महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-16, verse-15

तौ चेरतुर्व्याघ्रशिशुप्रकाशौ महावनेष्वामिषगृद्धिनाविव ।
विषाणिनौ नागवराविवोभौ ततक्षतुः संयुगजातदर्पौ ॥१५॥

15. tau ceraturvyāghraśiśuprakāśau; mahāvaneṣvāmiṣagṛddhināviva ,
viṣāṇinau nāgavarāvivobhau; tatakṣatuḥ saṁyugajātadarpau.

15. tau ceratuḥ vyāghraśiśuprakāśau mahāvaneṣu āmiṣagṛddhinau iva
viṣāṇinau nāgavarau iva ubhau tatakṣatuḥ saṃyugajātadarpau

15. ubhau tau संयुगजातदर्पौ vyāghraśiśuprakāśau mahāvaneṣu
āmiṣagṛddhinau iva viṣāṇinau nāgavarau iva ceratuḥ tatakṣatuḥ

15. Those two warriors, both filled with battle-born pride, moved about like two tiger cubs eager for prey in vast forests, and like two tusked, excellent elephants, assailing each other fiercely.

Words meanings summery:

• तौ (tau) - those two, they (masc. dual)

• चेरतुः (ceratuḥ) - they moved, they wandered

• व्याघ्रशिशुप्रकाशौ (vyāghraśiśuprakāśau) - shining like two tiger cubs, appearing like two tiger cubs

• महावनेषु (mahāvaneṣu) - in great forests, in vast forests

• आमिषगृद्धिनौ (āmiṣagṛddhinau) - the two greedy for flesh/prey

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• विषाणिनौ (viṣāṇinau) - the two tusked ones, the two horned ones

• नागवरौ (nāgavarau) - the two excellent elephants, the two best elephants

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• उभौ (ubhau) - both (masc. dual)

• ततक्षतुः (tatakṣatuḥ) - they attacked, assailed, wounded, hewed

• संयुगजातदर्पौ (saṁyugajātadarpau) - the two whose pride was born in battle, full of battle-born pride

Words meanings and morphology

तौ (tau) - those two, they (masc. dual)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, those

चेरतुः (ceratuḥ) - they moved, they wandered

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, past perfect (liṭ) of car

Perfect (liṭ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person dual

Reduplicated perfect form of √car

Root: car (class 1)

Note: One of the main verbs

व्याघ्रशिशुप्रकाशौ (vyāghraśiśuprakāśau) - shining like two tiger cubs, appearing like two tiger cubs

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vyāghraśiśuprakāśa

vyāghraśiśuprakāśa - having the splendor/appearance of a tiger cub

Compound of 'vyāghra' (tiger) + 'śiśu' (cub) + 'prakāśa' (splendor, appearance)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi or tatpuruṣa chain (vyāghra+śiśu+prakāśa)

• vyāghra – tiger
  noun (masculine)
• śiśu – cub, young animal, infant
  noun (masculine)
• prakāśa – light, splendor, appearance, manifestation
  noun (masculine)
  From pra + √kāś (to shine)
  Prefix: pra
  Root: kāś (class 1)

महावनेषु (mahāvaneṣu) - in great forests, in vast forests

(noun)

Locative, neuter, plural of mahāvana

mahāvana - great forest, large forest

Karmadhāraya compound: 'mahā' (great) + 'vana' (forest)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (mahā+vana)

• mahā – great, large
  adjective
• vana – forest, wood
  noun (neuter)

आमिषगृद्धिनौ (āmiṣagṛddhinau) - the two greedy for flesh/prey

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of āmiṣagṛddhin

āmiṣagṛddhin - greedy for flesh, desirous of prey

Compound: 'āmiṣa' (flesh, prey) + 'gṛddhin' (greedy, desirous)

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī tatpuruṣa or bahuvrīhi (āmiṣa+gṛddhin)

• āmiṣa – flesh, prey, food
  noun (neuter)
• gṛddhin – greedy, desirous, covetous
  adjective (masculine)
  From √gṛdh (to desire)
  Root: gṛdh (class 4)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Particle for comparison

विषाणिनौ (viṣāṇinau) - the two tusked ones, the two horned ones

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of viṣāṇin

viṣāṇin - tusked, horned, having tusks/horns

From 'viṣāṇa' (tusk, horn) + 'in' (possessive suffix)

नागवरौ (nāgavarau) - the two excellent elephants, the two best elephants

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of nāgavara

nāgavara - excellent elephant, best elephant

Karmadhāraya compound: 'nāga' (elephant) + 'vara' (excellent, best)

Compound type : karmadhāraya (nāga+vara)

• nāga – elephant, snake
  noun (masculine)
• vara – best, excellent, choicest
  adjective (masculine)
  From √vṛ (to choose)
  Root: vṛ (class 5)

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

Particle for comparison

उभौ (ubhau) - both (masc. dual)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of ubha

ubha - both

Dual pronoun

ततक्षतुः (tatakṣatuḥ) - they attacked, assailed, wounded, hewed

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, past perfect (liṭ) of takṣ

Perfect (liṭ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person dual

Reduplicated perfect form of √takṣ. In battle context, it means assailing or wounding.

Root: takṣ (class 1)

Note: Second main verb, implies reciprocal action in context

संयुगजातदर्पौ (saṁyugajātadarpau) - the two whose pride was born in battle, full of battle-born pride

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of saṃyugajātadarpa

saṁyugajātadarpa - whose pride is born of battle, made proud by combat

Bahuvrīhi compound: 'saṃyuga' (battle) + 'jāta' (born) + 'darpa' (pride)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (saṃyuga+jāta+darpa)

• saṃyuga – battle, combat, engagement
  noun (masculine)
  From sam + √yuj (to join, to fight)
  Prefix: sam
  Root: yuj (class 7)
• jāta – born, produced, arisen
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From √jan (to be born)
  Root: jan (class 4)
• darpa – pride, arrogance, haughtiness
  noun (masculine)
  From √dṛp (to be proud)
  Root: dṛp (class 4)