महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-8, chapter-68, verse-54

नरोत्तमौ पाण्डवकेशिमर्दनावुदाहितावग्निदिवाकरोपमौ ।
रणाजिरे वीतभयौ विरेजतुः समानयानाविव विष्णुवासवौ ॥५४॥

54. narottamau pāṇḍavakeśimardanā;vudāhitāvagnidivākaropamau ,
raṇājire vītabhayau virejatuḥ; samānayānāviva viṣṇuvāsavau.

54. narottamau pāṇḍavau keśimardanau udāhitau agnidivākaropamau
raṇājire vītabhayau virejatuḥ samānayānau iva viṣṇuvāsavau

54. narottamau pāṇḍavau keśimardanau agnidivākaropamau udāhitau
vītabhayau raṇājire samānayānau iva viṣṇuvāsavau virejatuḥ

54. Then, the two best among men—Arjuna, the Pāṇḍava, and Krishna, the slayer of Keśi (Keśimardana)—likened to fire and the sun, shone fearlessly on the battlefield, just like Vishnu and Vasava (Indra) on their common vehicle.

Words meanings summery:

• नरोत्तमौ (narottamau) - the two best among men

• पाण्डवौ (pāṇḍavau) - Arjuna, the Pāṇḍava (the two Pāṇḍavas)

• केशिमर्दनौ (keśimardanau) - Krishna, the slayer of Keśi (Keśimardana) (the two slayers of Keśi)

• उदाहितौ (udāhitau) - the two likened, described

• अग्निदिवाकरोपमौ (agnidivākaropamau) - the two comparable to fire and sun

• रणाजिरे (raṇājire) - in the battlefield

• वीतभयौ (vītabhayau) - the two free from fear

• विरेजतुः (virejatuḥ) - the two shone, blazed

• समानयानौ (samānayānau) - the two on a common vehicle

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• विष्णुवासवौ (viṣṇuvāsavau) - Vishnu and Vasava (Indra)

Words meanings and morphology

नरोत्तमौ (narottamau) - the two best among men

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of narottama

narottama - best among men, excellent man

Tatpuruṣa compound: nara (man) + uttama (best).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (nara+uttama)

• nara – man, human
  noun (masculine)
• uttama – best, highest, supreme
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative form.
  Prefix: ut

Note: Qualifies Arjuna and Krishna.

पाण्डवौ (pāṇḍavau) - Arjuna, the Pāṇḍava (the two Pāṇḍavas)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of pāṇḍava

pāṇḍava - descendant of Pāṇḍu, a Pāṇḍava

patronymic

Derived from Pāṇḍu.

Note: Refers to Arjuna as one of the two subjects (Arjuna and Krishna).

केशिमर्दनौ (keśimardanau) - Krishna, the slayer of Keśi (Keśimardana) (the two slayers of Keśi)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of keśimardana

keśimardana - slayer of Keśi (an epithet of Krishna)

Tatpuruṣa compound: Keśi (demon) + mardana (slayer).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (keśi+mardana)

• keśi – Keśi (a horse-demon slain by Krishna)
  proper noun (masculine)
• mardana – slayer, crusher, destroyer
  noun (masculine)
  From root mṛd (to crush).
  Root: mṛd (class 9)

Note: Refers to Krishna as one of the two subjects (Arjuna and Krishna).

उदाहितौ (udāhitau) - the two likened, described

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of udāhita

udāhita - compared, likened, cited, mentioned

Past Passive Participle

From root dhā (to place, put) with prefixes ud-ā.

Prefixes: ud+ā

Root: dhā (class 3)

Note: Qualifies Arjuna and Krishna.

अग्निदिवाकरोपमौ (agnidivākaropamau) - the two comparable to fire and sun

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of agnidivākaropama

agnidivākaropama - resembling fire (agni) and the sun (divākara)

Compound: agni (fire) + divākara (sun) + upama (resembling).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (agni+divākara+upama)

• agni – fire, god of fire
  noun (masculine)
• divākara – sun (day-maker)
  noun (masculine)
  Compound: divā (by day) + kara (maker), from root kṛ (to make).
  Root: kṛ (class 8)
• upama – like, resembling, comparable
  adjective (masculine)
  Prefix: upa

Note: Qualifies Arjuna and Krishna.

रणाजिरे (raṇājire) - in the battlefield

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of raṇājira

raṇājira - battlefield, arena of war

Tatpuruṣa compound: raṇa (battle) + ajira (courtyard, arena).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (raṇa+ajira)

• raṇa – battle, war, combat
  noun (masculine)
  Root: raṇ (class 1)
• ajira – courtyard, arena, field
  noun (neuter)
  Root: aj (class 1)

Note: Adverbial locative of place.

वीतभयौ (vītabhayau) - the two free from fear

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vītabhaya

vītabhaya - free from fear, fearless

Bahuvrīhi compound: vīta (gone, departed) + bhaya (fear).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (vīta+bhaya)

• vīta – gone, departed, disappeared
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root i (to go) with prefix vi.
  Prefix: vi
  Root: i (class 2)
• bhaya – fear, dread
  noun (neuter)
  From root bhī (to fear).
  Root: bhī (class 3)

Note: Qualifies Arjuna and Krishna.

विरेजतुः (virejatuḥ) - the two shone, blazed

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, perfect (lit) of virāj

perfect

From root rāj (1st class) with upasarga vi, conjugated in the perfect (lit) third person dual.

Prefix: vi

Root: rāj (class 1)

Note: Main verb of the sentence.

समानयानौ (samānayānau) - the two on a common vehicle

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of samānayāna

samānayāna - having a common vehicle, moving in the same conveyance

Bahuvrīhi compound: samāna (same, common) + yāna (vehicle).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (samāna+yāna)

• samāna – same, equal, common
  adjective (masculine)
  Prefix: sam
• yāna – vehicle, conveyance, journey
  noun (neuter)
  From root yā (to go).
  Root: yā (class 2)

Note: Qualifies Vishnu and Vasava in the simile.

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Particle expressing comparison.

विष्णुवासवौ (viṣṇuvāsavau) - Vishnu and Vasava (Indra)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of viṣṇuvāsava

viṣṇuvāsava - Vishnu and Vasava (Indra)

Dvandva compound.

Compound type : dvandva (viṣṇu+vāsava)

• viṣṇu – Vishnu (a principal deity in Hinduism)
  proper noun (masculine)
• vāsava – Indra (king of gods, son of Vasu)
  proper noun (masculine)
  Patronymic, an epithet for Indra.

Note: Subjects of the simile.