महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-20, verse-23

निपपात ततः साथ हेमदण्डा महाघना ।
निपतन्ती महोल्केव व्यराजच्छिखिसंनिभा ॥२३॥

23. nipapāta tataḥ sātha hemadaṇḍā mahāghanā ,
nipatantī maholkeva vyarājacchikhisaṁnibhā.

23. nipapāta tataḥ sā atha hemadaṇḍā mahāghanā
nipatantī mahā ulkā iva vyarājat śikhisaṃnibhā

23. tataḥ sā atha hemadaṇḍā mahāghanā nipapāta
nipatantī mahā ulkā iva śikhisaṃnibhā vyarājat

23. Then, that golden-shafted and exceedingly heavy (weapon) fell down. As it fell, it blazed like a great meteor (maholkā), resembling fire.

Words meanings summery:

• निपपात (nipapāta) - fell down, descended

• ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, afterwards

• सा (sā) - that (weapon) (she, that (feminine, nominative singular))

• अथ (atha) - now, then, and, moreover

• हेमदण्डा (hemadaṇḍā) - golden-shafted, having a golden staff/handle

• महाघना (mahāghanā) - very heavy, exceedingly dense

• निपतन्ती (nipatantī) - falling down, descending

• महा (mahā) - great, large, mighty

• उल्का (ulkā) - meteor (maholkā) (meteor, firebrand, flame)

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• व्यराजत् (vyarājat) - shone, blazed forth, glittered

• शिखिसंनिभा (śikhisaṁnibhā) - resembling fire, fire-like

Words meanings and morphology

निपपात (nipapāta) - fell down, descended

(verb)

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

Prefix: ni

Root: pat (class 1)

ततः (tataḥ) - then, thence, afterwards

(indeclinable)

सा (sā) - that (weapon) (she, that (feminine, nominative singular))

(pronoun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of tad

tad - that, this, he, she, it

अथ (atha) - now, then, and, moreover

(indeclinable)

हेमदण्डा (hemadaṇḍā) - golden-shafted, having a golden staff/handle

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of hemadaṇḍā

hemadaṇḍā - golden-shafted, having a golden staff

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (heman+daṇḍa)

• heman – gold
  noun (neuter)
• daṇḍa – staff, shaft, handle
  noun (masculine)

महाघना (mahāghanā) - very heavy, exceedingly dense

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of mahāghanā

mahāghanā - very heavy, exceedingly dense

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+ghana)

• mahā – great, large, very
  adjective
  Indeclinable form of 'mahat' used in compounds.
• ghana – dense, thick, heavy, solid
  adjective

निपतन्ती (nipatantī) - falling down, descending

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of nipatantī

nipatantī - falling down, descending

Present Active Participle

Derived from √pat (to fall) with prefix ni- (down). Feminine form.

Prefix: ni

Root: pat (class 1)

महा (mahā) - great, large, mighty

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of mahat

mahat - great, large, mighty, important

उल्का (ulkā) - meteor (maholkā) (meteor, firebrand, flame)

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of ulkā

ulkā - meteor, firebrand, torch, flame

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

व्यराजत् (vyarājat) - shone, blazed forth, glittered

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of rāj

Prefix: vi

Root: rāj (class 1)

शिखिसंनिभा (śikhisaṁnibhā) - resembling fire, fire-like

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śikhisaṃnibhā

śikhisaṁnibhā - resembling fire

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śikhin+saṃnibha)

• śikhin – fire (literally 'one with a crest', referring to flames)
  noun (masculine)
• saṃnibha – similar to, resembling, like
  adjective
  Prefix: sam