Sanskrit quote nr. 375 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)

Sanskrit text:

अजनि शिशिरशीलं शैवलं सागरे यच् चिकुरमकृत कामस्तन्वि ते किं न तेन ।
वहति कुटिलमेनं हेतुना केन मूर्ध्ना वदनविधुरयं चेत् सोदरो नादसीयः ॥

ajani śiśiraśīlaṃ śaivalaṃ sāgare yac cikuramakṛta kāmastanvi te kiṃ na tena |
vahati kuṭilamenaṃ hetunā kena mūrdhnā vadanavidhurayaṃ cet sodaro nādasīyaḥ ||

Presented above is a Sanskrit aphorism, also known as a subhāṣita, which is at the very least, a literary piece of art. This page provides critical research material such as an anlaysis on the poetic meter used, an English translation, a glossary explaining technical terms, and a list of resources including print editions and digital links.

Glossary of Sanskrit terms

Note: Consider this as an approximate extraction of glossary words based on an experimental segmentation of the Sanskrit verse. Some could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned.

Shishira (sisira, śiśira, शिशिर): defined in 12 categories.
Shil (sil, śīl, शील्): defined in 4 categories.
Shila (sila, śīla, शील): defined in 23 categories.
Sagara (sāgara, सागर): defined in 23 categories.
Yat (यत्): defined in 2 categories.
Yad (यद्): defined in 3 categories.
Cikura (चिकुर): defined in 4 categories.
Akrita (akrta, akṛta, अकृत): defined in 8 categories.
Kama (kāma, काम): defined in 24 categories.
Tanu (tanū, तनू): defined in 16 categories.
Tanvi (tanvī, तन्वी): defined in 7 categories.
Ta (त, tā, ता): defined in 11 categories.
Tad (तद्): defined in 5 categories.
Yushmad (yusmad, yuṣmad, युष्मद्): defined in 3 categories.
Kim (किम्): defined in 4 categories.
Na (न): defined in 12 categories.
Tena (तेन): defined in 7 categories.
Vahat (वहत्): defined in 1 categories.
Vahati (vahatī, वहती): defined in 3 categories.
Kutila (kuṭila, कुटिल): defined in 15 categories.
Mena (मेन): defined in 8 categories.
Hetu (हेतु): defined in 21 categories.
Kena (केन): defined in 5 categories.
Ka (क): defined in 15 categories.
Vadana (वदन): defined in 13 categories.
Vidhura (विधुर): defined in 7 categories.
Ya (य): defined in 10 categories.
Yah (yaḥ, यः): defined in 1 categories.
Sodara (सोदर): defined in 3 categories.
Nada (nāda, नाद): defined in 18 categories.

Defined according to the following glossaries/dictionaries: Sanskrit, Pali, Purana (epic history), Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy), Ayurveda (science of life), Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology), Marathi, Prakrit, Hindi, Kavyashastra (science of poetry), Kannada, Biology (plants and animals), Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism), Vastushastra (architecture), Shilpashastra (iconography), Yoga (school of philosophy), Shaktism (Shakta philosophy), Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy), Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism), Theravada (major branch of Buddhism), India history, Arts (wordly enjoyments), Nepali, Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma), Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra), Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), Dharmashastra (religious law), Tamil, Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres), Kavya (poetry), Nyaya (school of philosophy), Buddhist philosophy, Shiksha (linguistics: phonetics, phonology etc.), Gitashastra (science of music)

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit verse. If the system was successful in segmenting the sentence, you will see of which words it is made up of, generally consisting of Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Participles and Indeclinables. Click on the link to show all possible derivations of the word.

Line 1: “ajani śiśiraśīlaṃ śaivalaṃ sāgare yac cikuramakṛta kāmastanvi te kiṃ na tena”
ajani -
ajani (noun, feminine)

[compound], [adverb]

√jan (verb class 1)

[aorist middle first single]

√jan (verb class 10)

[aorist middle first single]

√jan (verb class 2)

[imperfect middle first single], [aorist middle first single]

√jan (verb class 3)

[aorist middle first single]

√jan (verb class 4)

[aorist middle first single]
śiśira -
śiśira (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

śiśira (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
śīlam -
śīla (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

śīla (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]

śīlā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]

śīl (noun, masculine)

[accusative single]
śaivalam -
śaivala (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

śaivala (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
sāgare -
sāgara (noun, masculine)

[locative single]

sāgara (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
yac -
yat (indeclinable relative)

[indeclinable relative]

yat (noun, masculine)

[compound]

yad (noun, masculine)

[compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single]

yat (noun, neuter)

[nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]

√i -> yat (participle, neuter)

[nominative single from √i class 2 verb], [vocative single from √i class 2 verb], [accusative single from √i class 2 verb]

yat (pronoun, neuter)

[nominative single], [accusative single]
cikuram -
cikura (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

cikura (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]

cikurā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
akṛta -
akṛta (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

akṛta (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]

√kṛ (verb class 1)

[aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]

√kṛ (verb class 2)

[imperfect active second plural], [imperfect middle third single], [aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]

√kṛ (verb class 5)

[aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]

√kṛ (verb class 8)

[aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]
kāmas -
kāma (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
tanvi -
tanvī (noun, feminine)

[adverb], [vocative single]

tanvin (noun, masculine)

[compound], [adverb]

tanū (noun, feminine)

[locative single]
te -
ta (noun, masculine)

[locative single]

ta (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]

tā (noun, feminine)

[nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]

tad (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [accusative dual]

sa (noun, masculine)

[nominative plural]

sā (noun, feminine)

[nominative dual], [accusative dual]

yuṣmad (pronoun, none)

[dative single], [genitive single]
kim -
kim (indeclinable interrogative)

[indeclinable interrogative]

kim (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

kim (pronoun, neuter)

[nominative single], [accusative single]
na -
na (indeclinable particle)

[indeclinable particle]

na (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

na (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
tena -
tena (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

ta (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]

ta (noun, neuter)

[instrumental single]

tad (noun, neuter)

[instrumental single]

sa (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]

√tan (verb class 8)

[perfect active second plural]

√tan (verb class 4)

[perfect active second plural]

√tan (verb class 1)

[perfect active second plural]
Line 2: “vahati kuṭilamenaṃ hetunā kena mūrdhnā vadanavidhurayaṃ cet sodaro nādasīyaḥ”
vahati -
vahati (noun, masculine)

[compound], [adverb]

vahatī (noun, feminine)

[adverb], [vocative single]

vahat (noun, feminine)

[locative single]

√vah -> vahat (participle, masculine)

[locative single from √vah class 1 verb]

√vah -> vahat (participle, neuter)

[locative single from √vah class 1 verb]

√vah (verb class 1)

[present active third single]
kuṭila -
kuṭila (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

kuṭila (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
menam -
mena (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

menā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
hetunā -
hetu (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]
kena -
kena (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

ka (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]

ka (noun, neuter)

[instrumental single]

kaḥ (pronoun, masculine)

[instrumental single]

kim (pronoun, neuter)

[instrumental single]
mūrdhnā -
mūrdhan (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]
vadana -
vadana (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
vidhura -
vidhura (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

vidhura (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
yam -
ya (noun, masculine)

[accusative single]

yaḥ (pronoun, masculine)

[accusative single]
Cannot analyse cet*so
sodaro* -
sodara (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
nāda -
nāda (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]
sī -
si (noun, feminine)

[compound], [adverb], [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
iyaḥ -
ī (noun, feminine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural], [ablative single], [genitive single]

ī (noun, masculine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural], [ablative single], [genitive single]

About the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha

buy this book

This quote is included within the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha (महासुभाषितसंग्रह, maha-subhashita-samgraha / subhasita-sangraha), which is a compendium of Sanskrit aphorisms (subhāṣita), collected from various sources. Subhāṣita is a genre of Sanskrit literature, exposing the vast and rich cultural heritage of ancient India.

It has serial number 375 and can be found on page . (read on archive.org)

Sanskrit is the oldest living language and bears testimony to the intellectual past of ancient India. Three major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) share this language, which is used for many of their holy books. Besides religious manuscripts, much of India’s ancient culture has been preserved in Sanskrit, covering topics such as Architecture, Music, Botany, Surgery, Ethics, Philosophy, Dance and much more.

< Back to list with quotes

Last Updated: 23 April, 2019