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 100.40

प्रज्ञां खु श्रेष्ठां कुशला वदन्ति नक्षत्रराजा इव तारकानां ।
शीलं शिरि चैव कृतज्ञता च प्रज्ञोपका तु प्रवरा भवन्ति ॥ ४० ॥

prajñāṃ khu śreṣṭhāṃ kuśalā vadanti nakṣatrarājā iva tārakānāṃ |
śīlaṃ śiri caiva kṛtajñatā ca prajñopakā tu pravarā bhavanti || 40 ||

Good men say wisdom is the best by far, just as the moon is best among the stars. Morality, good fortune, gratitude are but wisdom’s fair handmaids. (40)

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

Prajna, Shreshtha, Kushala, Vadat, Vadanti, Nakshatraraja, Iva, Taraka, Shil, Shila, Shiri, Kritajnata, Prajnu, Pravara, Bhavanti, Bhavat, Bhavant,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 100.40). 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: “prajñāṃ khu śreṣṭhāṃ kuśalā vadanti nakṣatrarājā iva tārakānāṃ
  • prajñām -
  • prajñā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • Cannot analyse khu*śr
  • śreṣṭhām -
  • śreṣṭhā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • kuśalā* -
  • kuśala (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    kuśalā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • vadanti -
  • vad -> vadat (participle, neuter)
    [nominative plural from √vad class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √vad class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √vad class 1 verb]
    vad -> vadantī (participle, feminine)
    [vocative single from √vad class 1 verb]
    vad (verb class 1)
    [present active third plural]
  • nakṣatrarājā* -
  • nakṣatrarāja (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • iva -
  • iva (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    iva (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
  • tārakān -
  • tāraka (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural]
  • ām -
  • ā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
    o (noun, masculine)
    [accusative single]
  • Line 2: “śīlaṃ śiri caiva kṛtajñatā ca prajñopakā tu pravarā bhavanti
  • śīlam -
  • śīla (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    śīla (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    śīlā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    śīl (noun, masculine)
    [accusative single]
  • śiri -
  • śiri (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    śirī (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [vocative single]
    śirī (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb], [vocative single]
    śirī (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • cai -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • aiva -
  • i (verb class 2)
    [imperfect active first dual]
  • kṛtajñatā -
  • kṛtajñatā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • prajño -
  • prajña (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    prajña (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    prajñā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
    prajñu (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
    prajñu (noun, feminine)
    [vocative single]
  • upakā -
  • tu -
  • tu (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
  • pravarā* -
  • pravara (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    pravarā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative 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]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 100.40

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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