Shloka 26

Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)

Devanagari script

सर्ववृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञों भवान्‌ दिव्येन चक्षुषा । युक्त: पश्यसि विप्रर्षे गतिर्या विविधा नृूणाम्‌

Transliteration

sarvavṛttānta-tattvajño bhavān divyena cakṣuṣā | yuktaḥ paśyasi viprarṣe gatir yā vividhā nṝṇām ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O brahmarṣi, you are a knower of the true principles underlying every event. Endowed with divine sight and established in yoga, you directly behold the many different destinies that human beings attain.”

Word by Word

• सर्ववृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञः: knower of the truth of all events/accounts
• सर्ववृत्तान्ततत्त्वज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-वृत्तान्त-तत्त्व-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्येन: with divine
• दिव्येन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• चक्षुषा: with (your) eye/vision
• चक्षुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• युक्तः: yoked; endowed; engaged (in yoga)
• युक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (कृदन्त; युज् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पश्यसि: you see
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विप्रर्षे: O brahmin-sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गतिः: the course/destination
• गतिः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• या: which
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विविधा: various; manifold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नॄणाम्: of men/humans
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• viprarṣi (addressed brahmarṣi/sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that a yogically disciplined sage, endowed with divine vision, can perceive the diverse destinies of human beings—implying that outcomes follow deeper principles (tattva) rooted in karma and dharma rather than mere chance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a brahmarṣi, praising his comprehensive knowledge of events and his yogic, divine sight by which he can directly see the varied courses and post-mortem destinies that people attain.