Shloka 19
Devanagari script
नैव ते न वयं राजन प्राज्ञासिष्म परस्परम्
Transliteration
naiva te na vayaṁ rājan prājñāsiṣma parasparam
Translation
Sañjaya said: “O King, neither you nor we truly understood one another.”
Word by Word
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
तेyou
ते:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद्
FormNominative, Singular
नnor/not
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
वयम्we
वयम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormNominative, Plural
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
प्राज्ञासिष्मwe knew/recognized
प्राज्ञासिष्म:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-ज्ञा
FormPerfect (Paroksha), 1st, Plural
परस्परम्each other/mutually
परस्परम्:
Karma
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपरस्पर
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
स
संजय (Sañjaya)र
राजन् (the King—Dhṛtarāṣṭra)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical cost of failed communication and self-knowledge: when rulers and advisers do not truly understand one another, counsel becomes ineffective and responsibility for ensuing harm is shared.
Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra and admits a mutual lack of understanding between them, framing the unfolding events of the war as connected to misjudgment and missed counsel.