महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-28, verse-37

हंसस्तु मृदुकेनैव विक्रान्तुमुपचक्रमे ।
प्रत्यहीयत काकाच्च मुहूर्तमिव मारिष ॥३७॥

37. haṁsastu mṛdukenaiva vikrāntumupacakrame ,
pratyahīyata kākācca muhūrtamiva māriṣa.

37. haṃsaḥ tu mṛdukena eva vikrāntum upacakrame
prati ahīyata kākāt ca muhūrtam iva māriṣa

37. māriṣa,
tu haṃsaḥ mṛdukena eva vikrāntum upacakrame ca kākāt muhūrtam iva pratyahīyata

37. But the goose began to display prowess only gently; yet he was repelled by the crow, as if only for a moment, O venerable one.

Words meanings summery:

• हंसः (haṁsaḥ) - goose

• तु (tu) - but, however, on the other hand

• मृदुकेन (mṛdukena) - with gentleness, softly

• एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

• विक्रान्तुम् (vikrāntum) - to step forth, to display prowess, to attack

• उपचक्रमे (upacakrame) - he began, he attempted, he undertook

• प्रति (prati) - Functions as an upasarga here, indicating 'being repelled'. (against, in return, back)

• अहीयत (ahīyata) - he was abandoned, he was checked, he was repelled

• काकात् (kākāt) - from the crow

• च (ca) - and

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

• इव (iva) - like, as if, as it were

• मारिष (māriṣa) - O venerable one, O respected one

Words meanings and morphology

हंसः (haṁsaḥ) - goose

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of haṃsa

haṁsa - goose, swan; soul (ātman), supreme soul (paramātman)

तु (tu) - but, however, on the other hand

(indeclinable)

मृदुकेन (mṛdukena) - with gentleness, softly

(adjective)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of mṛduka

mṛduka - soft, gentle, tender, mild

Note: Used adverbially here.

एव (eva) - only, just, indeed

(indeclinable)

विक्रान्तुम् (vikrāntum) - to step forth, to display prowess, to attack

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

Formed from the root 'kram' (to step) with upasarga 'vi' and suffix '-tum'

Prefix: vi

Root: kram (class 1)

उपचक्रमे (upacakrame) - he began, he attempted, he undertook

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, perfect (lit) of upakram

Perfect tense, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada

Prefix: upa

Root: kram (class 1)

प्रति (prati) - Functions as an upasarga here, indicating 'being repelled'. (against, in return, back)

(indeclinable)

अहीयत (ahīyata) - he was abandoned, he was checked, he was repelled

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, imperfect (laṅ) of hā

Passive voice

Imperfect tense, 3rd person singular, passive voice, from root 'hā' (to abandon/give up). With 'prati' it means 'to be repelled/checked'.

Root: hā (class 3)

काकात् (kākāt) - from the crow

(noun)

Ablative, masculine, singular of kāka

kāka - crow

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

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

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of muhūrta

muhūrta - a moment, instant; a period of time (48 minutes)

Note: Used here to denote duration.

इव (iva) - like, as if, as it were

(indeclinable)

मारिष (māriṣa) - O venerable one, O respected one

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of māriṣa

māriṣa - a venerable or respectable person, sir (vocative)