महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-9, chapter-56, verse-20

एवं तौ विचरन्तौ तु न्यघ्नतां वै परस्परम् ।
वञ्चयन्तौ पुनश्चैव चेरतुः कुरुसत्तमौ ॥२०॥

20. evaṁ tau vicarantau tu nyaghnatāṁ vai parasparam ,
vañcayantau punaścaiva ceratuḥ kurusattamau.

20. evam tau vicarantau tu nyaghnātām vai parasparam
vañcayantau punaḥ ca eva ceratuḥ kurusattamau

20. evam tau kurusattamau vicarantau vañcayantau
punaḥ ca eva parasparam nyaghnātām vai ceratuḥ

20. Thus, moving about, those two (champions) indeed struck each other. Deceiving one another again and again, those two best among the Kurus continued to maneuver.

Words meanings summery:

• एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner, so

• तौ (tau) - those two

• विचरन्तौ (vicarantau) - moving about, roaming, maneuvering

• तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

• न्यघ्नाताम् (nyaghnātām) - they struck (each other), they hit

• वै (vai) - indeed, surely, verily

• परस्परम् (parasparam) - each other, mutually, reciprocally

• वञ्चयन्तौ (vañcayantau) - deceiving, outwitting

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again, further, moreover

• च (ca) - and

• एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

• चेरतुः (ceratuḥ) - they moved, they roamed, they maneuvered

• कुरुसत्तमौ (kurusattamau) - the two best of the Kurus

Words meanings and morphology

एवम् (evam) - thus, in this manner, so

(indeclinable)

तौ (tau) - those two

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

विचरन्तौ (vicarantau) - moving about, roaming, maneuvering

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vicarant

vicarant - moving about, roaming, wandering

Present Active Participle

Derived from root car (to move) with upasarga vi-

Prefix: vi

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Present active participle acting as an adjective for 'tau'.

तु (tu) - but, indeed, however

(indeclinable)

न्यघ्नाताम् (nyaghnātām) - they struck (each other), they hit

(verb)

3rd person , dual, active, imperfect past (laṅ) of han

Root: han (class 2)

Note: Imperfect past tense, 3rd person dual, Ātmanepada, from root han with upasarga ni-. The Ātmanepada ending often implies reciprocal action in this context.

वै (vai) - indeed, surely, verily

(indeclinable)

परस्परम् (parasparam) - each other, mutually, reciprocally

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of paraspara

paraspara - mutual, reciprocal, each other

Note: Used adverbially to mean 'each other'.

वञ्चयन्तौ (vañcayantau) - deceiving, outwitting

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, dual of vañcayat

vañcayat - deceiving, tricking, deluding

Present Active Participle

Derived from the causative root vañc (to deceive)

Root: vañc (class 10)

Note: Present active participle acting as an adjective for 'tau'.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again, further, moreover

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

एव (eva) - indeed, only, just

(indeclinable)

चेरतुः (ceratuḥ) - they moved, they roamed, they maneuvered

(verb)

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

Root: car (class 1)

Note: Perfect tense, 3rd person dual, Parasmaipada.

कुरुसत्तमौ (kurusattamau) - the two best of the Kurus

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, dual of kurusattama

kurusattama - best among the Kurus, foremost Kuru

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (kuru+sattama)

• kuru – member of the Kuru dynasty, Kuru (proper name)
  proper noun (masculine)
• sattama – best, excellent, foremost
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative suffix -tama