महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-49, verse-45

स पृष्टः कौशिकः सत्यं वचनं तानुवाच ह ।
बहुवृक्षलतागुल्ममेतद्वनमुपाश्रिताः ।
ततस्ते तान्समासाद्य क्रूरा जघ्नुरिति श्रुतिः ॥४५॥

45. sa pṛṣṭaḥ kauśikaḥ satyaṁ vacanaṁ tānuvāca ha ,
bahuvṛkṣalatāgulmametadvanamupāśritāḥ ,
tataste tānsamāsādya krūrā jaghnuriti śrutiḥ.

45. saḥ pṛṣṭaḥ kauśikaḥ satyam vacanam
tān uvāca ha | bahuvṛkṣalatāgulmam
etat vanam upāśritāḥ | tataḥ te tān
samāsādya krūrāḥ jaghnuḥ iti śrutiḥ

45. saḥ kauśikaḥ pṛṣṭaḥ tān satyam
vacanam ha uvāca etat vanam
bahuvṛkṣalatāgulmam upāśritāḥ tataḥ te tān
samāsādya krūrāḥ jaghnuḥ iti śrutiḥ

45. He, Kauśika, when questioned, indeed spoke a truthful word to them: '(The beings you seek) are residing in this forest, which is full of many trees, creepers, and bushes.' Thereupon, those (inquirers), having approached them, the cruel ones (meaning the Kṣatriyas themselves, by their act of violence) killed them—this is the traditional account (śruti).

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - He (Kauśika) (he, that)

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - asked, questioned

• कौशिकः (kauśikaḥ) - Kauśika (name of a sage)

• सत्यम् (satyam) - truthful (truth, truthful, truly)

• वचनम् (vacanam) - word, speech, saying

• तान् (tān) - to them (the Kṣatriyas who asked) (to them, those (masc. pl. acc.))

• उवाच (uvāca) - he spoke, said

• ह (ha) - indeed, certainly (particle)

• बहुवृक्षलतागुल्मम् (bahuvṛkṣalatāgulmam) - having many trees, creepers, and bushes

• एतत् (etat) - this (forest) (this)

• वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

• उपाश्रिताः (upāśritāḥ) - dwelling in (the forest) (resorted to, dwelling in, taking refuge in)

• ततः (tataḥ) - thereupon, then, from there

• ते (te) - they (the Kṣatriyas) (they (masc. pl. nom.))

• तान् (tān) - those (Rākṣasas) (those, them (masc. pl. acc.))

• समासाद्य (samāsādya) - having approached, having attained

• क्रूराः (krūrāḥ) - the cruel ones (referring to the Kṣatriyas who acted with violence) (cruel ones)

• जघ्नुः (jaghnuḥ) - they killed, struck down

• इति (iti) - thus, so (particle)

• श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - the traditional account (tradition, sacred text (śruti))

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - He (Kauśika) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to Kauśika.

पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - asked, questioned

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pṛṣṭa

pṛṣṭa - asked, questioned

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root √prach (to ask).

Root: prach (class 6)

Note: Modifies Kauśika.

कौशिकः (kauśikaḥ) - Kauśika (name of a sage)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kauśika

kauśika - descendant of Kuśika; a proper name (sage Viśvāmitra, or another sage)

Note: Subject of the sentence.

सत्यम् (satyam) - truthful (truth, truthful, truly)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of satya

satya - truth, true, real, truthful

Note: Object of `uvāca` (meaning "truthful word").

वचनम् (vacanam) - word, speech, saying

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vacana

vacana - speaking, saying, word, speech

From root √vac (to speak).

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Object of `uvāca`. `satyam` modifies `vacanam`.

तान् (tān) - to them (the Kṣatriyas who asked) (to them, those (masc. pl. acc.))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the inquirers/Kṣatriyas.

उवाच (uvāca) - he spoke, said

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (Lit) of vac

Root: vac (class 2)

Note: Subject is `Kauśikaḥ`.

ह (ha) - indeed, certainly (particle)

(indeclinable)

बहुवृक्षलतागुल्मम् (bahuvṛkṣalatāgulmam) - having many trees, creepers, and bushes

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of bahuvṛkṣalatāgulma

bahuvṛkṣalatāgulma - having many trees, creepers, and bushes

Compound type : bahuvrihi (bahu+vṛkṣa+latā+gulma)

• bahu – many, much
  adjective
• vṛkṣa – tree
  noun (masculine)
• latā – creeper, vine
  noun (feminine)
• gulma – bush, shrub, cluster
  noun (masculine)

Note: Modifies `vanam`.

एतत् (etat) - this (forest) (this)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of etad

etad - this, this here

Note: Modifies `vanam`.

वनम् (vanam) - forest, wood

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove

Note: Locative sense ("in this forest") despite being accusative, common for location of dwelling.

उपाश्रिताः (upāśritāḥ) - dwelling in (the forest) (resorted to, dwelling in, taking refuge in)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of upāśrita

upāśrita - resorted to, dependent on, dwelling in

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root √śri (to resort to, seek refuge) with upasargas upa- and ā-.

Prefixes: upa+ā

Root: śri (class 1)

Note: Implied subject is 'they' (the Rākṣasas).

ततः (tataḥ) - thereupon, then, from there

(indeclinable)

Note: Connects the narrative sequence.

ते (te) - they (the Kṣatriyas) (they (masc. pl. nom.))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the Kṣatriyas who questioned Kauśika.

तान् (tān) - those (Rākṣasas) (those, them (masc. pl. acc.))

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, plural of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the Rākṣasas.

समासाद्य (samāsādya) - having approached, having attained

(indeclinable)

absolutive

Gerund from root √sad (to sit, approach) with upasargas sam- and ā-.

Prefixes: sam+ā

Root: sad (class 1)

Note: Action performed by `te`.

क्रूराः (krūrāḥ) - the cruel ones (referring to the Kṣatriyas who acted with violence) (cruel ones)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of krūra

krūra - cruel, fierce, harsh, raw, bloody

Note: Interpreted as modifying 'te' (the Kṣatriyas), making them the cruel ones. This aligns with the story's moral implications.

जघ्नुः (jaghnuḥ) - they killed, struck down

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (Lit) of han

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Subject is `te` (the Kṣatriyas).

इति (iti) - thus, so (particle)

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces or summarizes the tradition.

श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - the traditional account (tradition, sacred text (śruti))

(noun)

Nominative, feminine, singular of śruti

śruti - hearing, tradition, sacred text, revelation (śruti)

From root √śru (to hear).

Root: śru (class 5)

Note: Refers to what is heard or known through tradition.