महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-5, verse-8

न ऋते नायकं सेना मुहूर्तमपि तिष्ठति ।
आहवेष्वाहवश्रेष्ठ नेतृहीनेव नौर्जले ॥८॥

8. na ṛte nāyakaṁ senā muhūrtamapi tiṣṭhati ,
āhaveṣvāhavaśreṣṭha netṛhīneva naurjale.

8. na ṛte nāyakam senā muhūrtam api tiṣṭhati
āhaveṣu āhavaśreṣṭha netṛhīnā iva nauḥ jale

8. āhavaśreṣṭha,
senā nāyakam ṛte muhūrtam api na tiṣṭhati,
jale netṛhīnā nauḥ iva.

8. O foremost among warriors, an army cannot stand even for a moment without a leader, just as a boat in water is helpless without a helmsman.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• ऋते (ṛte) - without, except for

• नायकम् (nāyakam) - leader, guide

• सेना (senā) - army, host

• मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - a moment, a short time

• अपि (api) - even (for a moment) (even, also, too)

• तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains stable, holds its ground (stands, remains, stays)

• आहवेषु (āhaveṣu) - in battles, in conflicts

• आहवश्रेष्ठ (āhavaśreṣṭha) - O foremost among warriors (vocative) (best in battle, best of warriors)

• नेतृहीना (netṛhīnā) - leaderless

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• नौः (nauḥ) - boat, ship

• जले (jale) - in water

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

ऋते (ṛte) - without, except for

(indeclinable)

नायकम् (nāyakam) - leader, guide

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of nāyaka

nāyaka - leader, guide, chief

Derived from root nī (to lead) with suffix -aka.

Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Governed by ṛte.

सेना (senā) - army, host

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of senā

senā - army, host, forces

मुहूर्तम् (muhūrtam) - a moment, a short time

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of muhūrta

muhūrta - a moment, a specific division of time (48 minutes)

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'for a moment'.

अपि (api) - even (for a moment) (even, also, too)

(indeclinable)

तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains stable, holds its ground (stands, remains, stays)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present indicative (laṭ) of sthā

Present indicative, 3rd person singular, active voice

Root sthā, 1st class (bhvādi), parasmaipada, reduplicated 'tiṣṭha' stem.

Root: sthā (class 1)

आहवेषु (āhaveṣu) - in battles, in conflicts

(noun)

Locative, masculine, plural of āhava

āhava - battle, war, combat

Derived from root hū (to call) with prefix ā-.

Prefix: ā

Root: hū (class 3)

आहवश्रेष्ठ (āhavaśreṣṭha) - O foremost among warriors (vocative) (best in battle, best of warriors)

(compound noun)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (āhava+śreṣṭha)

• āhava – battle, war
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root hū (to call) with prefix ā-.
  Prefix: ā
  Root: hū (class 3)
• śreṣṭha – best, excellent, foremost
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of praśasya/praśasta.

Note: Refers to the person being addressed.

नेतृहीना (netṛhīnā) - leaderless

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of netṛhīna

netṛhīna - without a leader, helmsman-less

Compound type : bahuvrīhi or tatpuruṣa (netṛ+hīna)

• netṛ – leader, guide, helmsman
  noun (masculine)
  Agent noun from root nī (to lead).
  Root: nī (class 1)
• hīna – devoid of, lacking, without
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root hā (to abandon).
  Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Agrees with 'nauḥ'.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

नौः (nauḥ) - boat, ship

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of nau

nau - boat, ship

जले (jale) - in water

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of jala

jala - water