महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-270, verse-20

एवं संसरमाणानि जीवान्यहमदृष्टवान् ।
यथा कर्म तथा लाभ इति शास्त्रनिदर्शनम् ॥२०॥

20. evaṁ saṁsaramāṇāni jīvānyahamadṛṣṭavān ,
yathā karma tathā lābha iti śāstranidarśanam.

20. evaṃ saṃsaramāṇāni jīvāni aham adṛṣṭavān |
yathā karma tathā lābhaḥ iti śāstra nidarśanam

20. aham evaṃ saṃsaramāṇāni jīvāni adṛṣṭavān
yathā karma tathā lābhaḥ iti śāstra nidarśanam

20. Thus, I have seen individual souls (jīva) transmigrating (saṃsāra). "As the action (karma), so the gain" – this is a scriptural illustration.

Words meanings summery:

• एवं (evaṁ) - thus, so, in this manner

• संसरमाणानि (saṁsaramāṇāni) - transmigrating, wandering

• जीवानि (jīvāni) - individual souls (jīva) (living beings, souls)

• अहम् (aham) - I

• अदृष्टवान् (adṛṣṭavān) - I have seen (one who has seen)

• यथा (yathā) - as, just as

• कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, consequence of action)

• तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that manner

• लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, acquisition, profit

• इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating a quote

• शास्त्र (śāstra) - scripture, sacred text, treatise

• निदर्शनम् (nidarśanam) - illustration, example, demonstration

Words meanings and morphology

एवं (evaṁ) - thus, so, in this manner

(indeclinable)

संसरमाणानि (saṁsaramāṇāni) - transmigrating, wandering

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, plural of saṃsaramāṇa

saṁsaramāṇa - transmigrating, wandering, flowing together

Present Middle Participle

Derived from √sṛ (to flow) with prefix sam- (together, completely), + śānac suffix, used adjectivally.

Prefix: sam

Root: sṛ (class 1)

Note: Agrees with jīvāni.

जीवानि (jīvāni) - individual souls (jīva) (living beings, souls)

(noun)

Accusative, neuter, plural of jīva

jīva - living, alive, soul, life, individual soul

From √jīv (to live)

Root: jīv (class 1)

Note: Used as a neuter noun here, agreeing with 'saṃsaramāṇāni'.

अहम् (aham) - I

(pronoun)

Nominative, singular of aham

aham - I

अदृष्टवान् (adṛṣṭavān) - I have seen (one who has seen)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of dṛṣṭavat

dṛṣṭavat - one who has seen, having seen

Past Active Participle (ktavatu)

Past active participle from √dṛś (to see). Although the form appears as 'adṛṣṭavān', which would typically mean 'not having seen' (a- + dṛṣṭavat), contextual understanding and common interpretations of this specific verse imply the meaning 'having seen'. This suggests a non-negating 'a' or a textual variant, which is followed for the purpose of this translation.

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'aham'.

यथा (yathā) - as, just as

(indeclinable)

कर्म (karma) - action (karma) (action, deed, consequence of action)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of karman

karman - action, deed, work, ritual, consequence of action, fate

From √kṛ (to do, to make)

Root: kṛ (class 8)

तथा (tathā) - so, thus, in that manner

(indeclinable)

लाभः (lābhaḥ) - gain, acquisition, profit

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of lābha

lābha - gain, acquisition, profit, advantage, fruit, result

From √labh (to obtain, to gain)

Root: labh (class 1)

इति (iti) - thus, so, indicating a quote

(indeclinable)

शास्त्र (śāstra) - scripture, sacred text, treatise

(noun)

neuter, singular of śāstra

śāstra - scripture, sacred text, teaching, rule, scientific treatise

Note: Part of a Tatpurusha compound 'śāstranidarśanam'.

निदर्शनम् (nidarśanam) - illustration, example, demonstration

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of nidarśana

nidarśana - illustration, example, demonstration, indication

From √dṛś (to see) with prefix ni- (down, into)

Compound type : tatpurusha (śāstra+nidarśana)

• śāstra – scripture, sacred text, teaching, rule, scientific treatise
  noun (neuter)
  From √śās (to teach, to instruct)
  Root: śās (class 2)
• nidarśana – illustration, example, demonstration, indication
  noun (neuter)
  From √dṛś (to see) with prefix ni- (down, into)
  Prefix: ni
  Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: A compound formed by śāstra (scripture) and nidarśana (illustration), meaning "scriptural illustration".