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 110.19

यो च वर्षशतं जीवे कुशिदो हीनवीर्यवान् ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयो वीर्यम् आरंभतो दृढं ॥ १९ ॥

yo ca varṣaśataṃ jīve kuśido hīnavīryavān |
ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ śreyo vīryam āraṃbhato dṛḍhaṃ || 19 ||

One may live for a hundred years, sluggish and inert, but better is the one day’s life of him who firmly exerts his energy. (19)

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

Varshashata, Jiva, Kushi, Kushin, Hinavirya, Vat, Ekaha, Jivita, Shreyah, Shreyas, Shreya, Virya, Dridha,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 110.19). 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: “yo ca varṣaśataṃ jīve kuśido hīnavīryavān
  • yo -
  • yu (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
    yu (noun, feminine)
    [vocative single]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • varṣaśatam -
  • varṣaśata (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • jīve -
  • jīva (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    jīva (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    jīvā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
  • kuśi -
  • kuśi (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    kuśī (noun, feminine)
    [adverb], [vocative single]
    kuśin (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    kuśin (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • do* -
  • da (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural], [ablative single], [genitive single]
  • hīnavīrya -
  • hīnavīrya (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    hīnavīrya (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • vān -
  • va (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural]
    -> vāt (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √ class 2 verb], [vocative single from √ class 2 verb]
    -> vāt (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √ class 1 verb], [vocative single from √ class 1 verb]
  • Line 2: “ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ śreyo vīryam āraṃbhato dṛḍhaṃ
  • ekāham -
  • ekāha (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    ekāhan (noun, neuter)
    [adverb]
  • jīvitam -
  • jīvita (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    jīvita (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    jīvitā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    jīv -> jīvita (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √jīv class 1 verb]
    jīv -> jīvita (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √jīv class 1 verb], [accusative single from √jīv class 1 verb]
  • śreyo* -
  • 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]
  • vīryam -
  • vīrya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    vīryā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    vīr -> vīrya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √vīr class 10 verb]
    vīr -> vīrya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √vīr class 10 verb], [accusative single from √vīr class 10 verb]
  • ārambhato -
  • dṛḍham -
  • dṛḍha (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    dṛḍha (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    dṛḍhā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 110.19

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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