महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-73, verse-28

सबलाकाः सखद्योताः सैरावतशतह्रदाः ।
अदृश्यन्तोष्णपर्याये मेघानामिव वागुराः ॥२८॥

28. sabalākāḥ sakhadyotāḥ sairāvataśatahradāḥ ,
adṛśyantoṣṇaparyāye meghānāmiva vāgurāḥ.

28. sabalākāḥ sakhadyotāḥ sairāvataśatahradāḥ
adṛśyanta uṣṇaparyāye meghānām iva vāgurāḥ

28. sabalākāḥ sakhadyotāḥ sairāvataśatahradāḥ
vāgurāḥ meghānām iva uṣṇaparyāye adṛśyanta

28. They appeared like vast, intricate cloud formations during the hot season, which are accompanied by (white) cranes, (flashing) fireflies, (mythical elephants like) Airāvata, and streaks of lightning.

Words meanings summery:

• सबलाकाः (sabalākāḥ) - with features resembling white cranes (or with actual cranes) (with cranes, accompanied by cranes)

• सखद्योताः (sakhadyotāḥ) - with sparkling or flashing elements (like fireflies or lightning) (with fireflies, accompanied by fireflies)

• सैरावतशतह्रदाः (sairāvataśatahradāḥ) - with elements resembling mythical cloud elephants (Airāvata) and lightning flashes (with Airāvata elephants and lightning, accompanied by Airāvata and lightning)

• अदृश्यन्त (adṛśyanta) - they were seen, they appeared

• उष्णपर्याये (uṣṇaparyāye) - in the hot season, during summer

• मेघानाम् (meghānām) - of clouds

• इव (iva) - like, as if

• वागुराः (vāgurāḥ) - vast, spreading, intricate formations (like nets) (nets, snares; vast formations)

Words meanings and morphology

सबलाकाः (sabalākāḥ) - with features resembling white cranes (or with actual cranes) (with cranes, accompanied by cranes)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sabalāka

sabalāka - accompanied by cranes; having cranes

Bahuvrīhi compound, 'sa' (with) + 'balākā' (crane).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+balākā)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating accompaniment.
• balākā – crane (bird)
  noun (feminine)

Note: Qualifies the implied subject (army formations), and also the 'clouds' in the simile.

सखद्योताः (sakhadyotāḥ) - with sparkling or flashing elements (like fireflies or lightning) (with fireflies, accompanied by fireflies)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sakhadyota

sakhadyota - accompanied by fireflies; having fireflies

Bahuvrīhi compound, 'sa' (with) + 'khadyota' (firefly).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+khadyota)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating accompaniment.
• khadyota – firefly, glow-worm
  noun (masculine)
  Literally 'shining in the sky'.

Note: Qualifies the implied subject (army formations), and also the 'clouds' in the simile.

सैरावतशतह्रदाः (sairāvataśatahradāḥ) - with elements resembling mythical cloud elephants (Airāvata) and lightning flashes (with Airāvata elephants and lightning, accompanied by Airāvata and lightning)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of sairāvataśatahradā

sairāvataśatahradā - accompanied by Airāvata (mythical elephant) and lightning

Bahuvrīhi compound 'sa' + 'airāvata' + 'śatahradā'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (sa+airāvata+śatahradā)

• sa – with, accompanied by
  indeclinable
  Prefix indicating accompaniment.
• airāvata – Airāvata (Indra's elephant); an elephant of Airāvatī
  proper noun (masculine)
• śatahradā – lightning (literally 'hundred lakes')
  noun (feminine)

Note: Qualifies the implied subject (army formations), and also the 'clouds' in the simile.

अदृश्यन्त (adṛśyanta) - they were seen, they appeared

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, past imperfect (laṅ) of dṛś

Imperfect Passive

Augmented root 'a-dṛś', ya-vikaraṇa for passive, anta ending for 3rd plural.

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: The subject is implicit, inferred from the plural adjectives (referring to the armies/forces).

उष्णपर्याये (uṣṇaparyāye) - in the hot season, during summer

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of uṣṇaparyāya

uṣṇaparyāya - hot season, summer

Compound type : karmadhāraya (uṣṇa+paryāya)

• uṣṇa – hot, warm
  adjective (masculine)
• paryāya – turn, course, period, season
  noun (masculine)
  Prefix: pari

Note: Refers to the time setting of the simile.

मेघानाम् (meghānām) - of clouds

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of megha

megha - cloud

Root: mih (class 1)

Note: Possessive, 'of clouds'.

इव (iva) - like, as if

(indeclinable)

Note: Particle of comparison.

वागुराः (vāgurāḥ) - vast, spreading, intricate formations (like nets) (nets, snares; vast formations)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, plural of vāgurā

vāgurā - net, snare, trap; (metaphorically) widespread or intricate formation

Note: Predicate nominative for the simile.