महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-18, verse-4

वृषा यथा भग्नशृङ्गाः शीर्णदन्ता गजा इव ।
मध्याह्ने प्रत्यपायाम निर्जिता धर्मसूनुना ॥४॥

4. vṛṣā yathā bhagnaśṛṅgāḥ śīrṇadantā gajā iva ,
madhyāhne pratyapāyāma nirjitā dharmasūnunā.

4. vṛṣāḥ yathā bhagnaśṛṅgāḥ śīrṇadantāḥ gajāḥ iva
madhyāhne pratyapāyāma nirjitāḥ dharmasūnunā

4. yathā bhagnaśṛṅgāḥ vṛṣāḥ (bhavanti),
(yathā) śīrṇadantāḥ gajāḥ iva (bhavanti),
(tathā vayam) madhyāhne dharmasūnunā nirjitāḥ pratyapāyāma

4. Just like bulls with broken horns or elephants with shattered tusks, we retreated at midday, utterly defeated by the son of righteousness (dharma).

Words meanings summery:

• वृषाः (vṛṣāḥ) - bulls, strong men

• यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

• भग्नशृङ्गाः (bhagnaśṛṅgāḥ) - with broken horns, having broken horns

• शीर्णदन्ताः (śīrṇadantāḥ) - Refers to elephants whose tusks are shattered. (with shattered tusks, having withered teeth/tusks)

• गजाः (gajāḥ) - elephants

• इव (iva) - like, as, as if

• मध्याह्ने (madhyāhne) - at midday, at noon

• प्रत्यपायाम (pratyapāyāma) - we retreated, we went back

• निर्जिताः (nirjitāḥ) - defeated, conquered

• धर्मसूनुना (dharmasūnunā) - By Yudhiṣṭhira. (by the son of Dharma)

Words meanings and morphology

वृषाः (vṛṣāḥ) - bulls, strong men

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of vṛṣan

vṛṣan - bull, male, chief, strong man

Root: vṛṣ (class 1)

यथा (yathā) - just as, as, according to

(indeclinable)

भग्नशृङ्गाः (bhagnaśṛṅgāḥ) - with broken horns, having broken horns

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of bhagnaśṛṅga

bhagnaśṛṅga - having broken horns

Compound of 'bhagna' (broken) and 'śṛṅga' (horn).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bhagna+śṛṅga)

• bhagna – broken, shattered
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root √bhañj (to break) + kta (past participle suffix).
  Root: bhañj (class 7)
• śṛṅga – horn, peak, summit
  noun (neuter)
  Root: śṛṅg

शीर्णदन्ताः (śīrṇadantāḥ) - Refers to elephants whose tusks are shattered. (with shattered tusks, having withered teeth/tusks)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of śīrṇadanta

śīrṇadanta - having shattered teeth/tusks

Compound of 'śīrṇa' (shattered, withered) and 'danta' (tooth, tusk).

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (śīrṇa+danta)

• śīrṇa – shattered, withered, fallen
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  Derived from root √śṝ (to tear, break, shatter) + kta (past participle suffix).
  Root: śṝ (class 9)
• danta – tooth, tusk
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dam (class 4)

गजाः (gajāḥ) - elephants

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of gaja

gaja - elephant

इव (iva) - like, as, as if

(indeclinable)

मध्याह्ने (madhyāhne) - at midday, at noon

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of madhyāhna

madhyāhna - midday, noon

Compound of 'madhya' (middle) and 'ahan' (day).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (madhya+ahan)

• madhya – middle, central
  adjective
• ahan – day
  noun (neuter)
  Root: han (class 2)

Note: Indicates the time of retreat.

प्रत्यपायाम (pratyapāyāma) - we retreated, we went back

(verb)

1st person , plural, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of pratyapāyāma

Imperfect tense, 1st person plural

Root √i (to go) with prefixes 'prati' and 'apa'.

Prefixes: prati+apa

Root: i (class 2)

Note: The speaker is including himself in the retreat.

निर्जिताः (nirjitāḥ) - defeated, conquered

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of nirjita

nirjita - conquered, defeated, vanquished

Past Passive Participle

Derived from prefix 'nis' + root √ji (to conquer) + kta (past participle suffix).

Prefix: nis

Root: ji (class 1)

धर्मसूनुना (dharmasūnunā) - By Yudhiṣṭhira. (by the son of Dharma)

(proper noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of dharmasūnu

dharmasūnu - son of righteousness, son of Dharma (dharma)

Compound of 'dharma' (righteousness, Dharma) and 'sūnu' (son).

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (dharma+sūnu)

• dharma – righteousness, duty, law, intrinsic nature (dharma)
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• sūnu – son, child
  noun (masculine)
  Root: sū (class 2)

Note: Agent of the passive participle `nirjitāḥ`.