महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-33, verse-5

ते विबाहुशिरस्त्राणाः प्रहताः कर्णसायकैः ।
पेतुः पृथिव्यां युगपच्छिन्नं शालवनं यथा ॥५॥

5. te vibāhuśirastrāṇāḥ prahatāḥ karṇasāyakaiḥ ,
petuḥ pṛthivyāṁ yugapacchinnaṁ śālavanaṁ yathā.

5. te vibāhuśirastrāṇāḥ prahatāḥ karṇasāyakaiḥ
petuḥ pṛthivyām yugapat chinnam śālavanam yathā

5. te karṇasāyakaiḥ prahatāḥ vibāhuśirastrāṇāḥ
chinnam śālavanam yathā yugapat pṛthivyām petuḥ

5. Struck by Karna's arrows, their arms and helmets shattered, they simultaneously fell to the earth, just like a śāla forest cut down.

Words meanings summery:

• ते (te) - Refers to the Dravida, Andhra, and Niṣāda foot soldiers mentioned in the previous verse. (they, those)

• विबाहुशिरस्त्राणाः (vibāhuśirastrāṇāḥ) - Describes the state of the fallen soldiers. (with arms and helmets destroyed/broken)

• प्रहताः (prahatāḥ) - They were hit by arrows. (struck, hit, smitten)

• कर्णसायकैः (karṇasāyakaiḥ) - The instrument of striking. (by Karna's arrows)

• पेतुः (petuḥ) - The action performed by the soldiers. (they fell)

• पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām) - The surface onto which they fell. (on the earth, on the ground)

• युगपत् (yugapat) - They all fell at the same time. (simultaneously, at once, together)

• छिन्नम् (chinnam) - Describes the state of the śāla forest in the simile. (cut, cut off, severed)

• शालवनम् (śālavanam) - The object of comparison for the fallen soldiers. (śāla forest)

• यथा (yathā) - Introduces the comparison. (just as, like, as)

Words meanings and morphology

ते (te) - Refers to the Dravida, Andhra, and Niṣāda foot soldiers mentioned in the previous verse. (they, those)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Subject of `petuḥ`.

विबाहुशिरस्त्राणाः (vibāhuśirastrāṇāḥ) - Describes the state of the fallen soldiers. (with arms and helmets destroyed/broken)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vibāhuśirastrāṇa

vibāhuśirastrāṇa - having arms and helmets shattered/broken

Bahuvrīhi compound, meaning 'having (vi) broken (bāhu) arms and (śirastrāṇa) helmets'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (vi+bāhu+śirastrāṇa)

• vi – apart, away, distinct, reverse, without, broken
  indeclinable
• bāhu – arm
  noun (masculine)
• śirastrāṇa – helmet, head-covering
  noun (neuter)
  From `śiras` (head) and `trāṇa` (protection).
  Root: trā

Note: Modifies `te`.

प्रहताः (prahatāḥ) - They were hit by arrows. (struck, hit, smitten)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of prahata

prahata - struck, hit, smitten, wounded

Past Passive Participle

From root `han` (to strike, kill) with prefix `pra`, `kta` suffix.

Prefix: pra

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Modifies `te`.

कर्णसायकैः (karṇasāyakaiḥ) - The instrument of striking. (by Karna's arrows)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of karṇasāyaka

karṇasāyaka - Karna's arrow

Compound of `Karṇa` and `sāyaka`.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (karṇa+sāyaka)

• karṇa – Karna
  proper noun (masculine)
• sāyaka – arrow, dart
  noun (masculine)
  From root `si` (to throw) or `ṣi` (to throw).
  Root: si (class 4)

Note: Denotes the agent of the passive participle `prahatāḥ`.

पेतुः (petuḥ) - The action performed by the soldiers. (they fell)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, past perfect (lit) of pat

Perfect (Lit)

Root `pat` (to fall), perfect 3rd person plural.

Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Main verb of the sentence.

पृथिव्याम् (pṛthivyām) - The surface onto which they fell. (on the earth, on the ground)

(noun)

Locative, feminine, singular of pṛthivī

pṛthivī - earth, ground, land

Root: pṛth

युगपत् (yugapat) - They all fell at the same time. (simultaneously, at once, together)

(indeclinable)

Note: Adverb modifying `petuḥ`.

छिन्नम् (chinnam) - Describes the state of the śāla forest in the simile. (cut, cut off, severed)

(adjective)

neuter, singular of chinna

chinna - cut, cut off, severed, broken

Past Passive Participle

From root `chid` (to cut, cleave) with `kta` suffix. `d` becomes `n` before `n`.

Root: chid (class 7)

Note: Modifies `śālavanam`.

शालवनम् (śālavanam) - The object of comparison for the fallen soldiers. (śāla forest)

(noun)

neuter, singular of śālavana

śālavana - a forest of śāla trees

Compound of `śāla` and `vana`.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (śāla+vana)

• śāla – śāla tree (Shorea robusta)
  noun (masculine)
• vana – forest, wood, grove
  noun (neuter)
  Root: van (class 1)

Note: Forms part of the simile.

यथा (yathā) - Introduces the comparison. (just as, like, as)

(indeclinable)