महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-7, chapter-91, verse-28

तमापतन्तं सहसा मागधस्य गजोत्तमम् ।
सात्यकिर्वारयामास वेलेवोद्वृत्तमर्णवम् ॥२८॥

28. tamāpatantaṁ sahasā māgadhasya gajottamam ,
sātyakirvārayāmāsa velevodvṛttamarṇavam.

28. tam āpatantam sahasā māgadhasya gajottamam
sātyakiḥ vārayāmāsa velā iva udvṛttam arṇavam

28. sātyakiḥ sahasā āpatantam māgadhasya tam
gajottamam vārayāmāsa velā iva udvṛttam arṇavam

28. Satyaki stopped that excellent elephant of Magadha, which was rapidly approaching, just as a shore (velā) holds back a surging ocean.

Words meanings summery:

• तम् (tam) - him, that

• आपतन्तम् (āpatantam) - rushing towards, approaching, falling upon

• सहसा (sahasā) - suddenly, forcefully, swiftly

• मागधस्य (māgadhasya) - of Magadha, belonging to Magadha

• गजोत्तमम् (gajottamam) - best of elephants, excellent elephant

• सात्यकिः (sātyakiḥ) - Satyaki (name of a warrior)

• वारयामास (vārayāmāsa) - he checked, he stopped, he restrained

• वेला (velā) - shore, boundary, limit, time

• इव (iva) - like, as if, as

• उद्वृत्तम् (udvṛttam) - surging, overflowing, risen up

• अर्णवम् (arṇavam) - ocean, sea

Words meanings and morphology

तम् (tam) - him, that

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to 'gajottamam'.

आपतन्तम् (āpatantam) - rushing towards, approaching, falling upon

(adjective)

Accusative, masculine, singular of āpatat

āpatat - rushing towards, approaching

Present Active Participle

From ā-√pat (to fall towards, rush)

Prefix: ā

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Masculine accusative singular, modifying 'gajottamam'.

सहसा (sahasā) - suddenly, forcefully, swiftly

(indeclinable)

Instrumental form of sahas (force, power) used as an adverb

Note: Adverbial usage.

मागधस्य (māgadhasya) - of Magadha, belonging to Magadha

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of māgadha

māgadha - an inhabitant of Magadha, belonging to Magadha

Derived from Magadha (a kingdom)

Note: Genitive singular, describing the elephant's origin/owner.

गजोत्तमम् (gajottamam) - best of elephants, excellent elephant

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of gajottama

gajottama - best of elephants, excellent elephant

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (gaja+uttama)

• gaja – elephant
  noun (masculine)
• uttama – highest, best, excellent
  adjective (masculine)

Note: Object of 'vārayāmāsa'.

सात्यकिः (sātyakiḥ) - Satyaki (name of a warrior)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sātyaki

sātyaki - Satyaki (a famous Yadu warrior)

Patronymic from Satyaka

Note: Subject of the sentence.

वारयामास (vārayāmāsa) - he checked, he stopped, he restrained

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (lit) of vṛ

perfect

Periphrastic perfect (āmāsa suffix) of the causative of √vṛ. Third person singular, active voice

Root: vṛ (class 5)

Note: Root 'vṛ' (to ward off, restrain).

वेला (velā) - shore, boundary, limit, time

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of velā

velā - shore, coast, boundary, limit

Note: Subject of the simile.

इव (iva) - like, as if, as

(indeclinable)

उद्वृत्तम् (udvṛttam) - surging, overflowing, risen up

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of udvṛtta

udvṛtta - surged up, overflowing, rebellious

Past Passive Participle

From ud-√vṛt (to rise up, swell)

Prefix: ud

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: Neuter accusative singular, modifying 'arṇavam'.

अर्णवम् (arṇavam) - ocean, sea

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of arṇava

arṇava - ocean, sea

Note: Object in the simile.