महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-5, verse-14

स कथं रथिनां श्रेष्ठः कर्णः पार्थेन संयुगे ।
निहतः पुरुषव्याघ्रः प्रसह्यासह्यविक्रमः ॥१४॥

14. sa kathaṁ rathināṁ śreṣṭhaḥ karṇaḥ pārthena saṁyuge ,
nihataḥ puruṣavyāghraḥ prasahyāsahyavikramaḥ.

14. saḥ katham rathinām śreṣṭhaḥ karṇaḥ pārthena
saṃyuge nihataḥ puruṣavyāghraḥ prasahyāsahyavikramaḥ

14. saḥ rathinām śreṣṭhaḥ puruṣavyāghraḥ prasahyāsahyavikramaḥ
karṇaḥ pārthena saṃyuge katham nihataḥ?

14. How could that Karna, the foremost among charioteers, a tiger among men, whose prowess was irresistibly forceful, be slain in battle by Arjuna (Pārtha)?

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - he (Karna) (he, that)

• कथम् (katham) - how (how, why)

• रथिनाम् (rathinām) - of charioteers

• श्रेष्ठः (śreṣṭhaḥ) - the foremost, best (best, most excellent, foremost)

• कर्णः (karṇaḥ) - Karna (Karna (proper name))

• पार्थेन (pārthena) - by Arjuna (Pārtha) (by Arjuna, by a son of Pṛthā)

• संयुगे (saṁyuge) - in battle (in battle, in combat, in union)

• निहतः (nihataḥ) - killed, slain (killed, slain, struck down)

• पुरुषव्याघ्रः (puruṣavyāghraḥ) - a tiger among men (epithet for Karna) (tiger among men, best of men)

• प्रसह्यासह्यविक्रमः (prasahyāsahyavikramaḥ) - (Karna) whose prowess was irresistibly forceful (whose valor is irresistible and forceful, having forcefully irresistible prowess)

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - he (Karna) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

कथम् (katham) - how (how, why)

(indeclinable)

रथिनाम् (rathinām) - of charioteers

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, plural of rathin

rathin - charioteer, warrior fighting from a chariot

श्रेष्ठः (śreṣṭhaḥ) - the foremost, best (best, most excellent, foremost)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of śreṣṭha

śreṣṭha - best, most excellent, chief, foremost

superlative

From root pra-śas (to praise)

Root: śas (class 2)

कर्णः (karṇaḥ) - Karna (Karna (proper name))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of karṇa

karṇa - Karna (son of Sūrya and Kuntī)

पार्थेन (pārthena) - by Arjuna (Pārtha) (by Arjuna, by a son of Pṛthā)

(proper noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of pārtha

pārtha - son of Pṛthā (Kuntī), an epithet for Arjuna, Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma

Patronymic from Pṛthā

संयुगे (saṁyuge) - in battle (in battle, in combat, in union)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of saṃyuga

saṁyuga - battle, war, encounter, union

निहतः (nihataḥ) - killed, slain (killed, slain, struck down)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of nihata

nihata - killed, slain, struck down, destroyed

Past Passive Participle

From root han (to strike/kill) with upasarga ni-

Prefix: ni

Root: han (class 2)

पुरुषव्याघ्रः (puruṣavyāghraḥ) - a tiger among men (epithet for Karna) (tiger among men, best of men)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of puruṣavyāghra

puruṣavyāghra - tiger among men, excellent man, best of men

Compound type : tatpurusha (puruṣa+vyāghra)

• puruṣa – man, person, male; the cosmic person (puruṣa)
  noun (masculine)
• vyāghra – tiger
  noun (masculine)

प्रसह्यासह्यविक्रमः (prasahyāsahyavikramaḥ) - (Karna) whose prowess was irresistibly forceful (whose valor is irresistible and forceful, having forcefully irresistible prowess)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of prasahyāsahyavikrama

prasahyāsahyavikrama - having irresistible and forceful prowess

Compound formed by an absolutive (prasahya) qualifying an adjective (asahya) which qualifies a noun (vikrama).

Compound type : bahuvrihi (prasahya+asahya+vikrama)

• prasahya – forcibly, with effort
  indeclinable
  absolutive
  From root sah with upasarga pra
  Prefix: pra
  Root: sah (class 1)
• asahya – irresistible, unbearable
  adjective
  Gerundive/Participle
  From root sah with negative prefix a-
  Prefix: a
  Root: sah (class 1)
• vikrama – valor, prowess, might
  noun (masculine)
  From root kram with upasarga vi
  Prefix: vi
  Root: kram (class 1)