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 14.21

लोकस्य अर्थविदुषः पुरुषप्रधानाः संसारम् अप्रतिसमाः परिवर्तमानाः ।
श्रेयश् चरन्ति मरुमानुषगुह्यकानां परमो हि समुदागम ईश्वराणाम् इति ॥ २१ ॥

lokasya arthaviduṣaḥ puruṣapradhānāḥ saṃsāram apratisamāḥ parivartamānāḥ |
śreyaś caranti marumānuṣaguhyakānāṃ paramo hi samudāgama īśvarāṇām iti || 21 ||

The peerless pre-eminent men pass through their successive lives (samsara) aware of what is good for the world. Their lives are better than those of devas, men, and Guhyakas. For the perfect knowledge gained by these lords is unsurpassed. (21)

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 (14.21). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Loka, Arthavid, Ush, Usha, Ushas, Purusha, Pradhana, Samsara, Aprati, Sama, Parivarta, Ana, Shreyah, Shreyas, Shreya, Maru, Anushak, Uhya, Aka, Parama, Samudagama, Ishvara, Iti,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 14.21). 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: “lokasya arthaviduṣaḥ puruṣapradhānāḥ saṃsāram apratisamāḥ parivartamānāḥ
  • lokasya -
  • loka (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
  • arthavid -
  • arthavid (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single]
    arthavid (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • uṣaḥ -
  • uṣas (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    uṣas (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    uṣ (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural], [ablative single], [genitive single]
    uṣa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • puruṣa -
  • puruṣa (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    puruṣa (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • pradhānāḥ -
  • pradhāna (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    pradhānā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • saṃsāram -
  • saṃsāra (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
  • aprati -
  • aprati (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    aprati (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    aprati (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb]
  • samāḥ -
  • sama (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    samā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • parivartam -
  • parivarta (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    parivartā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • ānāḥ -
  • āna (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • Line 2: “śreyaś caranti marumānuṣaguhyakānāṃ paramo hi samudāgama īśvarāṇām iti
  • śreyaś -
  • śreyaḥ (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    śreyas (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    śreyas (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    śrā -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √śrā class 1 verb], [nominative single from √śrā class 2 verb], [nominative single from √śrā class 4 verb]
    śrai -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √śrai class 1 verb], [nominative single from √śrai class 2 verb], [nominative single from √śrai class 4 verb]
    śri -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √śri class 1 verb]
    śrī -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √śrī class 9 verb]
  • caranti -
  • car (verb class 1)
    [present active third plural]
  • marum -
  • maru (noun, masculine)
    [accusative single]
  • ānuṣag -
  • ānuṣak (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
  • uhya -
  • uh -> uhya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √uh]
    vah -> uhya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √vah]
    uhya (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    uhya (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    u (verb class 2)
    [imperative active second single]
  • akānām -
  • aka (noun, neuter)
    [genitive plural]
  • paramo* -
  • parama (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • hi -
  • hi (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
  • samudāgama* -
  • samudāgama (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • īśvarāṇām -
  • īśvara (noun, masculine)
    [genitive plural]
    īśvara (noun, neuter)
    [genitive plural]
    īśvarā (noun, feminine)
    [genitive plural]
  • iti -
  • iti (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
    iti (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 14.21

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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