Mahavastu [sanskrit verses and english]

by Émile Senart | 1882 | 56,574 words

This is the Sanskrit Mahavastu: a lengthy work on Buddhist teachings and narratives belonging to the school of early Buddhism (Mahasanghika). This edition only includes those metrical verses occuring in the various stories and Jatakas, as well as the corresponding English translation by J. J. Jones.

Verse 8.4

किं कारणं न ह्य् एते प्राकृतपुरुषाणां भवन्ति संकल्पाः ।
बहुजनहिताय यत्र ते जनयन्ति मनोरथां वीराः ॥ ४ ॥

kiṃ kāraṇaṃ na hy ete prākṛtapuruṣāṇāṃ bhavanti saṃkalpāḥ |
bahujanahitāya yatra te janayanti manorathāṃ vīrāḥ || 4 ||

And why? Because these are not the purposes of ordinary men. Because it is for the sake of mankind that these valiant men form their wishes. (4)

English translation by J. J. Jones (1949) Read online

Glossary of Sanskrit terms

Note: This extracts Sanskrit terms and links to English definitions from the glossary, based on an experimental segmentation of verse (8.4). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Kim, Karana, Eta, Etad, Eti, Esha, Prakrita, Purusha, Bhavanti, Bhavat, Bhavant, Sankalpa, Bahujanahita, Yatra, Tad, Yushmad, Janayat, Janayanti, Manoratha, Vira,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 8.4). 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: “kiṃ kāraṇaṃ na hy ete prākṛtapuruṣāṇāṃ bhavanti saṃkalpāḥ
  • kim -
  • kim (indeclinable interrogative)
    [indeclinable interrogative]
    kim (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    kim (pronoun, neuter)
    [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • kāraṇam -
  • kāraṇa (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    kāraṇā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • na -
  • na (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
    na (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    na (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • Cannot analyse hy*et
  • ete -
  • eta (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    eta (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    etā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    etad (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [accusative dual]
    eti (noun, feminine)
    [vocative single]
    eṣā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [accusative dual]
    eṣa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural]
  • prākṛta -
  • prākṛta (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    prākṛta (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • puruṣāṇām -
  • puruṣa (noun, masculine)
    [genitive plural]
    puruṣa (noun, neuter)
    [genitive plural]
    puruṣā (noun, feminine)
    [genitive plural]
  • bhavanti -
  • bhavanti (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    bhavantī (noun, feminine)
    [adverb], [vocative single]
    bhavat (noun, neuter)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
    bhavant (pronoun, neuter)
    [nominative plural], [accusative plural]
    bhū (verb class 1)
    [present active third plural]
  • saṅkalpāḥ -
  • saṅkalpa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    saṅkalpā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • Line 2: “bahujanahitāya yatra te janayanti manorathāṃ vīrāḥ
  • bahujanahitāya -
  • bahujanahita (noun, neuter)
    [dative single]
  • yatra -
  • yatra (indeclinable relative)
    [indeclinable relative]
    yatra (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    yatra (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    yatra (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • te -
  • ta (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    ta (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    tad (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [accusative dual]
    sa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [accusative dual]
    yuṣmad (pronoun, none)
    [dative single], [genitive single]
  • janayanti -
  • jan -> janayantī (participle, feminine)
    [adverb from √jan]
    jan -> janayat (participle, neuter)
    [nominative plural from √jan class 10 verb], [vocative plural from √jan class 10 verb], [accusative plural from √jan class 10 verb], [nominative plural from √jan], [vocative plural from √jan], [accusative plural from √jan]
    jan -> janayantī (participle, feminine)
    [vocative single from √jan class 10 verb], [vocative single from √jan]
    jan (verb class 10)
    [present active third plural]
    jan (verb class 0)
    [present active third plural]
  • manorathām -
  • manorathā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • vīrāḥ -
  • vīra (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    vīrā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 8.4

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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