योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-3, chapter-37, verse-39

काष्ठयोधे निरालानं मग्ना जीर्णा मतङ्गजाः ।
लयमाजग्मुरायुद्धमिद्धेग्नाविन्धनं यथा ॥ ३९ ॥

kāṣṭhayodhe nirālānaṃ magnā jīrṇā mataṅgajāḥ ,
layamājagmurāyuddhamiddhegnāvindhanaṃ yathā 39

39. kāṣṭhayodhe nirālānam magnā jīrṇā matagajās
layam ājagmuḥ āyuddham iddhegnāvindhanam yathā

39. jīrṇāḥ nirālānam matagajās kāṣṭhayodhe magnāḥ layam ājagmuḥ,
yathā āyuddham iddhegnāvindhanam.

39. Old elephants, lacking firm support, sank into the wooden structures of the battle, meeting their destruction just as fuel is consumed in a blazing fire during combat.

Words meanings summery:

• काष्ठयोधे (kāṣṭhayodhe) - in the wooden fortifications or structures of the battle (in the wooden fort/structure, in the wooden battle)

• निरालानम् (nirālānam) - without firm support or being untethered (referring to the elephants) (unsupported, untethered, without firm ground)

• मग्ना (magnā) - having sunk (referring to the elephants) (sunk, immersed, submerged)

• जीर्णा (jīrṇā) - old, aged (referring to the elephants) (old, decrepit, worn out, decayed)

• मतगजास् (matagajās) - elephants (likely referring to battle elephants) (elephants, intoxicated elephants)

• लयम् (layam) - destruction, demise (dissolution, destruction, absorption, repose)

• आजग्मुः (ājagmuḥ) - they met (destruction) (they reached, they went to)

• आयुद्धम् (āyuddham) - combat, battle (used adverbially or qualifying the comparison) (battle, combat, struggle)

• इद्धेग्नाविन्धनम् (iddhegnāvindhanam) - fuel in a blazing fire (as a metaphor for complete destruction) (fuel in a blazing fire)

• यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, like, as)

Words meanings and morphology

काष्ठयोधे (kāṣṭhayodhe) - in the wooden fortifications or structures of the battle (in the wooden fort/structure, in the wooden battle)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kāṣṭhayodha

kāṣṭhayodha - wooden fort, wooden warrior, wooden battle

Compound type : Tatpurusha (kāṣṭha+yodha)

• kāṣṭha – wood, timber
  noun (neuter)
• yodha – warrior, fighter; battle, combat
  noun (masculine)
  Root: yudh (class 4)

निरालानम् (nirālānam) - without firm support or being untethered (referring to the elephants) (unsupported, untethered, without firm ground)

(indeclinable)

Note: Used adverbially.

मग्ना (magnā) - having sunk (referring to the elephants) (sunk, immersed, submerged)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of magna

magna - sunk, submerged, immersed

Past Passive Participle

From root 'maj' (to sink).

Root: maj (class 6)

Note: Past Passive Participle, used as an adjective. This form (`magnā`) is feminine nominative plural, while `matagajās` is masculine nominative plural, suggesting a potential gender mismatch or poetic license.

जीर्णा (jīrṇā) - old, aged (referring to the elephants) (old, decrepit, worn out, decayed)

(adjective)

Nominative, feminine, plural of jīrṇa

jīrṇa - old, decrepit, worn out, digested

Past Passive Participle

From root 'jṝ' (to waste, decay, grow old).

Root: jṝ (class 9)

Note: Past Passive Participle, used as an adjective. This form (`jīrṇā`) is feminine nominative plural, while `matagajās` is masculine nominative plural, suggesting a potential gender mismatch or poetic license.

मतगजास् (matagajās) - elephants (likely referring to battle elephants) (elephants, intoxicated elephants)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, plural of matagaja

matagaja - an elephant in rut or intoxicated, a furious elephant

Compound type : Tatpurusha (mada+gaja)

• mada – intoxication, rut, passion
  noun (masculine)
• gaja – elephant
  noun (masculine)

Note: The adjectives `magnā` and `jīrṇā` are feminine plural, while this noun `matagajās` is masculine plural. This is a poetic inconsistency.

लयम् (layam) - destruction, demise (dissolution, destruction, absorption, repose)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of laya

laya - dissolution, destruction, absorption, repose, fusion

From root 'lī' (to cling, dissolve).

Root: lī (class 4)

आजग्मुः (ājagmuḥ) - they met (destruction) (they reached, they went to)

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, perfect (lit) of gam

Perfect active

From root 'gam' with prefix 'ā'.

Prefix: ā

Root: gam (class 1)

आयुद्धम् (āyuddham) - combat, battle (used adverbially or qualifying the comparison) (battle, combat, struggle)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of āyuddha

āyuddha - battle, combat, struggle

From `ā` + root `yudh` (to fight).

Prefix: ā

Root: yudh (class 4)

Note: Used adverbially to mean "in battle" or "with battle".

इद्धेग्नाविन्धनम् (iddhegnāvindhanam) - fuel in a blazing fire (as a metaphor for complete destruction) (fuel in a blazing fire)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of iddhegnāvindhana

iddhegnāvindhana - fuel in a blazing fire

Compound. `iddha` (blazing) + `agnau` (in fire) + `indhanam` (fuel). This is a locative Tatpurusha type compound: "fuel that is in a blazing fire".

Compound type : Tatpurusha (iddha+agni+indhana)

• iddha – blazing, inflamed, kindled
  adjective
  Past Passive Participle
  From root 'idh' (to kindle, to shine).
  Root: idh (class 7)
• agni – fire, god of fire
  noun (masculine)
• indhana – fuel, kindling
  noun (neuter)
  From root 'idh' (to kindle).
  Root: idh (class 7)

Note: Functions as the object of comparison.

यथा (yathā) - just as (just as, like, as)

(indeclinable)