महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-160, verse-68

धर्मसेतुमतिक्रान्ताः सूक्ष्मस्थूलार्थकारणात् ।
विभज्य दण्डं रक्ष्याः स्युर्धर्मतो न यदृच्छया ॥६८॥

68. dharmasetumatikrāntāḥ sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇāt ,
vibhajya daṇḍaṁ rakṣyāḥ syurdharmato na yadṛcchayā.

68. dharmasetum atikrāntāḥ sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇāt
vibhajya daṇḍam rakṣyāḥ syuḥ dharmataḥ na yadṛcchayā

68. sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇāt dharmasetum atikrāntāḥ (janāḥ)
daṇḍam vibhajya dharmataḥ rakṣyāḥ syuḥ na yadṛcchayā

68. Those who have transgressed the bounds of (dharma) natural law, whether due to subtle or gross motives, should be governed by assigning appropriate punishment according to (dharma) natural law, and not arbitrarily.

Words meanings summery:

• धर्मसेतुम् (dharmasetum) - the boundary/bridge of natural law (dharma)

• अतिक्रान्ताः (atikrāntāḥ) - referring to people who violated (dharma) natural law. (those who have transgressed, overstepped)

• सूक्ष्मस्थूलार्थकारणात् (sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇāt) - due to subtle or gross motives/reasons, for reasons of subtle and gross objectives

• विभज्य (vibhajya) - having justly apportioned (the punishment) (having divided, having discriminated, having apportioned)

• दण्डम् (daṇḍam) - punishment, staff, rod, scepter

• रक्ष्याः (rakṣyāḥ) - to be governed or dealt with (by punishment) (to be protected, to be guarded, to be governed, to be preserved)

• स्युः (syuḥ) - they would be, they should be

• धर्मतः (dharmataḥ) - according to natural law (dharma), righteously, justly

• न (na) - not, no

• यदृच्छया (yadṛcchayā) - by chance, arbitrarily, spontaneously

Words meanings and morphology

धर्मसेतुम् (dharmasetum) - the boundary/bridge of natural law (dharma)

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of dharmasetu

dharmasetu - the bridge of (dharma) natural law; the boundary of righteousness

Compound of 'dharma' and 'setu'.

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (dharma+setu)

• dharma – natural law, constitution, righteousness, duty
  noun (masculine)
  Root: dhṛ
• setu – a bridge, a dam, a causeway, a boundary, a limit
  noun (masculine)
  Root: si

अतिक्रान्ताः (atikrāntāḥ) - referring to people who violated (dharma) natural law. (those who have transgressed, overstepped)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of atikrānta

atikrānta - passed over, gone beyond, transgressed, surpassed

Past Passive Participle

Derived from root 'kram' with prefix 'ati'.

Prefix: ati

Root: kram (class 1)

Note: Used substantively to mean "those who have transgressed".

सूक्ष्मस्थूलार्थकारणात् (sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇāt) - due to subtle or gross motives/reasons, for reasons of subtle and gross objectives

(noun)

Ablative, neuter, singular of sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇa

sūkṣmasthūlārthakāraṇa - the cause or reason for subtle or gross matters/objects/purposes

Compound of 'sūkṣma' (subtle), 'sthūla' (gross), 'artha' (object/purpose), and 'kāraṇa' (reason/cause).

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sūkṣma+sthūla+artha+kāraṇa)

• sūkṣma – subtle, minute, fine, delicate
  adjective
• sthūla – gross, coarse, bulky, large
  adjective
• artha – purpose, object, meaning, wealth, motive
  noun (masculine)
  Root: ṛ
• kāraṇa – cause, reason, motive, instrument
  noun (neuter)
  From root 'kṛ' with suffix 'ana'.
  Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: Ablative case indicates reason or cause.

विभज्य (vibhajya) - having justly apportioned (the punishment) (having divided, having discriminated, having apportioned)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive / Gerund

Derived from root 'bhaj' with prefix 'vi'.

Prefix: vi

Root: bhaj (class 1)

दण्डम् (daṇḍam) - punishment, staff, rod, scepter

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of daṇḍa

daṇḍa - staff, rod, stick; punishment, chastisement, penalty; government, authority

Root: daṇḍ (class 10)

रक्ष्याः (rakṣyāḥ) - to be governed or dealt with (by punishment) (to be protected, to be guarded, to be governed, to be preserved)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of rakṣya

rakṣya - to be protected, to be guarded, to be defended, to be ruled/governed

Gerundive / Future Passive Participle

Derived from root 'rakṣ' with suffix 'ya'.

Root: rakṣ (class 1)

Note: Used substantively.

स्युः (syuḥ) - they would be, they should be

(verb)

3rd person , plural, active, optative (vidhiliṅ) of as

Optative, third person plural

Root: as (class 2)

धर्मतः (dharmataḥ) - according to natural law (dharma), righteously, justly

(indeclinable)

Formed from 'dharma' with suffix 'tas'.

न (na) - not, no

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

यदृच्छया (yadṛcchayā) - by chance, arbitrarily, spontaneously

(noun)

Instrumental, feminine, singular of yadṛcchā

yadṛcchā - free will, arbitrary will, spontaneity, chance

Compound of 'yad' (what) and 'ṛcchā' (desire/will).