Dhanurveda Samhita [sanskrit]

3,015 words

The Sanskrit text of the Dhanurveda-samhita attributed to Vasishtha. Dhanur Veda is a type of ancient India science whose roots date to the 2nd millenium BCE. It is counted among the Upavedas literature. This specific version of the Dhanurveda contains roughly 240 sections of Sanskrit text.

धन्वीतः चलते यत्र स्थिरलक्ष्ये समाहितः ।
चलाचलं भवेत्तत्र ह्यप्रमेयमाचिन्ततम् ।
उभावपि चलौ यत्र लक्ष्यं चापि धनुर्द्धरः ।
तद्विज्ञेयं द्वयचलं श्रमेण बहु साध्यते ॥ ९८ ॥

dhanvītaḥ calate yatra sthiralakṣye samāhitaḥ |
calācalaṃ bhavettatra hyaprameyamācintatam |
ubhāvapi calau yatra lakṣyaṃ cāpi dhanurddharaḥ |
tadvijñeyaṃ dvayacalaṃ śrameṇa bahu sādhyate || 98 ||

Note! The following is not a translation of the above verse, but merely an arbitrary extract of the English text.

Where the bowman moves, he is fixed on a fixed target. There is nothing moving or unchanging, and there is nothing immeasurable to think about. Both moved where the target and the bowman were. That which is understood to be twofold is achieved with much effort.

English translation by Hardayalu Swami (2001) 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 (1.98). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Dhanu, Dhanvin, Dhanvi, Itah, Ita, Calata, Yatra, Sthira, Lakshya, Samahita, Calacala, Tatra, Aprameya, Ubha, Api, Cala, Cali, Calu, Capin, Capi, Tad, Tat, Vijneya, Dvaya, Shrama, Bahu, Sadhyata, Sadhyat,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Verse 1.98). 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: “dhanvītaḥ calate yatra sthiralakṣye samāhitaḥ
  • dhanvī -
  • dhanvin (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single]
    dhanvin (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    dhanvī (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb], [vocative single]
    dhanvī (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single]
    dhanvī (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    dhanū (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
  • itaḥ -
  • itaḥ (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    ita (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    i -> ita (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √i class 2 verb]
    i (verb class 2)
    [present active third dual]
  • calate -
  • calatā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
  • yatra -
  • yatra (indeclinable relative)
    [indeclinable relative]
    yatra (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    yatra (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    yatra (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • sthira -
  • sthira (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    sthira (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • lakṣye -
  • lakṣya (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    lakṣya (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    lakṣyā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    lakṣ -> lakṣya (participle, masculine)
    [locative single from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [locative single from √lakṣ class 10 verb]
    lakṣ -> lakṣya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative dual from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [vocative dual from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [accusative dual from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [locative single from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [nominative dual from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [vocative dual from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [accusative dual from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [locative single from √lakṣ class 10 verb]
    lakṣ -> lakṣyā (participle, feminine)
    [nominative dual from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [vocative single from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [vocative dual from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [accusative dual from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [nominative dual from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [vocative single from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [vocative dual from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [accusative dual from √lakṣ class 10 verb]
    lakṣ (verb class 1)
    [present passive first single]
    lakṣ (verb class 10)
    [present passive first single]
  • samāhitaḥ -
  • samāhita (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • Line 2: “calācalaṃ bhavettatra hyaprameyamācintatam
  • calācalam -
  • calācala (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    calācala (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    calācalā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • bhavet -
  • bhū (verb class 1)
    [optative active third single]
  • tatra -
  • tatra (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    tatra (indeclinable correlative)
    [indeclinable correlative]
    tatra (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
  • hya -
  • hi (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
  • aprameyam -
  • aprameya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    aprameya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    aprameyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • ā -
  • a (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
    (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    ā (Preverb)
    [Preverb]
  • acintatam -
  • cint (verb class 1)
    [imperfect active second dual]
  • Line 3: “ubhāvapi calau yatra lakṣyaṃ cāpi dhanurddharaḥ
  • ubhāva -
  • ubha (noun, masculine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
  • api -
  • api (indeclinable preposition)
    [indeclinable preposition]
    ap (noun, neuter)
    [locative single]
    api (Preverb)
    [Preverb]
  • calau -
  • cala (noun, masculine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    cali (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    calu (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
  • yatra -
  • yatra (indeclinable relative)
    [indeclinable relative]
    yatra (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    yatra (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    yatra (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • lakṣyam -
  • lakṣya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    lakṣya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    lakṣyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    lakṣ -> lakṣya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √lakṣ class 10 verb]
    lakṣ -> lakṣya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √lakṣ class 1 verb], [nominative single from √lakṣ class 10 verb], [accusative single from √lakṣ class 10 verb]
  • cāpi -
  • cāpin (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    cāpin (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    cāpī (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    cāpī (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb], [vocative single]
    cāpī (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    cāpi (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    cāpi (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    cāpi (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • Cannot analyse dhanurddharaḥ
  • Line 4: “tadvijñeyaṃ dvayacalaṃ śrameṇa bahu sādhyate
  • tad -
  • tad (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    tad (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    tat (indeclinable correlative)
    [indeclinable correlative]
    tad (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • vijñeyam -
  • vijñeya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    vijñeya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    vijñeyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • dvaya -
  • dvaya (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    dvaya (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • calam -
  • cala (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    cala (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    calā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • śrameṇa -
  • śrama (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
  • bahu -
  • bahu (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    bahu (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    bahu (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    bahu (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • sādhyate -
  • sādhyatā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    sādh -> sādhyat (participle, masculine)
    [dative single from √sādh class 4 verb]
    sādh -> sādhyat (participle, neuter)
    [dative single from √sādh class 4 verb]
    sādh (verb class 1)
    [present passive third single]
    sādh (verb class 4)
    [present middle third single], [present passive third single]
    sādh (verb class 5)
    [present passive third single]
    sidh (verb class 0)
    [present passive third single]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Verse 1.98

Cover of edition (2001)

Dhanurveda Samhita (धनुर्वेदसंहिता)
by Hardayalu Swami (2001)

Publisher: Khemraj Shrikrishnadass

Buy now!
Cover of edition (2023)

Vasistha’s Dhanurveda Samhita
by Purnima Ray (2023)

Publisher: Khemraj Shrikrishnadas; ISBN-10: 818670289X; ISBN-13: 9788186702895; 88 pages including 18 illustrations;

Buy now!
Cover of edition (2007)

Dhanurveda Samhita (धनुर्वेदसंहिता) (संस्कृत एवं हिंदी अनुवाद)
by Shri Dwarka Prasad Shastri (2007)

Title: Dhanurveda Sanhita (Hindi translation); Publisher: Chaukhambha Prakashan, Varanasi; 84 pages including 11 illustrations; Author: महर्षि वशिष्ठ (Maharshi Vashistha); Foreword by Dr. Chakradhar Bijalwan.

Buy now!
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