महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-130, verse-20

यथा मृगस्य विद्धस्य मृगव्याधः पदं नयेत् ।
कक्षे रुधिरपातेन तथा धर्मपदं नयेत् ॥२०॥

20. yathā mṛgasya viddhasya mṛgavyādhaḥ padaṁ nayet ,
kakṣe rudhirapātena tathā dharmapadaṁ nayet.

20. yathā mṛgasya viddhasya mṛgavyādhaḥ padam nayet
kakṣe rudhirapātena tathā dharmapadam nayet

20. yathā mṛgavyādhaḥ viddhasya mṛgasya padam
rudhirapātena kakṣe nayet tathā dharmapadam nayet

20. Just as a hunter would trace the path of a wounded deer by the drops of blood in the thicket, so too should one trace the path of natural law (dharma).

Words meanings summery:

• यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, in what manner)

• मृगस्य (mṛgasya) - of a deer (of a deer, of an animal)

• विद्धस्य (viddhasya) - of the wounded (deer) (of the wounded one, of the pierced one)

• मृगव्याधः (mṛgavyādhaḥ) - a hunter (deer hunter, hunter)

• पदम् (padam) - track (track, path, trace)

• नयेत् (nayet) - should trace (should lead, should guide, should trace)

• कक्षे (kakṣe) - in the thicket (in the armpit, in the side, in the thicket/bush)

• रुधिरपातेन (rudhirapātena) - by the drops of blood (by the shedding of blood, by the bloodstains)

• तथा (tathā) - so too (so, thus, similarly)

• धर्मपदम् (dharmapadam) - the path of natural law (dharma) (the track of dharma, the path of righteousness)

• नयेत् (nayet) - should trace (should lead, should guide, should trace)

Words meanings and morphology

यथा (yathā) - just as (as, just as, in what manner)

(indeclinable)

Note: Establishes a comparison.

मृगस्य (mṛgasya) - of a deer (of a deer, of an animal)

(noun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mṛga

mṛga - deer, wild animal

Note: Possessive, related to 'padam'.

विद्धस्य (viddhasya) - of the wounded (deer) (of the wounded one, of the pierced one)

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of viddha

viddha - pierced, wounded, struck

Past Passive Participle

P.P.P. of √vyadh 'to pierce, strike'

Root: vyadh (class 4)

Note: Qualifies 'mṛgasya'.

मृगव्याधः (mṛgavyādhaḥ) - a hunter (deer hunter, hunter)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛgavyādha

mṛgavyādha - deer hunter, hunter

Compound type : tatpurusha (mṛga+vyādha)

• mṛga – deer, wild animal
  noun (masculine)
• vyādha – hunter, fowler
  noun (masculine)
  from vi-√vyadh 'to pierce'
  Prefix: vi
  Root: vyadh (class 4)

Note: Subject of 'nayet'.

पदम् (padam) - track (track, path, trace)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of pada

pada - foot, step, trace, track, path, position

Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Object of 'nayet'.

नयेत् (nayet) - should trace (should lead, should guide, should trace)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of nī

Optative

3rd person singular Optative, Parasmaipada, from √nī 'to lead'

Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Implies injunction or possibility.

कक्षे (kakṣe) - in the thicket (in the armpit, in the side, in the thicket/bush)

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of kakṣa

kakṣa - armpit, side, circumference, forest, thicket, brushwood

Note: Locative of place.

रुधिरपातेन (rudhirapātena) - by the drops of blood (by the shedding of blood, by the bloodstains)

(noun)

Instrumental, masculine, singular of rudhirapāta

rudhirapāta - shedding of blood, bloodstain

Compound type : tatpurusha (rudhira+pāta)

• rudhira – blood
  noun (neuter)
  Root: rudh (class 7)
• pāta – falling, dropping, shedding
  noun (masculine)
  from √pat 'to fall'
  Root: pat (class 1)

Note: Instrument by which the track is traced.

तथा (tathā) - so too (so, thus, similarly)

(indeclinable)

Note: Correlative to 'yathā'.

धर्मपदम् (dharmapadam) - the path of natural law (dharma) (the track of dharma, the path of righteousness)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, singular of dharmapada

dharmapada - path of dharma, track of righteousness

Compound type : tatpurusha (dharma+pada)

• dharma – natural law, intrinsic nature, duty, righteousness, constitution, virtue
  noun (masculine)
  from √dhṛ 'to uphold, support'
  Root: dhṛ (class 1)
• pada – foot, step, trace, track, path, position
  noun (neuter)
  Root: pad (class 4)

Note: Object of 'nayet'.

नयेत् (nayet) - should trace (should lead, should guide, should trace)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (liṅ) of nī

Optative

3rd person singular Optative, Parasmaipada, from √nī 'to lead'

Root: nī (class 1)

Note: Implies injunction or possibility.