Sanskrit quote nr. 2 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)

Sanskrit text:

अंशुकं हृतवता तनुबाहुस्वस्तिकापिहितमुग्धकुचाग्रा ।
भिन्नशङ्खवलयं परिणेत्रा पर्यरम्भि रभसादचिरोढा ॥

aṃśukaṃ hṛtavatā tanubāhusvastikāpihitamugdhakucāgrā |
bhinnaśaṅkhavalayaṃ pariṇetrā paryarambhi rabhasādaciroḍhā ||

⎼⎼⏑¦⎼⎼⏑¦⏑⎼⏑¦⎼⎼¦¦⎼⎼⏑¦⎼⎼⏑¦⏑⎼⏑¦⎼⎼¦¦
⎼⎼⏑¦⎼⎼⏑¦⏑⎼⏑¦⎼⎼¦¦⎼⎼⏑¦⎼⎼⏑¦⏑⎼⏑¦⎼⎼¦¦

Meter name: Rathoddhatā; Type: Akṣaracchanda (sama); 11 syllables per quarter (pāda).

Primary English translation:

“The newly married damsel covered her charming breasts crosswise with her slender hands when the upper silk was pulled by the husband and was embraced ardently with the snapping of her conch bracelets.”

(translation by A. A. Ramanathan)

Index

  1. Introduction
  2. Glossary of terms
  3. Analysis of Sanskrit grammar
  4. Sources
  5. Authorship
  6. About the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha

Presented above is a Sanskrit aphorism, also known as a subhāṣita, which is at the very least, a literary piece of art. This page provides critical research material such as an anlaysis on the poetic meter used, an English translation, a glossary explaining technical terms, and a list of resources including print editions and digital links.

Glossary of Sanskrit terms

Note: Consider this as an approximate extraction of glossary words based on an experimental segmentation of the Sanskrit verse. Some could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned.

Amshuka (amsuka, aṃśuka, अंशुक): defined in 5 categories.
Tanu (तनु, tanū, तनू): defined in 15 categories.
Bahusvastika (bāhusvastika, बाहुस्वस्तिक): defined in 1 categories.
Apihita (अपिहित): defined in 2 categories.
Uksh (uks, ukṣ, उक्ष्): defined in 1 categories.
Dha (ध): defined in 8 categories.
Kuca (कुच): defined in 10 categories.
Agra (agrā, अग्रा): defined in 15 categories.
Bhinna (भिन्न): defined in 14 categories.
Shankhavalaya (sankhavalaya, śaṅkhavalaya, शङ्खवलय): defined in 1 categories.
Parinetri (parinetr, pariṇetṛ, परिणेतृ): defined in 1 categories.
Pari (परि): defined in 8 categories.
Rabhasat (rabhasāt, रभसात्): defined in 1 categories.
Rabhasa (रभस): defined in 6 categories.
Acirodha (aciroḍhā, अचिरोढा): defined in 1 categories.

Defined according to the following glossaries/dictionaries: Hinduism, Sanskrit, Pali, Purana (epic history), Kannada, Ayurveda (science of life), Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology), Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy), Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism), India history, Marathi, Prakrit, Hindi, Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra), Biology (plants and animals), Tamil, Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), Shaktism (Shakta philosophy), Buddhism, Jainism, Vastushastra (architecture), Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit verse. 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: “aṃśukaṃ hṛtavatā tanubāhusvastikāpihitamugdhakucāgrā
  • aṃśukam -
  • aṃśuka (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • hṛtavatā -
  • hṛ -> hṛtavat (participle, masculine)
    [instrumental single from √hṛ class 1 verb]
    hṛ -> hṛtavat (participle, neuter)
    [instrumental single from √hṛ class 1 verb]
  • tanu -
  • tanu (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb]
    tanu (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    tanū (noun, feminine)
    [adverb], [vocative single]
    tan (verb class 8)
    [imperative active second single]
  • bāhusvastikā -
  • bāhusvastika (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • apihitam -
  • apihita (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    apihita (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    apihitā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • ug -
  • ukṣ (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single]
    ukṣ (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • dha -
  • dha (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    dha (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • kucā -
  • kuca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    kuc (verb class 6)
    [imperative active second single]
  • agrā -
  • agrā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • Line 2: “bhinnaśaṅkhavalayaṃ pariṇetrā paryarambhi rabhasādaciroḍhā
  • bhinna -
  • bhinna (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    bhinna (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • śaṅkhavalayam -
  • śaṅkhavalaya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
  • pariṇetrā -
  • pariṇetṛ (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental single]
  • parya -
  • pari (indeclinable adverb)
    [indeclinable adverb]
    pari (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    pari (Preverb)
    [Preverb]
  • arambhi -
  • rabh (verb class 1)
    [aorist middle third single]
  • rabhasād -
  • rabhasāt (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    rabhasa (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [ablative single]
    rabhasa (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [ablative single]
  • aciroḍhā -
  • aciroḍhā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]

Sources

This quote is contained within the following Sanskrit literary sources:

Śiśupālavadha 10.43: A Sanskrit epical poem (kāvya) consisting of 1800 verses. The story is based upon contents drawn from the Mahābhārata. The original plot revolves around Śiśupāla, king of the Chedis, who, after insulting Kṛṣṇa several times, got his head struck off. The book was written by Māgha in the 8th century.
More info

Subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgāra 316.3: Literally, “Gems of Sanskrit poetry”. This work is a recent compilation of more than 10,000 Subhāṣitas, or ‘sanskrit aphorisms’. The book was compiled by Nārāyaṇa Rāma Ācārya in 1952.
More info

Subhāṣitasudhāratnabhāṇḍāgāra 173.8: Literally, “Treasury of Sanskrit Poetry”. A compendium of amusing, sarcastic and instructive verses. The book was compiled by Śivadatta Kaviratna in 1985.
More info

Authorship

Māgha (7th century) is the author of the Śiśupālavadha. He was a Sanskrit poet who was active in King Varmalāta's court at Śrīmāla (also known as Bhillamāla), where he was born into a Brahmin family.

Nārāyaṇa Rāma Ācārya (1900 A.D.) is the compiler of the Subhāṣitaratnabhāṇḍāgāra, into which he included this quote.

Śivadatta Kaviratna is the compiler of the Subhāṣitasudhāratnabhāṇḍāgāra, into which he included this quote, ascribing the authorship to Māgha.

About the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha

This quote is included within the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha (महासुभाषितसंग्रह, maha-subhashita-samgraha / subhasita-sangraha), which is a compendium of Sanskrit aphorisms (subhāṣita), collected from various sources. Subhāṣita is a genre of Sanskrit literature, exposing the vast and rich cultural heritage of ancient India.

It has serial number 2 and can be found on page 1. (read on archive.org)

Sanskrit is the oldest living language and bears testimony to the intellectual past of ancient India. Three major religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) share this language, which is used for many of their holy books. Besides religious manuscripts, much of India’s ancient culture has been preserved in Sanskrit, covering topics such as Architecture, Music, Botany, Surgery, Ethics, Philosophy, Dance and much more.

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