महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-87, verse-18

नैते जातु निवर्तेरन्प्रेषिता हस्तिसादिभिः ।
अन्यत्र हि वधादेषां नास्ति राजन्पराजयः ॥१८॥

18. naite jātu nivarteranpreṣitā hastisādibhiḥ ,
anyatra hi vadhādeṣāṁ nāsti rājanparājayaḥ.

18. na ete jātu nivartern preṣitāḥ hastisādibhiḥ
anyatra hi vadhāt eṣām na asti rājan parājayaḥ

18. rājan,
ete hastisādibhiḥ preṣitāḥ jātu na nivartern.
hi,
eṣām vadhāt anyatra parājayaḥ na asti.

18. O King, these (elephants), even when directed by their elephant riders, would never retreat. Indeed, for them, there is no defeat except through death.

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not, no

• एते (ete) - these (elephants) (these)

• जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time, by any means

• निवर्तेर्न् (nivartern) - would turn back, would retreat

• प्रेषिताः (preṣitāḥ) - sent forth, commanded, ordered

• हस्तिसादिभिः (hastisādibhiḥ) - by elephant riders, by mahouts

• अन्यत्र (anyatra) - elsewhere, otherwise, in another place

• हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because, for

• वधात् (vadhāt) - from killing, from destruction, by death

• एषाम् (eṣām) - of these (elephants) (of these)

• न (na) - not, no

• अस्ति (asti) - is, there is, exists

• राजन् (rājan) - O King (king, ruler)

• पराजयः (parājayaḥ) - defeat, overthrow, discomfiture

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

Note: Negates the verb nivartern.

एते (ete) - these (elephants) (these)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Subject.

जातु (jātu) - ever, at any time, by any means

(indeclinable)

Adverb. Often used with a negative particle to mean 'never'.

निवर्तेर्न् (nivartern) - would turn back, would retreat

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, optative (vidhiliṅ) of nivṛt

Optative Mood

Root vṛt (to turn) with prefix ni (down, back). Optative ātmanepada, 3rd person plural.

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Expresses potential or wish.

प्रेषिताः (preṣitāḥ) - sent forth, commanded, ordered

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of preṣita

preṣita - sent, dispatched, commanded, urged

Past Passive Participle

From verb root iṣ (to send) with prefix pra. pra-iṣ becomes preṣ.

Prefix: pra

Root: iṣ (class 6)

Note: Agrees with ete. Implies 'even when sent/commanded'.

हस्तिसादिभिः (hastisādibhiḥ) - by elephant riders, by mahouts

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of hastisādin

hastisādin - elephant rider, mahout

From hastin (elephant) and sādin (rider).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (hastin+sādin)

• hastin – elephant
  noun (masculine)
• sādin – rider, one who sits on
  noun (masculine)
  From root sad (to sit). Agent noun.
  Root: sad (class 1)

Note: Agent of preṣitāḥ.

अन्यत्र (anyatra) - elsewhere, otherwise, in another place

(indeclinable)

Adverb of place, from anya + suffix -tra. Often used with ablative.

हि (hi) - indeed, surely, because, for

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

वधात् (vadhāt) - from killing, from destruction, by death

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of vadha

vadha - killing, slaughter, striking, death

From root vadh (to strike, kill).

Root: vadh (class 1)

Note: Source or exception.

एषाम् (eṣām) - of these (elephants) (of these)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of etad

etad - this, these

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Possessive, 'of these'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

Note: Negates asti.

अस्ति (asti) - is, there is, exists

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of as

Present Tense

Root as (to be). Present indicative, 3rd person singular.

Root: as (class 2)

राजन् (rājan) - O King (king, ruler)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler

Stem is rājan, vocative singular is rājan.

Root: rāj (class 1)

Note: Address to the King.

पराजयः (parājayaḥ) - defeat, overthrow, discomfiture

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of parājaya

parājaya - defeat, overthrow, discomfiture

From root ji (to conquer) with prefix parā (away, against). parā-ji (to be defeated). Nominalized with suffix -a.

Prefix: parā

Root: ji (class 1)

Note: Subject of na asti.