable)

अभवन् (abhavan) - they became, they existed

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, imperfect (laṅ) of bhū

Imperfect (Laṅ)

3rd person plural, active voice.

Root: bhū (class 1)