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.

व्यूहयित्वाग्रतः शूरान् स्थापयेज्जयलिप्सया ।
पृष्ठेन वायवो वान्ति पृष्ठे भानुवयांसि च ।
अनुप्लवते मेघाश्च यस्य तस्य रणे जयः ।
अपूर्णेनैव मर्त्तव्यं सम्पूर्णेनैव जीवनम् ॥ ४४ ॥

vyūhayitvāgrataḥ śūrān sthāpayejjayalipsayā |
pṛṣṭhena vāyavo vānti pṛṣṭhe bhānuvayāṃsi ca |
anuplavate meghāśca yasya tasya raṇe jayaḥ |
apūrṇenaiva marttavyaṃ sampūrṇenaiva jīvanam || 44 ||

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

With the intention of winning, one should arrange the heroes in front of them. The winds blow on the back, and the sun’s rays blow on the back. He whose clouds do not float is victorious in battle One should die with an incomplete life but with a complete life.

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

Shura, Prishtha, Vayava, Vayu, Vat, Vanti, Prishthe, Vayas, Anuplava, Tad, Yushmad, Megha, Yasya, Yah, Yat, Rana, Jaya, Apurna, Sampurna, Jivana,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Verse 2.44). 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: “vyūhayitvāgrataḥ śūrān sthāpayejjayalipsayā
  • Cannot analyse vyūhayitvāgrataḥ*śū
  • śūrān -
  • śūra (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural]
  • Cannot analyse sthāpayejjayalipsayā
  • Line 2: “pṛṣṭhena vāyavo vānti pṛṣṭhe bhānuvayāṃsi ca
  • pṛṣṭhena -
  • pṛṣṭha (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental single]
  • vāyavo* -
  • vāyava (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    vāyu (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    vāyu (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • vānti -
  • vānti (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    -> vāt (participle, neuter)
    [nominative plural from √ class 2 verb], [vocative plural from √ class 2 verb], [accusative plural from √ class 2 verb]
    -> vāt (participle, neuter)
    [nominative plural from √ class 1 verb], [vocative plural from √ class 1 verb], [accusative plural from √ class 1 verb]
    -> vāntī (participle, feminine)
    [vocative single from √ class 1 verb]
    (verb class 2)
    [present active third plural]
    (verb class 1)
    [present active third plural]
  • pṛṣṭhe -
  • pṛṣṭhe (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    pṛṣṭha (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
  • bhānu -
  • bhānu (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    bhānu (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
  • vayāṃsi -
  • vayas (noun, neuter)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • Line 3: “anuplavate meghāśca yasya tasya raṇe jayaḥ
  • anuplava -
  • anuplava (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • te -
  • ta (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    ta (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    tad (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [accusative dual]
    sa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [accusative dual]
    yuṣmad (pronoun, none)
    [dative single], [genitive single]
  • meghāś -
  • megha (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    meghā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • yasya -
  • yasya (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    yasya (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    yas -> yasya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √yas]
    ya (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    yaḥ (pronoun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    yat (pronoun, neuter)
    [genitive single]
    yas (verb class 4)
    [imperative active second single]
  • tasya -
  • tas -> tasya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √tas]
    ta (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    ta (noun, neuter)
    [genitive single]
    tad (noun, neuter)
    [genitive single]
    sa (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    tas (verb class 4)
    [imperative active second single]
  • raṇe -
  • raṇa (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    raṇa (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
  • jayaḥ -
  • jaya (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    ji (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
    ji (noun, feminine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • Line 4: “apūrṇenaiva marttavyaṃ sampūrṇenaiva jīvanam
  • apūrṇenai -
  • apūrṇa (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
    apūrṇa (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental single]
  • aiva -
  • i (verb class 2)
    [imperfect active first dual]
  • Cannot analyse marttavyam*sa
  • sampūrṇenai -
  • sampūrṇa (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
    sampūrṇa (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental single]
  • aiva -
  • i (verb class 2)
    [imperfect active first dual]
  • jīvanam -
  • jīvana (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    jīvana (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    jīvanā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Verse 2.44

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.

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