महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-44, verse-20

ससूताश्वध्वजं तस्य स्यन्दनं तं च मारिष ।
आचितं समपश्याम श्वाविधं शललैरिव ॥२०॥

20. sasūtāśvadhvajaṁ tasya syandanaṁ taṁ ca māriṣa ,
ācitaṁ samapaśyāma śvāvidhaṁ śalalairiva.

20. sasūtāśvadhvajam tasya syandanam tam ca māriṣa
ācitam samapaśyāma śvāvidham śalalaiḥ iva

20. māriṣa,
(vayam) tasya tam sasūtāśvadhvajam syandanam śalalaiḥ śvāvidham iva ācitam samapaśyāma ca

20. O respected one (māriṣa), we observed his chariot – complete with its charioteer, horses, and banner – thoroughly covered, just like a porcupine (śvāvidha) is covered with its quills (śalalaiḥ).

Words meanings summery:

• ससूताश्वध्वजम् (sasūtāśvadhvajam) - along with its charioteer, horses, and banner (with charioteer, horses, and banner)

• तस्य (tasya) - his (Abhimanyu's) (his, of him)

• स्यन्दनम् (syandanam) - chariot (chariot, car)

• तम् (tam) - that (chariot) (that, him)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• मारिष (māriṣa) - O respected one (vocative address, likely to Dhritarashtra) (O respected one, O venerable one)

• आचितम् (ācitam) - thoroughly covered (covered, filled, heaped up)

• समपश्याम (samapaśyāma) - we observed (we saw, we beheld)

• श्वाविधम् (śvāvidham) - porcupine

• शललैः (śalalaiḥ) - by its quills (by quills, by darts)

• इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as if)

Words meanings and morphology

ससूताश्वध्वजम् (sasūtāśvadhvajam) - along with its charioteer, horses, and banner (with charioteer, horses, and banner)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of sasūtāśvadhvaja

sasūtāśvadhvaja - having charioteer, horses, and banner (together with Sūta, Aśva, Dhvaja)

Compound describing the chariot.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+sūta+aśva+dhvaja)

• sa – with, together with
  indeclinable
  prefix
• sūta – charioteer
  noun (masculine)
• aśva – horse
  noun (masculine)
• dhvaja – banner, flag
  noun (masculine)

Note: Qualifies `syandanam`.

तस्य (tasya) - his (Abhimanyu's) (his, of him)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to Abhimanyu.

स्यन्दनम् (syandanam) - chariot (chariot, car)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of syandana

syandana - chariot, car, flowing, moving

From root `syand` (to flow, to run).

Root: syand (class 1)

तम् (tam) - that (chariot) (that, him)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

Conjunction.

मारिष (māriṣa) - O respected one (vocative address, likely to Dhritarashtra) (O respected one, O venerable one)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of māriṣa

māriṣa - respected person, venerable person

Originally an epithet.

Note: Term of address.

आचितम् (ācitam) - thoroughly covered (covered, filled, heaped up)

(participle)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ācita

ācita - covered, filled, heaped, accumulated

Past Passive Participle

From root `ci` (to heap, to gather) with `ā` prefix and suffix `kta`.

Prefix: ā

Root: ci (class 5)

Note: Predicative adjective for the chariot.

समपश्याम (samapaśyāma) - we observed (we saw, we beheld)

(verb)

1st person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of paś

Imperfect tense, active voice, 1st person plural

From root `dṛś` (which changes to `paś` in present/imperfect stems) with `sam` and `apa` prefixes.

Prefixes: sam+apa

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Main verb.

श्वाविधम् (śvāvidham) - porcupine

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of śvāvidha

śvāvidha - porcupine

Note: Object of implied "as if it were a porcupine".

शललैः (śalalaiḥ) - by its quills (by quills, by darts)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of śalala

śalala - quill, dart, arrow

Note: Indicates the means of covering, for the simile.

इव (iva) - just like (like, as, as if)

(indeclinable)

Particle of comparison.