महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-259, verse-19

मृदवः सत्यभूयिष्ठा अल्पद्रोहाल्पमन्यवः ।
पुरा धिग्दण्ड एवासीद्वाग्दण्डस्तदनन्तरम् ॥१९॥

19. mṛdavaḥ satyabhūyiṣṭhā alpadrohālpamanyavaḥ ,
purā dhigdaṇḍa evāsīdvāgdaṇḍastadanantaram.

19. mṛdavaḥ satyabhūyiṣṭhāḥ alpadrohālpamanyavaḥ
purā dhigdaṇḍaḥ eva āsīt vāgdaṇḍaḥ tad anantaram

19. (janāḥ) mṛdavaḥ,
satyabhūyiṣṭhāḥ,
alpadrohālpamanyavaḥ (āsan).
purā dhigdaṇḍaḥ eva āsīt,
tad anantaram vāgdaṇḍaḥ (āsīt).

19. They (the people of old) were gentle (mṛdavaḥ), largely truthful (satyabhūyiṣṭhāḥ), with little malice (alpadroha), and little anger (alpamanyavaḥ). In ancient times (purā), the punishment (daṇḍa) was indeed merely a reprimand of condemnation (dhigdaṇḍa); after that, it was verbal censure (vāgdaṇḍa).

Words meanings summery:

• मृदवः (mṛdavaḥ) - gentle, mild, soft

• सत्यभूयिष्ठाः (satyabhūyiṣṭhāḥ) - mostly truthful, abounding in truth

• अल्पद्रोहाल्पमन्यवः (alpadrohālpamanyavaḥ) - having little malice and little anger

• पुरा (purā) - formerly, in ancient times

• धिग्दण्डः (dhigdaṇḍaḥ) - the mildest form of punishment, a verbal rebuke (punishment of condemnation, verbal reprimand)

• एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

• आसीत् (āsīt) - it was

• वाग्दण्डः (vāgdaṇḍaḥ) - a verbal reprimand or warning (verbal punishment, censure)

• तद् (tad) - that

• अनन्तरम् (anantaram) - immediately after, next, subsequently

Words meanings and morphology

मृदवः (mṛdavaḥ) - gentle, mild, soft

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of mṛdu

mṛdu - soft, tender, gentle, mild, weak

सत्यभूयिष्ठाः (satyabhūyiṣṭhāḥ) - mostly truthful, abounding in truth

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of satyabhūyiṣṭha

satyabhūyiṣṭha - abounding in truth, mostly truthful, very true

Compound of 'satya' (truth) and 'bhūyiṣṭha' (most abundant, superlative of 'bahu').

Compound type : karmadhāraya (satya+bhūyiṣṭha)

• satya – truth, true, real
  noun (neuter)
  From 'sat' (being, real).
• bhūyiṣṭha – most abundant, very much, very frequent
  adjective (masculine)
  Superlative of 'bahu' (much, many).

Note: Describes the people ('janāḥ' implied).

अल्पद्रोहाल्पमन्यवः (alpadrohālpamanyavaḥ) - having little malice and little anger

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, plural of alpadrohālpamanyu

alpadrohālpamanyu - one who has little malice and little anger

A Bahuvrihi compound formed from the Dvandva compound of 'alpadroha' and 'alpamanu'.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (alpadroha+alpamanu)

• alpadroha – little malice, slight injury
  noun (masculine)
  Compound of 'alpa' (little) and 'droha' (malice, injury).
• alpamanu – little anger, slight wrath
  noun (masculine)
  Compound of 'alpa' (little) and 'manyu' (anger, wrath).

Note: Describes the people ('janāḥ' implied).

पुरा (purā) - formerly, in ancient times

(indeclinable)

धिग्दण्डः (dhigdaṇḍaḥ) - the mildest form of punishment, a verbal rebuke (punishment of condemnation, verbal reprimand)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dhigdaṇḍa

dhigdaṇḍa - punishment consisting of mere condemnation/reprimand (using 'dhik')

Compound of 'dhik' (fie, shame) and 'daṇḍa' (punishment).

Compound type : karmadhāraya (dhik+daṇḍa)

• dhik – fie, shame, woe to
  indeclinable
  Exclamatory particle indicating reproof or contempt.
• daṇḍa – staff, rod, punishment, fine, penalty
  noun (masculine)

Note: Subject of 'āsīt'.

एव (eva) - indeed, certainly, only

(indeclinable)

Emphatic particle.

आसीत् (āsīt) - it was

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, imperfect (laṅ) of as

Imperfect active

3rd person singular, imperfect tense, active voice.

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Subject is 'dhigdaṇḍaḥ'.

वाग्दण्डः (vāgdaṇḍaḥ) - a verbal reprimand or warning (verbal punishment, censure)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of vāgdaṇḍa

vāgdaṇḍa - punishment by words, verbal reproof, censure

Compound of 'vāc' (speech) and 'daṇḍa' (punishment).

Compound type : ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (vāc+daṇḍa)

• vāc – speech, word, voice
  noun (feminine)
• daṇḍa – staff, rod, punishment, fine, penalty
  noun (masculine)

Note: Implied subject of 'āsīt'.

तद् (tad) - that

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: The neuter form 'tad' is used adverbially in compounds.

अनन्तरम् (anantaram) - immediately after, next, subsequently

(indeclinable)

Compound of 'an-' (not) + 'antara' (interval). Used adverbially.

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (an+antara)

• an – not, non-
  indeclinable
  Negative prefix (before vowel).
• antara – interval, space, difference, within
  noun (neuter)

Note: Functions adverbially as 'after that' when combined with 'tad'.