Sanskrit quote nr. 729 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)

Sanskrit text:

अत्रास्थः पिशितं शवस्य कठिनैरुत्कृत्य कृत्स्नं नखैर् नग्नस्नायुकरालघोरकुहरैर्मस्तिष्कदिग्धाङ्गलिः ।
संदश्यौष्ठपुटेन भुग्नवदनः प्रेतश्चिताग्निद्रुतं सूत्कारैर्नलकास्थिकोटरगतं मज्जानमाकर्षति ॥

atrāsthaḥ piśitaṃ śavasya kaṭhinairutkṛtya kṛtsnaṃ nakhair nagnasnāyukarālaghorakuharairmastiṣkadigdhāṅgaliḥ |
saṃdaśyauṣṭhapuṭena bhugnavadanaḥ pretaścitāgnidrutaṃ sūtkārairnalakāsthikoṭaragataṃ majjānamākarṣati ||

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.

Atra (atrā, अत्रा): defined in 5 categories.
Tha (थ): defined in 8 categories.
Shava (sava, śava, शव): defined in 15 categories.
Kathina (kaṭhina, कठिन): defined in 8 categories.
Utkritya (utkrtya, utkṛtya, उत्कृत्य): defined in 1 categories.
Kritsna (krtsna, kṛtsna, कृत्स्न): defined in 8 categories.
Nakha (नख): defined in 15 categories.
Nagna (नग्न): defined in 13 categories.
Snayuka (snāyuka, स्नायुक): defined in 1 categories.
Rala (rāla, राल): defined in 6 categories.
Ghora (घोर): defined in 15 categories.
Kuhara (कुहर): defined in 12 categories.
Mastishka (mastiska, mastiṣka, मस्तिष्क): defined in 5 categories.
Digdhanga (digdhāṅga, दिग्धाङ्ग): defined in 2 categories.
Li (लि): defined in 7 categories.
Sat (सत्): defined in 7 categories.
Oshthaputa (osthaputa, oṣṭhapuṭa, ओष्ठपुट): defined in 1 categories.
Bhugna (भुग्न): defined in 5 categories.
Vadat (वदत्): defined in 2 categories.
Pretri (pretr, pretṛ, प्रेतृ): defined in 1 categories.
Preta (प्रेत): defined in 13 categories.
Drutam (द्रुतम्): defined in 1 categories.
Druta (द्रुत): defined in 12 categories.
Sutkara (sūtkāra, सूत्कार): defined in 2 categories.
Nalaka (नलक): defined in 6 categories.
Asthika (अस्थिक): defined in 2 categories.
Uta (uṭa, उट): defined in 5 categories.
Majjan (मज्जन्): defined in 3 categories.

Defined according to the following glossaries/dictionaries: Sanskrit, Pali, Marathi, Hindi, Nepali, Purana (epic history), Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), India history, Prakrit, Kannada, Ayurveda (science of life), Shaktism (Shakta philosophy), Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy), Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism), Theravada (major branch of Buddhism), Biology (plants and animals), Arts (wordly enjoyments), Buddhism, Yoga (school of philosophy), Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism), Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology), Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra), Kavya (poetry), Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa), Jainism, Vastushastra (architecture), Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy), Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma), Tamil, Dharmashastra (religious law), Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres), 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: “atrāsthaḥ piśitaṃ śavasya kaṭhinairutkṛtya kṛtsnaṃ nakhair nagnasnāyukarālaghorakuharairmastiṣkadigdhāṅgaliḥ”
atrās -
atrā (noun, feminine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]

atra (noun, masculine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural]
thaḥ -
tha (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
piśitam -
piśita (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

piśita (noun, neuter)

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

piśitā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
śavasya -
śava (noun, masculine)

[genitive single]

śava (noun, neuter)

[genitive single]
kaṭhinair -
kaṭhina (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]

kaṭhina (noun, neuter)

[instrumental plural]
utkṛtya -
utkṛtya (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]
kṛtsnam -
kṛtsna (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

kṛtsna (noun, neuter)

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

kṛtsnā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
nakhair -
nakha (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]

nakha (noun, neuter)

[instrumental plural]
nagna -
nagna (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

nagna (noun, neuter)

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

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

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

[compound], [vocative single]

ghora (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
kuharair -
kuhara (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]

kuhara (noun, neuter)

[instrumental plural]
mastiṣka -
mastiṣka (noun, masculine)

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

[compound], [vocative single]

digdhāṅga (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
liḥ -
li (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
Line 2: “saṃdaśyauṣṭhapuṭena bhugnavadanaḥ pretaścitāgnidrutaṃ sūtkārairnalakāsthikoṭaragataṃ majjānamākarṣati”
san -
sa (noun, neuter)

[adverb]

sat (noun, masculine)

[nominative single], [vocative single]
daśyau -
√daṃś -> daśya (absolutive)

[absolutive from √daṃś]

√daṃś -> daśya (absolutive)

[absolutive from √daṃś]
oṣṭhapuṭena -
oṣṭhapuṭa (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]
bhugna -
bhugna (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

bhugna (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
vadan -
√vad -> vadat (participle, masculine)

[nominative single from √vad class 1 verb], [vocative single from √vad class 1 verb]
aḥ -
a (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]

ṛ (noun, feminine)

[vocative single]

ṛ (noun, masculine)

[vocative single]
pretaś -
pretṛ (noun, masculine)

[vocative single]

preta (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]

√pre (verb class 2)

[present active third dual]
citāgni -
citāgni (noun, masculine)

[compound], [adverb]
drutam -
drutam (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

druta (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

druta (noun, neuter)

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

drutā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
sūtkārair -
sūtkāra (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]
nalakā -
nalaka (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
asthiko -
asthika (noun, neuter)

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

[compound], [vocative single]
ragatam -
√rag (verb class 1)

[imperative active second dual]
majjānam -
majjan (noun, masculine)

[accusative single]
ākar -
√ak (verb class 1)

[perfect active first single], [perfect active second plural], [perfect active third single]
ṛṣati -
√ṛṣ (verb class 6)

[present active third single]

About the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha

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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 729 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.

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Last Updated: 23 April, 2019