महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-5, verse-105

स च सर्पमुखो दिव्यो महेषुप्रवरस्तदा ।
व्यर्थः कथं समभवत्तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥१०५॥

105. sa ca sarpamukho divyo maheṣupravarastadā ,
vyarthaḥ kathaṁ samabhavattanmamācakṣva saṁjaya.

105. sa ca sarpamukhaḥ divyaḥ maheṣupravaraḥ tadā
vyarthaḥ katham samabhavat tat mama ācakṣva sañjaya

105. sañjaya mama tat saḥ divyaḥ sarpamukhaḥ maheṣupravaraḥ
tadā katham vyarthaḥ samabhavat ācakṣva

105. Sañjaya, tell me how that divine, serpent-mouthed, chief of great arrows became futile at that time.

Words meanings summery:

• स (sa) - that (arrow) (he, that)

• च (ca) - and (and, also)

• सर्पमुखः (sarpamukhaḥ) - having the form of a serpent's mouth (serpent-mouthed, having a serpent's face)

• दिव्यः (divyaḥ) - divine (divine, heavenly, celestial)

• महेषुप्रवरः (maheṣupravaraḥ) - chief among great arrows (referring to a powerful weapon) (chief of great arrows, excellent great arrow)

• तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

• व्यर्थः (vyarthaḥ) - futile (futile, useless, unsuccessful)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

• समभवत् (samabhavat) - became (became, arose, happened)

• तत् (tat) - that (matter) (that, therefore)

• मम (mama) - to me (my, to me)

• आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - tell (tell, relate)

• सञ्जय (sañjaya) - O Sañjaya (vocative) (Sañjaya (a proper name))

Words meanings and morphology

स (sa) - that (arrow) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, those

च (ca) - and (and, also)

(indeclinable)

सर्पमुखः (sarpamukhaḥ) - having the form of a serpent's mouth (serpent-mouthed, having a serpent's face)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of sarpamukha

sarpamukha - serpent-mouthed, having a serpent's face

Compound type : bahuvrihi (sarpa+mukha)

• sarpa – serpent, snake
  noun (masculine)
• mukha – mouth, face
  noun (neuter)

दिव्यः (divyaḥ) - divine (divine, heavenly, celestial)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of divya

divya - divine, heavenly, celestial

महेषुप्रवरः (maheṣupravaraḥ) - chief among great arrows (referring to a powerful weapon) (chief of great arrows, excellent great arrow)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of maheṣupravara

maheṣupravara - chief of great arrows, excellent great arrow

Compound type : tatpurusha (maheṣu+pravara)

• maheṣu – great arrow
  noun (masculine)
• pravara – chief, excellent, best
  adjective (masculine)
  Prefix: pra

तदा (tadā) - then, at that time

(indeclinable)

व्यर्थः (vyarthaḥ) - futile (futile, useless, unsuccessful)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vyartha

vyartha - futile, useless, unsuccessful

Compound type : bahuvrihi (vi+artha)

• vi – without, apart, away
  indeclinable
• artha – purpose, meaning, wealth
  noun (masculine)

कथम् (katham) - how (how, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

समभवत् (samabhavat) - became (became, arose, happened)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of sam-bhū

Prefix: sam

Root: bhū (class 1)

तत् (tat) - that (matter) (that, therefore)

(pronoun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, therefore

Note: Accusative object of ācakṣva.

मम (mama) - to me (my, to me)

(pronoun)

Dative, singular of asmad

asmad - I, me, my

Note: Can also be genitive. In this context, it functions as 'to me' for the verb 'tell'.

आचक्ष्व (ācakṣva) - tell (tell, relate)

(verb)

2nd person , singular, middle, imperative (loṭ) of ā-cakṣ

Prefix: ā

Root: cakṣ (class 2)

सञ्जय (sañjaya) - O Sañjaya (vocative) (Sañjaya (a proper name))

(proper noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of sañjaya

sañjaya - Sañjaya (proper name)