महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-123, verse-13

अधर्मो धर्म इति ह योऽज्ञानादाचरेदिह ।
तं चापि प्रथितं लोके कथं राजा निवर्तयेत् ॥१३॥

13. adharmo dharma iti ha yo'jñānādācarediha ,
taṁ cāpi prathitaṁ loke kathaṁ rājā nivartayet.

13. adharmaḥ dharmaḥ iti ha yaḥ ajñānāt ācaret iha
tam ca api prathitam loke katham rājā nivartayet

13. rājā katham iha ajñānāt adharmaḥ dharmaḥ iti yaḥ ācaret,
loke prathitam tam ca api nivartayet?

13. How can a king avert that which has become well-known in the world, when someone here, out of ignorance, practices unrighteousness (adharma) believing it to be natural law (dharma)?

Words meanings summery:

• अधर्मः (adharmaḥ) - unrighteousness, injustice, violation of natural law (dharma)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty

• इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating direct speech or thought

• ह (ha) - indeed, surely, an emphatic particle

• यः (yaḥ) - who, which

• अज्ञानात् (ajñānāt) - from ignorance, due to ignorance

• आचरेत् (ācaret) - he may practice, he may perform

• इह (iha) - here, in this world

• तम् (tam) - that (referring to unrighteousness)

• च (ca) - and, also

• अपि (api) - even, also

• प्रथितम् (prathitam) - famous, well-known, widespread

• लोके (loke) - in the world, among people

• कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

• राजा (rājā) - king, ruler

• निवर्तयेत् (nivartayet) - may turn back, may stop, may avert, may cause to desist

Words meanings and morphology

अधर्मः (adharmaḥ) - unrighteousness, injustice, violation of natural law (dharma)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adharma

adharma - unrighteousness, injustice, impiety, violation of duty (dharma)

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+dharma)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty (dharma)
  noun (masculine)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - natural law (dharma), righteousness, duty

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty (dharma)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating direct speech or thought

(indeclinable)

ह (ha) - indeed, surely, an emphatic particle

(indeclinable)

यः (yaḥ) - who, which

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yad

yad - who, which, what

अज्ञानात् (ajñānāt) - from ignorance, due to ignorance

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of ajñāna

ajñāna - ignorance, nescience

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+jñāna)

• a – not, non-, un-
  indeclinable
• jñāna – knowledge, wisdom
  noun (neuter)
  Root: jñā (class 9)

आचरेत् (ācaret) - he may practice, he may perform

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of ācar

Prefix: ā

Root: car (class 1)

इह (iha) - here, in this world

(indeclinable)

तम् (tam) - that (referring to unrighteousness)

(pronoun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the 'adharma' (unrighteousness) that is mistakenly taken for 'dharma'.

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

अपि (api) - even, also

(indeclinable)

प्रथितम् (prathitam) - famous, well-known, widespread

(participle)

Accusative, masculine, singular of prathita

prathita - spread, extended, famous, well-known

Past Passive Participle

Root: prath (class 1)

लोके (loke) - in the world, among people

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of loka

loka - world, people, community

कथम् (katham) - how, in what manner

(indeclinable)

राजा (rājā) - king, ruler

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of rājan

rājan - king, ruler, sovereign

निवर्तयेत् (nivartayet) - may turn back, may stop, may avert, may cause to desist

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of nivartay

Causative

Causative stem from ni-vṛt (to turn, to cease)

Prefix: ni

Root: vṛt (class 1)