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 37.28

अकार्यम् एतं वचनं सुगात्रिका स ब्राह्मणो क्रोधशब्दं वियाहरे ।
गत्वान भूताधिपतिं हि पृच्छथ सो एव वो ज्ञास्यति या नु श्रेया ॥ २८ ॥

akāryam etaṃ vacanaṃ sugātrikā sa brāhmaṇo krodhaśabdaṃ viyāhare |
gatvāna bhūtādhipatiṃ hi pṛcchatha so eva vo jñāsyati yā nu śreyā || 28 ||

“Ye fair-limbed maidens, such talk is unseemly. What brahman is there who would speak such an invidious word?” Go to the lord of creatures and question him, for he will know who of you is the best.” (28)

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

Akarya, Eta, Esha, Vacana, Sugatri, Krodha, Krodhan, Shabda, Ahar, Ahara, Ana, Bhutadhipati, Eva, Yushmad, Jnasyat, Shreya,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 37.28). 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: “akāryam etaṃ vacanaṃ sugātrikā sa brāhmaṇo krodhaśabdaṃ viyāhare
  • akāryam -
  • akārya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    akārya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    akāryā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • etam -
  • eta (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    eta (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    etā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    eṣa (noun, masculine)
    [accusative single]
  • vacanam -
  • vacana (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    vacana (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    vacanā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • sugātri -
  • sugātrī (noun, feminine)
    [adverb], [vocative single]
  • -
  • (indeclinable interrogative)
    [indeclinable interrogative]
    (pronoun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • sa -
  • sa (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    sa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • brāhmaṇo -
  • krodha -
  • krodha (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    krodha (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    krodhan (noun, masculine)
    [compound]
    krodhan (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • śabdam -
  • śabda (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
  • viyā -
  • (noun, feminine)
    [instrumental single]
    (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
  • ahare -
  • ahar (noun, neuter)
    [dative single]
    ahara (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    hṛ (verb class 1)
    [imperfect middle first single]
  • Line 2: “gatvāna bhūtādhipatiṃ hi pṛcchatha so eva vo jñāsyati nu śreyā
  • gatvā -
  • gam -> gatvā (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √gam]
    gam -> gatvā (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √gam]
    gam -> gatvā (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √gam]
  • ana -
  • ana (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • bhūtādhipatim -
  • bhūtādhipati (noun, masculine)
    [accusative single]
  • hi -
  • hi (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
  • pṛcchatha -
  • praś (verb class 6)
    [present active second plural]
  • so -
  • so (noun, feminine)
    [compound]
  • eva -
  • eva (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
    eva (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    eva (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • vo* -
  • va (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    yuṣmad (pronoun, none)
    [accusative plural], [dative plural], [genitive plural]
  • jñāsyati -
  • jñā -> jñāsyat (participle, masculine)
    [locative single from √jñā class 3 verb], [locative single from √jñā class 9 verb]
    jñā -> jñāsyat (participle, neuter)
    [locative single from √jñā class 3 verb], [locative single from √jñā class 9 verb]
    jñā (verb class 3)
    [future active third single]
    jñā (verb class 9)
    [future active third single]
  • yā* -
  • (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [accusative plural]
    (pronoun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [accusative plural]
  • nu -
  • nu (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    nu (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    nau (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • śreyā -
  • śrā -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative single from √śrā class 1 verb], [nominative single from √śrā class 2 verb], [nominative single from √śrā class 4 verb]
    śrai -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative single from √śrai class 1 verb], [nominative single from √śrai class 2 verb], [nominative single from √śrai class 4 verb]
    śri -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative single from √śri class 1 verb]
    śrī -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative single from √śrī class 9 verb]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 37.28

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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