महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-264, verse-16

स तु धर्मो मृगो भूत्वा बहुवर्षोषितो वने ।
तस्य निष्कृतिमाधत्त न ह्यसौ यज्ञसंविधिः ॥१६॥

16. sa tu dharmo mṛgo bhūtvā bahuvarṣoṣito vane ,
tasya niṣkṛtimādhatta na hyasau yajñasaṁvidhiḥ.

16. saḥ tu dharmaḥ mṛgaḥ bhūtvā bahuvarṣoṣitaḥ vane
tasya niṣkṛtim ādatta na hi asau yajñasaṃvidhiḥ

16. tu saḥ dharmaḥ mṛgaḥ bhūtvā vane bahuvarṣoṣitaḥ
tasya niṣkṛtim ādatta hi asau yajñasaṃvidhiḥ na

16. But that Dharma (natural law), having become a deer and dwelt in the forest for many years, bestowed atonement upon him (the hunter). Indeed, this (act of killing the deer) was not a prescribed Vedic ritual (yajña).

Words meanings summery:

• सः (saḥ) - he (Dharma personified) (he, that)

• तु (tu) - but (introducing a contrasting or emphatic statement) (but, indeed, on the other hand)

• धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - Dharma (natural law) (personified, as a divine being) (natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, constitution, duty)

• मृगः (mṛgaḥ) - a deer (deer, animal)

• भूत्वा (bhūtvā) - having become (a deer) (having become, having been)

• बहुवर्षोषितः (bahuvarṣoṣitaḥ) - having dwelt for many years (having dwelt for many years, having resided for many rainy seasons)

• वने (vane) - in the forest (in the forest, in the wood)

• तस्य (tasya) - of him (the hunter) (his, of him, of that)

• निष्कृतिम् (niṣkṛtim) - atonement (for the hunter) (atonement, expiation, recompense, remedy)

• आदत्त (ādatta) - he (the deer/Dharma) bestowed (atonement) (he bestowed, he placed, he took upon himself, he performed)

• न (na) - not (not, no)

• हि (hi) - indeed (emphasizer) (indeed, surely, for, because)

• असौ (asau) - this (act of killing the deer) (this one, that one (referring to something distant or just mentioned))

• यज्ञसंविधिः (yajñasaṁvidhiḥ) - a prescribed Vedic ritual (yajña) (a prescribed rule for a Vedic ritual, regulation of a Vedic ritual (yajña))

Words meanings and morphology

सः (saḥ) - he (Dharma personified) (he, that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

तु (tu) - but (introducing a contrasting or emphatic statement) (but, indeed, on the other hand)

(indeclinable)

धर्मः (dharmaḥ) - Dharma (natural law) (personified, as a divine being) (natural law, intrinsic nature, righteousness, constitution, duty)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dharma

dharma - natural law, intrinsic nature, constitution, righteousness, duty, virtue, cosmic order (dharma)

From root dhṛ (to uphold, support)

Root: dhṛ (class 1)

मृगः (mṛgaḥ) - a deer (deer, animal)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of mṛga

mṛga - deer, wild animal, game

From root mṛg (to hunt)

Root: mṛg (class 6)

Note: Acts as the complement of 'bhūtvā'.

भूत्वा (bhūtvā) - having become (a deer) (having become, having been)

(indeclinable)

Absolutive (gerund)

From root bhū (to be, become) + -tvā suffix

Root: bhū (class 1)

बहुवर्षोषितः (bahuvarṣoṣitaḥ) - having dwelt for many years (having dwelt for many years, having resided for many rainy seasons)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of bahuvarṣoṣita

bahuvarṣoṣita - having dwelt for many years/rainy seasons

Compound of bahu (many) + varṣa (year/rainy season) + uṣita (dwelt, stayed)

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (bahu+varṣa+uṣita)

• bahu – many, much, numerous
  adjective
• varṣa – year, rainy season
  noun (masculine)
  From root vṛṣ (to rain)
  Root: vṛṣ (class 1)
• uṣita – dwelt, stayed, resided
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  From root vas (to dwell)
  Root: vas (class 1)

Note: Modifies 'dharmaḥ'/'mṛgaḥ'.

वने (vane) - in the forest (in the forest, in the wood)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vana

vana - forest, wood, grove, thicket

From root van (to love, desire)

Root: van (class 1)

तस्य (tasya) - of him (the hunter) (his, of him, of that)

(pronoun)

Genitive, masculine, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers to the hunter.

निष्कृतिम् (niṣkṛtim) - atonement (for the hunter) (atonement, expiation, recompense, remedy)

(noun)

Accusative, feminine, singular of niṣkṛti

niṣkṛti - atonement, expiation, recompense, remedy, completion

From niṣ + root kṛ (to do, make)

Prefix: niṣ

Root: kṛ (class 8)

Note: The object of 'ādhatta'.

आदत्त (ādatta) - he (the deer/Dharma) bestowed (atonement) (he bestowed, he placed, he took upon himself, he performed)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, past imperfect (laṅ) of ādhā

Imperfect (Laṅ)

From ā + root dhā (to place, put, bestow)

Prefix: ā

Root: dhā (class 3)

न (na) - not (not, no)

(indeclinable)

Negative particle.

हि (hi) - indeed (emphasizer) (indeed, surely, for, because)

(indeclinable)

असौ (asau) - this (act of killing the deer) (this one, that one (referring to something distant or just mentioned))

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of adas

adas - that, this, the other

Demonstrative pronoun.

Note: Refers to the act of killing the deer, which the deer/Dharma offered.

यज्ञसंविधिः (yajñasaṁvidhiḥ) - a prescribed Vedic ritual (yajña) (a prescribed rule for a Vedic ritual, regulation of a Vedic ritual (yajña))

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yajñasaṃvidhi

yajñasaṁvidhi - a prescribed rule for a Vedic ritual (yajña), regulation of a Vedic ritual

Compound of yajña (Vedic ritual) and saṃvidhi (regulation, rule)

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (yajña+saṃvidhi)

• yajña – Vedic ritual, offering, worship (yajña)
  noun (masculine)
  From root yaj (to worship, sacrifice)
  Root: yaj (class 1)
• saṃvidhi – regulation, rule, prescription, proper method
  noun (masculine)
  From sam + vi + root dhā (to place)
  Prefixes: sam+vi
  Root: dhā (class 3)