Shloka 20

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्ष चैव ते सर्व यथाबलमिदं तव

Transliteration

pratyakṣaṃ caiva te sarvaṃ yathābalam idaṃ tava

Translation

Sañjaya said: “All this is directly evident to you; it is, to the best of your ability, your own doing and responsibility.”

Word by Word

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly, before (your) eyes / evident
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ते: to you / for you (also: your)
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine/Neuter, Dative/Genitive, Singular

• सर्वम्: all, everything
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• बलम्: strength, power
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores accountability: when consequences are plainly visible, one cannot evade moral and practical responsibility; actions undertaken “according to one’s ability” still belong to the doer and bear results.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, stressing that the unfolding events of the war are evident and that the situation is tied to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s own choices and capacity to act (or restrain).