महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-56, verse-47

पाञ्चालापि महेष्वासा भग्ना भग्ना नरोत्तमाः ।
न्यवर्तन्त यथा शूरा मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम् ॥४७॥

47. pāñcālāpi maheṣvāsā bhagnā bhagnā narottamāḥ ,
nyavartanta yathā śūrā mṛtyuṁ kṛtvā nivartanam.

47. pāñcālāḥ api mahā-iṣv-āsāḥ bhagnāḥ bhagnāḥ nara-uttamāḥ
nyavartanta yathā śūrāḥ mṛtyum kṛtvā nivartanam

47. api mahā-iṣv-āsāḥ nara-uttamāḥ pāñcālāḥ bhagnāḥ bhagnāḥ
api yathā śūrāḥ mṛtyum nivartanam kṛtvā nyavartanta

47. Even the Pāñcālas, who were great archers and best among men, though broken again and again, returned like heroes, having accepted death as their retreat.

Words meanings summery:

• पाञ्चालाः (pāñcālāḥ) - Warriors from the Pañcāla kingdom, allies of the Pāṇḍavas. (the Pāñcālas (nominative plural))

• अपि (api) - Emphasizes that *even* the Pāñcālas. (also, even, moreover)

• महा-इष्व्-आसाः (mahā-iṣv-āsāḥ) - The Pāñcāla warriors, renowned for their archery. (great archers (nominative plural))

• भग्नाः (bhagnāḥ) - Here, implying being routed or scattered in battle. (broken, defeated (masculine, nominative plural))

• भग्नाः (bhagnāḥ) - Repetition for emphasis, 'again and again.' (broken, defeated (masculine, nominative plural))

• नर-उत्तमाः (nara-uttamāḥ) - High praise for the Pāñcāla warriors. (best among men, excellent men (masculine, nominative plural))

• न्यवर्तन्त (nyavartanta) - Here, implying they turned back from battle, perhaps even in death. (they turned back, they retreated, they returned)

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as, like

• शूराः (śūrāḥ) - Refers to the Pāñcālas acting heroically. (heroes, valiant ones (masculine, nominative plural))

• मृत्युम् (mṛtyum) - Death as their only 'retreat' or alternative to fighting. (death (masculine, accusative singular))

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having accepted, having taken (death) as (their) retreat. (having made, having done, having considered)

• निवर्तनम् (nivartanam) - death considered as their way of 'turning back' or 'retreating'. (a turning back, retreat, return (neuter, accusative singular))

Words meanings and morphology

पाञ्चालाः (pāñcālāḥ) - Warriors from the Pañcāla kingdom, allies of the Pāṇḍavas. (the Pāñcālas (nominative plural))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of pāñcāla

pāñcāla - belonging to the Pañcāla country; a native of Pañcāla

Derived from Pañcāla.

Note: Subject of 'nyavartanta'.

अपि (api) - Emphasizes that *even* the Pāñcālas. (also, even, moreover)

(indeclinable)

महा-इष्व्-आसाः (mahā-iṣv-āsāḥ) - The Pāñcāla warriors, renowned for their archery. (great archers (nominative plural))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mahā-iṣv-āsa

mahā-iṣv-āsa - great archer, having a great bow

Bahuvrīhi compound.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mahā+iṣu+āsa)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• iṣu – arrow
  noun (masculine)
• āsa – bow (from āsyati, to throw, shoot)
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from root 'as' (to throw).

Note: Qualifies 'pāñcālāḥ'.

भग्नाः (bhagnāḥ) - Here, implying being routed or scattered in battle. (broken, defeated (masculine, nominative plural))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhagna

bhagna - broken, defeated, crushed, routed

Past Passive Participle

From root 'bhañj' (to break).

Root: bhañj (class 7)

Note: Repetition indicates emphasis, e.g., 'again and again'.

भग्नाः (bhagnāḥ) - Repetition for emphasis, 'again and again.' (broken, defeated (masculine, nominative plural))

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhagna

bhagna - broken, defeated, crushed, routed

Past Passive Participle

From root 'bhañj' (to break).

Root: bhañj (class 7)

Note: Repetition indicates emphasis, e.g., 'again and again'.

नर-उत्तमाः (nara-uttamāḥ) - High praise for the Pāñcāla warriors. (best among men, excellent men (masculine, nominative plural))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nara-uttama

nara-uttama - best of men, excellent man, chief among men

Tatpuruṣa compound: nara + uttama.

Compound type : tatpurusha (nara+uttama)

• nara – man, human being
  noun (masculine)
• uttama – best, highest, excellent, supreme
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of 'ud'.

Note: Qualifies 'pāñcālāḥ'.

न्यवर्तन्त (nyavartanta) - Here, implying they turned back from battle, perhaps even in death. (they turned back, they retreated, they returned)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, imperfect past (laṅ) of nivart

Root 'vṛt' with prefix 'ni'.

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)

Note: From 'ni-vṛt'.

यथा (yathā) - as, just as, like

(indeclinable)

Note: Introduces a comparison.

शूराः (śūrāḥ) - Refers to the Pāñcālas acting heroically. (heroes, valiant ones (masculine, nominative plural))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śūra

śūra - hero, brave, valiant, warrior

Note: Serves as a predicate to the implied subject of 'yathā' clause, implying 'like (true) heroes'.

मृत्युम् (mṛtyum) - Death as their only 'retreat' or alternative to fighting. (death (masculine, accusative singular))

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of mṛtyu

mṛtyu - death

From root 'mṛ' (to die).

Root: mṛ (class 6)

कृत्वा (kṛtvā) - having accepted, having taken (death) as (their) retreat. (having made, having done, having considered)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive / Gerund

Formed from root 'kṛ' (to do, make) with suffix -tvā.

Root: kṛ (class 8)

निवर्तनम् (nivartanam) - death considered as their way of 'turning back' or 'retreating'. (a turning back, retreat, return (neuter, accusative singular))

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of nivartana

nivartana - turning back, retreat, return, cessation

From root 'ni-vṛt' (to turn back).

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)