Buddha-Carita [sanskrit]

by E. B. Cowell | 2003 | 11,474 words | ISBN-10: 8187418788 | ISBN-13: 9788187418788

The Buddha Carita (Saddharma-pundarika) by Asvaghosa a famous Sanskrit text revolving around the live and exploits of the Buddha. The Buddha Carita (Buddhacarita) is written in the style of a Kavya (or Mahakavya, epic poetry) and extant original Sanskrit text consists of roughly 1,000 metrical verses.

Verse 11.9

कामा ह्यनित्याः कुशलार्थचौरा रिक्ताश्च मायासदृशाश्च लोके ।
आशास्यमाना अपि मोहयन्ति चित्तं नृणां किं पुनरात्मसंस्थाः ॥ ९ ॥

kāmā hyanityāḥ kuśalārthacaurā riktāśca māyāsadṛśāśca loke |
āśāsyamānā api mohayanti cittaṃ nṛṇāṃ kiṃ punarātmasaṃsthāḥ || 9 ||

'These transient pleasures,—the robbers of our happiness and our wealth, and which float empty and like illusions through the world,—infatuate men's minds even when they are only hoped for,—still more when they take up their abode in the soul.

English translation by E. B. Cowell (2003) Buy now!

Glossary of Sanskrit terms

Note: This extracts Sanskrit terms and links to English definitions from the glossary, based on an experimental segmentation of verse (11.9). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Kama, Anitya, Kushala, Artha, Caura, Rikta, Maya, Asadrisha, Loka, Ashasya, Ana, Api, Mohayat, Mohayanti, Citta, Nri, Kim, Punar, Atmasamstha,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Buddha-carita Verse 11.9). 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: “kāmā hyanityāḥ kuśalārthacaurā riktāśca māyāsadṛśāśca loke
  • kāmā* -
  • kāma (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    kāmā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • hya -
  • hi (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
  • anityāḥ -
  • anitya (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    anityā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • kuśalā -
  • kuśala (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    kuśala (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    kuśalā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • artha -
  • artha (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    artha (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    arth (verb class 1)
    [imperative active second single]
  • caurā* -
  • caura (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    caurā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • riktāś -
  • rikta (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    riktā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
    ric -> rikta (participle, masculine)
    [nominative plural from √ric class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √ric class 1 verb], [nominative plural from √ric class 4 verb], [vocative plural from √ric class 4 verb], [nominative plural from √ric class 7 verb], [vocative plural from √ric class 7 verb]
    ric -> riktā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative plural from √ric class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √ric class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √ric class 1 verb], [nominative plural from √ric class 4 verb], [vocative plural from √ric class 4 verb], [accusative plural from √ric class 4 verb], [nominative plural from √ric class 7 verb], [vocative plural from √ric class 7 verb], [accusative plural from √ric class 7 verb]
    rij -> rikta (participle, masculine)
    [nominative plural from √rij class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √rij class 1 verb]
    rij -> riktā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative plural from √rij class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √rij class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √rij class 1 verb]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • māyā -
  • māya (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    māya (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    -> māya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √]
    -> māya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √]
    -> māya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √]
    man -> māya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √man]
    man -> māya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √man]
    ma (noun, masculine)
    [dative single]
    ma (noun, neuter)
    [dative single]
    māyā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
    (verb class 4)
    [imperative active second single]
  • asadṛśāś -
  • asadṛśa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • loke -
  • loka (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    lok (verb class 1)
    [present middle first single]
  • Line 2: “āśāsyamānā api mohayanti cittaṃ nṛṇāṃ kiṃ punarātmasaṃsthāḥ
  • āśāsyam -
  • āśāsya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    āśāsya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    āśāsyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • ānā* -
  • āna (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • api -
  • api (indeclinable preposition)
    [indeclinable preposition]
    ap (noun, neuter)
    [locative single]
    api (Preverb)
    [Preverb]
  • mohayanti -
  • muh -> mohayantī (participle, feminine)
    [adverb from √muh]
    mohayantī (noun, masculine)
    [adverb]
    mohayantī (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb], [vocative single]
    mohayantī (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    muh -> mohayat (participle, neuter)
    [nominative plural from √muh], [vocative plural from √muh], [accusative plural from √muh]
    muh -> mohayantī (participle, feminine)
    [vocative single from √muh]
    mohayat (noun, neuter)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
    muh (verb class 0)
    [present active third plural]
  • cittam -
  • citta (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    citta (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    cittā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    cit (verb class 2)
    [imperative active second dual]
  • nṛṇām -
  • nṛ (noun, masculine)
    [genitive plural]
  • kim -
  • kim (indeclinable interrogative)
    [indeclinable interrogative]
    kim (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    kim (pronoun, neuter)
    [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • punar -
  • punar (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    punar (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
  • ātmasaṃsthāḥ -
  • ātmasaṃstha (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    ātmasaṃsthā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Buddha-carita Verse 11.9

Cover of edition (2003)

The Buddha-Carita By Asvaghosa or Acts of Buddha
by E. B. Cowell (2003)

Buy now!
Cover of edition (2011)

Buddha Carita of Asvaghosa
by Shanti Lal Nagar (2011)

Sanskrit text, English translation, Index of Verse and Photographs of Archaeological Evidence

Buy now!
Cover of edition (2016)

Asvaghosa’s Buddhacarita or Acts of the Buddha
by E. H. Johnston (2016)

Sanskrit text with English Translation

Buy now!
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