महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-138, verse-64

मृदुरित्यवमन्यन्ते तीक्ष्ण इत्युद्विजन्ति च ।
तीक्ष्णकाले च तीक्ष्णः स्यान्मृदुकाले मृदुर्भवेत् ॥६४॥

64. mṛdurityavamanyante tīkṣṇa ityudvijanti ca ,
tīkṣṇakāle ca tīkṣṇaḥ syānmṛdukāle mṛdurbhavet.

64. mṛduḥ iti avamanyante tīkṣṇaḥ iti udvijanti ca
tīkṣṇakāle ca tīkṣṇaḥ syāt mṛdukāle mṛduḥ bhavēt

64. mṛduḥ iti avamanyante tīkṣṇaḥ iti udvijanti ca
tīkṣṇakāle ca tīkṣṇaḥ syāt mṛdukāle mṛduḥ bhavēt

64. People disrespect a ruler who is perceived as gentle, and they become agitated or fearful if he is perceived as harsh. Therefore, a ruler should be harsh when the situation demands harshness, and gentle when the situation requires gentleness.

Words meanings summery:

• मृदुः (mṛduḥ) - gentle, mild, soft

• इति (iti) - thus, so, in this manner

• अवमन्यन्ते (avamanyante) - they disrespect, they despise, they disregard

• तीक्ष्णः (tīkṣṇaḥ) - harsh, severe, sharp

• इति (iti) - thus, so, in this manner

• उद्विजन्ति (udvijanti) - they are agitated, they fear, they tremble

• च (ca) - and, also

• तीक्ष्णकाले (tīkṣṇakāle) - in harsh times, in severe circumstances

• च (ca) - and, also

• तीक्ष्णः (tīkṣṇaḥ) - harsh, severe, sharp

• स्यात् (syāt) - should be, may be

• मृदुकाले (mṛdukāle) - in gentle times, in mild circumstances

• मृदुः (mṛduḥ) - gentle, mild, soft

• भवेत् (bhavēt) - one should be, one should become

Words meanings and morphology

मृदुः (mṛduḥ) - gentle, mild, soft

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, gentle, mild, lenient, tender

इति (iti) - thus, so, in this manner

(indeclinable)

अवमन्यन्ते (avamanyante) - they disrespect, they despise, they disregard

(verb)

3rd person , plural, middle, present (lat) of avaman

Prefix: ava

Root: man (class 4)

तीक्ष्णः (tīkṣṇaḥ) - harsh, severe, sharp

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tīkṣṇa

tīkṣṇa - sharp, keen, harsh, severe, fierce, cruel

इति (iti) - thus, so, in this manner

(indeclinable)

उद्विजन्ति (udvijanti) - they are agitated, they fear, they tremble

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, present (lat) of udvij

Prefix: ud

Root: vij (class 6)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

तीक्ष्णकाले (tīkṣṇakāle) - in harsh times, in severe circumstances

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of tīkṣṇakāla

tīkṣṇakāla - a harsh time, a time of severity, difficult period

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (tīkṣṇa+kāla)

• tīkṣṇa – sharp, harsh, severe, fierce
  adjective (masculine)
• kāla – time, season, occasion, circumstances
  noun (masculine)

च (ca) - and, also

(indeclinable)

तीक्ष्णः (tīkṣṇaḥ) - harsh, severe, sharp

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tīkṣṇa

tīkṣṇa - sharp, keen, harsh, severe, fierce, cruel

स्यात् (syāt) - should be, may be

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of as

Root: as (class 2)

मृदुकाले (mṛdukāle) - in gentle times, in mild circumstances

(noun)

Locative, masculine, singular of mṛdukāla

mṛdukāla - a gentle time, a time of mildness, favorable period

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (mṛdu+kāla)

• mṛdu – soft, gentle, mild, lenient
  adjective (masculine)
• kāla – time, season, occasion, circumstances
  noun (masculine)

मृदुः (mṛduḥ) - gentle, mild, soft

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, gentle, mild, lenient, tender

भवेत् (bhavēt) - one should be, one should become

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, optative (vidhi-liṅ) of bhū

Root: bhū (class 1)