महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-59, verse-17

रथा हीना महाराज रथिभिर्वाजिभिस्तथा ।
गन्धर्वनगराकारा दृश्यन्ते स्म सहस्रशः ॥१७॥

17. rathā hīnā mahārāja rathibhirvājibhistathā ,
gandharvanagarākārā dṛśyante sma sahasraśaḥ.

17. rathāḥ hīnāḥ mahārāja rathibhiḥ vājibhiḥ tathā
gandharvanagarākārāḥ dṛśyante sma sahasraśaḥ

17. mahārāja rathibhiḥ tathā vājibhiḥ hīnāḥ rathāḥ gandharvanagarākārāḥ sahasraśaḥ dṛśyante sma.

17. O great king, thousands of chariots, abandoned by their charioteers and horses, were seen appearing like illusory cities of Gandharvas (mirages).

Words meanings summery:

• रथाः (rathāḥ) - chariots

• हीनाः (hīnāḥ) - abandoned, deprived of, devoid of

• महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king (addressed to Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (O great king)

• रथिभिः (rathibhiḥ) - by charioteers

• वाजिभिः (vājibhiḥ) - by horses

• तथा (tathā) - thus, so, similarly, also

• गन्धर्वनगराकाराः (gandharvanagarākārāḥ) - appearing like cities of Gandharvas (mirages), having the form of Gandharva cities

• दृश्यन्ते (dṛśyante) - they are seen, appear

• स्म (sma) - (particle used to convert present tense into past tense)

• सहस्रशः (sahasraśaḥ) - by thousands, in thousands

Words meanings and morphology

रथाः (rathāḥ) - chariots

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of ratha

ratha - chariot, car

Note: Subject of 'dṛśyante'.

हीनाः (hīnāḥ) - abandoned, deprived of, devoid of

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of hīna

hīna - abandoned, devoid of, deficient, low

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √hā (to abandon, leave)

Root: hā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies 'rathāḥ'.

महाराज (mahārāja) - O great king (addressed to Dhṛtarāṣṭra) (O great king)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of mahārāja

mahārāja - great king, emperor

Compound of mahā (great) and rājan (king)

Compound type : karmadharaya (mahā+rājan)

• mahā – great, large, mighty
  adjective
• rājan – king, ruler
  noun (masculine)

Note: Addressed to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

रथिभिः (rathibhiḥ) - by charioteers

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of rathin

rathin - charioteer, warrior in a chariot

Derived from ratha (chariot) + -in (possessive suffix)

Note: Agent of abandonment.

वाजिभिः (vājibhiḥ) - by horses

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, plural of vājin

vājin - horse, swift

Derived from vāja (strength, speed) + -in (possessive suffix)

Note: Agent of abandonment.

तथा (tathā) - thus, so, similarly, also

(indeclinable)

गन्धर्वनगराकाराः (gandharvanagarākārāḥ) - appearing like cities of Gandharvas (mirages), having the form of Gandharva cities

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of gandharvanagarākāra

gandharvanagarākāra - having the appearance of Gandharva cities, like a mirage

Bahuvrihi compound: gandharvanagara (city of Gandharvas) + ākāra (form, appearance)

Compound type : bahuvrihi (gandharvanagara+ākāra)

• gandharvanagara – city of Gandharvas (a mythical city, often associated with mirages)
  noun (neuter)
  Compound of gandharva (celestial musician) and nagara (city)
• ākāra – form, shape, appearance, resemblance
  noun (masculine)
  Derived from √kṛ (to do, make) with prefix ā-
  Prefix: ā
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Qualifies 'rathāḥ'.

दृश्यन्ते (dṛśyante) - they are seen, appear

(verb)

3rd person , plural, passive, present (laṭ) of dṛś

Present Passive

3rd person plural, present tense, passive voice of √dṛś

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Used with 'sma' to indicate past action.

स्म (sma) - (particle used to convert present tense into past tense)

(indeclinable)

सहस्रशः (sahasraśaḥ) - by thousands, in thousands

(indeclinable)

Derived from sahasra (thousand) with suffix -śas

Note: Adverb of quantity.