Mahabharata [sanskrit]

699,462 words | ISBN-10: 812150094X | ISBN-13: 9788121500944

The Sanskrit edition of the Mahabharata, one of the largest epic poems ever written, consisting of 100,000 metrical verses. Consisting of 18 books, the Mahabharata details the history and legends concerning ancient India (Bharata), including a major battle campaign involving the Kauravas and the Pandavas, also known as the Kurukshetra War. This portion also contains the Bhagavad-Gita. Alternative titles: Mahābhārata (महाभारत).

Verse 1.85.21

अष्टक उवाच ।
किं स्वित्कृत्वा लभते तात लोकान्मर्त्यः श्रेष्ठांस्तपसा विद्यया वा ।
तन्मे पृष्टः शंस सर्वं यथावच्छुभांल्लोकान्येन गच्छेत्क्रमेण ॥ २१ ॥

aṣṭaka uvāca |
kiṃ svitkṛtvā labhate tāta lokānmartyaḥ śreṣṭhāṃstapasā vidyayā vā |
tanme pṛṣṭaḥ śaṃsa sarvaṃ yathāvacchubhāṃllokānyena gacchetkrameṇa || 21 ||

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

...realises the Supreme Spirit as the sole existent independent essence. While they that devote themselves to Yoga meditation take time to acquire the same knowledge, for it is by practice...

English translation by Kisari Mohan Ganguly (2013) Read online 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 (1.85.21). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Ashtaka, Kim, Labhat, Tata, Loka, Martya, Shreshtha, Tapasa, Vidya, Prishta, Shamsa, Sarvam, Sarva, Yathavat, Shubha, Yena, Yah, Yat, Kramena, Krama,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahabharata Verse 1.85.21). 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: “aṣṭaka uvāca
  • aṣṭaka* -
  • aṣṭaka (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • uvāca -
  • vac (verb class 2)
    [perfect active first single], [perfect active third single]
    vac (verb class 3)
    [perfect active first single], [perfect active third single]
  • Line 2: “kiṃ svitkṛtvā labhate tāta lokānmartyaḥ śreṣṭhāṃstapasā vidyayā
  • kim -
  • kim (indeclinable interrogative)
    [indeclinable interrogative]
    kim (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    kim (pronoun, neuter)
    [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • Cannot analyse svitkṛtvā*la
  • labhate -
  • labh -> labhat (participle, masculine)
    [dative single from √labh class 1 verb]
    labh -> labhat (participle, neuter)
    [dative single from √labh class 1 verb]
    labh (verb class 1)
    [present middle third single]
  • tāta -
  • tāta (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • lokān -
  • loka (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative plural], [ablative single]
  • martyaḥ -
  • martya (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • śreṣṭhāṃs -
  • śreṣṭha (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural]
  • tapasā* -
  • tapasa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative plural], [vocative plural]
  • vidyayā -
  • vidyā (noun, feminine)
    [instrumental single]
  • -
  • (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
    (verb class 1)
    [imperative active second single]
  • Line 3: “tanme pṛṣṭaḥ śaṃsa sarvaṃ yathāvacchubhāṃllokānyena gacchetkrameṇa
  • tanme -
  • pṛṣṭaḥ -
  • pṛṣṭa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
    pṛṣ -> pṛṣṭa (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √pṛṣ class 1 verb]
    praś -> pṛṣṭa (participle, masculine)
    [nominative single from √praś class 6 verb]
  • śaṃsa -
  • śaṃsa (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    śaṃsa (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    śaṃs (verb class 1)
    [imperative active second single]
  • sarvam -
  • sarvam (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    sarva (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    sarva (noun, neuter)
    [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • yathāvacch -
  • yathāvat (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
  • śubhāṃl -
  • śubha (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural]
  • lokān -
  • loka (noun, masculine)
    [accusative plural]
  • yena -
  • yena (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    ya (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
    yaḥ (pronoun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
    yat (pronoun, neuter)
    [instrumental single]
  • gacchet -
  • gam (verb class 1)
    [optative active third single]
  • krameṇa -
  • krameṇa (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    krama (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahabharata Verse 1.85.21

Cover of edition (2013)

The complete Mahabharata (12 Volumes)
by Kisari Mohan Ganguly (2013)

4900 pages; [Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.] ISBN: ‎ 812150094X or 9788121500944;

Buy now!
Cover of edition (2003)

The Mahabharata in Kannada (Set of 32 Volumes)
by Bharatha Darshana Bangalore (2003)

ಶ್ರೇಮಹಭಾರತ [ಮಹಾಭಾರತ]; 13907 pages;

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Preview of verse 1.85.21 in Kannada sript:
ಅಷ್ಟಕ ಉವಾಚ ।
ಕಿಂ ಸ್ವಿತ್ಕೃತ್ವಾ ಲಭತೇ ತಾತ ಲೋಕಾನ್ಮರ್ತ್ಯಃ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠಾಂಸ್ತಪಸಾ ವಿದ್ಯಯಾ ವಾ ।
ತನ್ಮೇ ಪೃಷ್ಟಃ ಶಂಸ ಸರ್ವಂ ಯಥಾವಚ್ಛುಭಾಂಲ್ಲೋಕಾನ್ಯೇನ ಗಚ್ಛೇತ್ಕ್ರಮೇಣ ॥ ೨೧ ॥

Cover of edition (2008)

The Complete Mahabharata (9 volumes)
by M. N. Dutt (2008)

6415 pages; Sanskrit Text with English Translation; [Edited By: Dr. Ishwar Chandra Sharma & Dr. O.N. Bimali] [Publisher: Parimal Publication Pvt. Ltd.]

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Cover of edition (2017)

Mahabharata (Hindi Translation, Six Volumes)
by Sahityacharya Pandit Ramnarayandutt Shastri Pandey "Ram" (2017)

7350 pages; [महाभारत] [Publisher: Gita Press, Gorakhpur] 44 Color and Black/white illustrations.

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Cover of Bengali edition

The Mahabharata in Bengali (Two Volumes)
by Akshay Library, Kolkata (2019)

3049 pages; [মহাভারত] [মহার্ষী বদভ্যাস (Maharishi Vedvyas)]

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Preview of verse 1.85.21 in Bengali sript:
অষ্টক উবাচ ।
কিং স্বিত্কৃত্বা লভতে তাত লোকান্মর্ত্যঃ শ্রেষ্ঠাংস্তপসা বিদ্যযা বা ।
তন্মে পৃষ্টঃ শংস সর্বং যথাবচ্ছুভাংল্লোকান্যেন গচ্ছেত্ক্রমেণ ॥ ২১ ॥

Cover of Gujarati edition

Mahabharat in Gujarati (20 Volumes)
by Dinkar Joshi (દિનકર જોશી) (2010)

14252 pages; [મહાભારત] [Publisher: Pravin Prakashan Pvt. Ltd, Rajkot]

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Preview of verse 1.85.21 in Gujarati sript:
અષ્ટક ઉવાચ ।
કિં સ્વિત્કૃત્વા લભતે તાત લોકાન્મર્ત્યઃ શ્રેષ્ઠાંસ્તપસા વિદ્યયા વા ।
તન્મે પૃષ્ટઃ શંસ સર્વં યથાવચ્છુભાંલ્લોકાન્યેન ગચ્છેત્ક્રમેણ ॥ ૨૧ ॥

Cover of edition (2018)

Shri Mahabharatam in Malayalam (2 volumes)
by Swami Mridananda (2018)

1681 pages; [Publisher: Ramakrishna Math, Thrissur]

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Preview of verse 1.85.21 in Malayalam sript:
അഷ്ടക ഉവാച ।
കിം സ്വിത്കൃത്വാ ലഭതേ താത ലോകാന്മര്ത്യഃ ശ്രേഷ്ഠാംസ്തപസാ വിദ്യയാ വാ ।
തന്മേ പൃഷ്ടഃ ശംസ സര്വം യഥാവച്ഛുഭാംല്ലോകാന്യേന ഗച്ഛേത്ക്രമേണ ॥ ൨൧ ॥

Cover of edition (2018)

Mahabharata in Telugu (7 Volumes)
by Gita Press, Gorakhpur (2018)

7248pages

Buy now!

Preview of verse 1.85.21 in Telugu sript:
అష్టక ఉవాచ ।
కిం స్విత్కృత్వా లభతే తాత లోకాన్మర్త్యః శ్రేష్ఠాంస్తపసా విద్యయా వా ।
తన్మే పృష్టః శంస సర్వం యథావచ్ఛుభాంల్లోకాన్యేన గచ్ఛేత్క్రమేణ ॥ ౨౧ ॥

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