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 110.1

सहस्रम् अपि वाचानां अनर्थपदसंहिता ।
एका अर्थवती श्रेया यां श्रुत्वा उपशाम्यति ॥ १ ॥

sahasram api vācānāṃ anarthapadasaṃhitā |
ekā arthavatī śreyā yāṃ śrutvā upaśāmyati || 1 ||

Better than a thousand speeches made up of profitless words is one profitable speech by which a man who hears it is made calm. (1)

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

Sahasram, Sahasra, Api, Vaca, Anartha, Padasamhita, Eka, Arthavat, Arthavati, Shreya, Upa, Shamyat,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 110.1). 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: “sahasram api vācānāṃ anarthapadasaṃhitā
  • sahasram -
  • sahasram (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    sahasra (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    sahasra (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • api -
  • api (indeclinable preposition)
    [indeclinable preposition]
    ap (noun, neuter)
    [locative single]
  • vācānām -
  • vācā (noun, feminine)
    [genitive plural]
    vāca (noun, masculine)
    [genitive plural]
  • anartha -
  • anartha (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    anartha (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    arth (verb class 1)
    [perfect active first single], [perfect active second plural], [perfect active third single]
  • padasaṃhitā -
  • padasaṃhitā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • Line 2: “ekā arthavatī śreyā yāṃ śrutvā upaśāmyati
  • ekā* -
  • ekā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [accusative plural]
  • arthavatī -
  • arthavatī (noun, masculine)
    [compound]
    arthavatī (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [nominative single]
    arthavat (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
  • śreyā* -
  • śrā -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative plural from √śrā class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √śrā class 1 verb], [nominative plural from √śrā class 2 verb], [vocative plural from √śrā class 2 verb], [nominative plural from √śrā class 4 verb], [vocative plural from √śrā class 4 verb]
    śrā -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative plural from √śrā class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √śrā class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √śrā class 1 verb], [nominative plural from √śrā class 2 verb], [vocative plural from √śrā class 2 verb], [accusative plural from √śrā class 2 verb], [nominative plural from √śrā class 4 verb], [vocative plural from √śrā class 4 verb], [accusative plural from √śrā class 4 verb]
    śrai -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative plural from √śrai class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √śrai class 1 verb], [nominative plural from √śrai class 2 verb], [vocative plural from √śrai class 2 verb], [nominative plural from √śrai class 4 verb], [vocative plural from √śrai class 4 verb]
    śrai -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative plural from √śrai class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √śrai class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √śrai class 1 verb], [nominative plural from √śrai class 2 verb], [vocative plural from √śrai class 2 verb], [accusative plural from √śrai class 2 verb], [nominative plural from √śrai class 4 verb], [vocative plural from √śrai class 4 verb], [accusative plural from √śrai class 4 verb]
    śri -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative plural from √śri class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √śri class 1 verb]
    śri -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative plural from √śri class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √śri class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √śri class 1 verb]
    śrī -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [nominative plural from √śrī class 9 verb], [vocative plural from √śrī class 9 verb]
    śrī -> śreyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative plural from √śrī class 9 verb], [vocative plural from √śrī class 9 verb], [accusative plural from √śrī class 9 verb]
  • yām -
  • (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
    (pronoun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • śrutvā -
  • śru -> śrutvā (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √śru]
  • upa -
  • upa (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    upa (indeclinable preposition)
    [indeclinable preposition]
    upa (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    upa (Preverb)
    [Preverb]
  • śāmyati -
  • śam -> śāmyat (participle, masculine)
    [locative single from √śam class 4 verb]
    śam -> śāmyat (participle, neuter)
    [locative single from √śam class 4 verb]
    śam (verb class 4)
    [present active third single]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 110.1

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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