Sanskrit quote nr. 227 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)

Sanskrit text:

अग्राह्यं श्रवणस्य भूषणमलंकारो न भावोचितः कण्ठस्याञ्जनमुज्ज्वलं नयनयोः सूक्ष्मत्वमावेक्षितुम् ।
वक्त्रस्य क्षणिकोऽधिवासनविधिः कान्ते प्रिये नाभवस् सौभाग्यप्रतिकर्मनिर्मितमहाविद्यैव येनात्मनः ॥

agrāhyaṃ śravaṇasya bhūṣaṇamalaṃkāro na bhāvocitaḥ kaṇṭhasyāñjanamujjvalaṃ nayanayoḥ sūkṣmatvamāvekṣitum |
vaktrasya kṣaṇiko'dhivāsanavidhiḥ kānte priye nābhavas saubhāgyapratikarmanirmitamahāvidyaiva yenātmanaḥ ||

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.

Agrahya (agrāhya, अग्राह्य): defined in 7 categories.
Shravanasya (sravanasya, śravaṇasya, श्रवणस्य): defined in 1 categories.
Shravana (sravana, śravaṇa, श्रवण): defined in 20 categories.
Bhushana (bhusana, bhūṣaṇa, भूषण): defined in 21 categories.
Na (न): defined in 12 categories.
Bhava (bhāva, भाव): defined in 31 categories.
Ucita (उचित): defined in 4 categories.
Kantha (kaṇṭha, कण्ठ): defined in 20 categories.
Anjana (añjana, अञ्जन): defined in 19 categories.
Ujjvala (उज्ज्वल): defined in 15 categories.
Nayana (नयन, nayanā, नयना): defined in 15 categories.
Sukshmatva (suksmatva, sūkṣmatva, सूक्ष्मत्व): defined in 2 categories.
Au (औ): defined in 9 categories.
Vaktra (वक्त्र): defined in 13 categories.
Kshanika (ksanika, kṣaṇika, क्षणिक): defined in 9 categories.
Adhivasana (adhivāsana, अधिवासन): defined in 7 categories.
Vidhi (विधि): defined in 15 categories.
Kanta (kānta, कान्त, kāntā, कान्ता): defined in 16 categories.
Kanti (kānti, कान्ति): defined in 16 categories.
Pri (prī, प्री): defined in 2 categories.
Priya (प्रिय, priyā, प्रिया): defined in 11 categories.
Nabha (nābha, नाभ): defined in 1 categories.
Va (व): defined in 11 categories.
Yushmad (yusmad, yuṣmad, युष्मद्): defined in 3 categories.
Saubhagya (saubhāgya, सौभाग्य): defined in 12 categories.
Pratikarman (प्रतिकर्मन्): defined in 1 categories.
Mit (मित्): defined in 4 categories.
Mita (मित): defined in 11 categories.
Da (dā, दा): defined in 7 categories.
Yena (येन): defined in 2 categories.
Ya (य): defined in 10 categories.
Yah (yaḥ, यः): defined in 1 categories.
Yat (यत्): defined in 2 categories.
Atman (ātman, आत्मन्): defined in 21 categories.

Defined according to the following glossaries/dictionaries: Sanskrit, Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism), Shaktism (Shakta philosophy), Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism), Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Jainism, Vastushastra (architecture), Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma), Purana (epic history), Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy), Kavya (poetry), Yoga (school of philosophy), Ayurveda (science of life), Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology), Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy), Dharmashastra (religious law), India history, Hinduism, Pali, Shilpashastra (iconography), Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres), Prakrit, Biology (plants and animals), Kamashastra (the science of Love-making), Theravada (major branch of Buddhism), Tamil, Buddhism, Nirukta (Sanskrit etymology), Buddhist philosophy, Jain philosophy, Kavyashastra (science of poetry), Ganitashastra (Mathematics and Algebra), Gitashastra (science of music), Nepali, Rasashastra (chemistry and alchemy), Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa), Arts (wordly enjoyments), Mimamsa (school of philosophy), Vedanta (school of philosophy), Kosha (encyclopedic lexicons), Vaisheshika (school of philosophy), Nyaya (school of philosophy)

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: “agrāhyaṃ śravaṇasya bhūṣaṇamalaṃkāro na bhāvocitaḥ kaṇṭhasyāñjanamujjvalaṃ nayanayoḥ sūkṣmatvamāvekṣitum”
agrāhyam -
agrāhya (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

agrāhya (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]

agrāhyā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
śravaṇasya -
śravaṇasya (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

śravaṇa (noun, masculine)

[genitive single]

śravaṇa (noun, neuter)

[genitive single]
bhūṣaṇam -
bhūṣaṇa (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

bhūṣaṇa (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
alaṅkāro* -
alaṅkāra (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
na -
na (indeclinable particle)

[indeclinable particle]

na (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

na (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
bhāvo -
bhāva (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

√bhā (verb class 2)

[imperative active first dual]
ucitaḥ -
ucita (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]

√uc -> ucita (participle, masculine)

[nominative single from √uc class 4 verb]
kaṇṭhasyā -
kaṇṭha (noun, masculine)

[genitive single]
añjanam -
añjana (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

añjana (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]

añjanā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
ujjvalam -
ujjvala (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

ujjvala (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]

ujjvalā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
nayanayoḥ -
nayana (noun, masculine)

[genitive dual], [locative dual]

nayana (noun, neuter)

[genitive dual], [locative dual]

nayanā (noun, feminine)

[genitive dual], [locative dual]
sūkṣmatvam -
sūkṣmatva (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
āve -
au (noun, feminine)

[instrumental single], [dative single]

au (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single], [dative single]

√av (verb class 1)

[perfect active first single], [perfect active second plural], [perfect active third single]

√u (verb class 1)

[imperfect middle first single], [perfect active first single], [perfect active third single]

√u (verb class 2)

[perfect active first single], [perfect active third single]

√u (verb class 5)

[perfect active first single], [perfect active third single]
īkṣitum -
√īkṣ -> īkṣitum (infinitive)

[infinitive from √īkṣ]
Line 2: “vaktrasya kṣaṇiko'dhivāsanavidhiḥ kānte priye nābhavas saubhāgyapratikarmanirmitamahāvidyaiva yenātmanaḥ”
vaktrasya -
vaktra (noun, masculine)

[genitive single]

vaktra (noun, neuter)

[genitive single]
kṣaṇiko' -
kṣaṇika (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
adhivāsana -
adhivāsana (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
vidhiḥ -
vidhi (noun, feminine)

[nominative single]

vidhi (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
kānte -
kānta (noun, masculine)

[locative single]

kānta (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]

kāntā (noun, feminine)

[nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]

kānti (noun, feminine)

[vocative single]

√kam -> kānta (participle, masculine)

[locative single from √kam class 1 verb]

√kam -> kānta (participle, neuter)

[nominative dual from √kam class 1 verb], [vocative dual from √kam class 1 verb], [accusative dual from √kam class 1 verb], [locative single from √kam class 1 verb]

√kam -> kāntā (participle, feminine)

[nominative dual from √kam class 1 verb], [vocative single from √kam class 1 verb], [vocative dual from √kam class 1 verb], [accusative dual from √kam class 1 verb]
priye -
prī (noun, masculine)

[dative single]

prī (noun, feminine)

[dative single]

priya (noun, masculine)

[locative single]

priya (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]

priyā (noun, feminine)

[nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]

√pṛ (verb class 3)

[present passive first single]

√pṛ (verb class 9)

[present passive first single]

√pṛ (verb class 5)

[present passive first single]

√pṛ (verb class 6)

[present middle first single], [present passive first single]
nābha -
nābha (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

nābha (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
vas -
va (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]

yuṣmad (pronoun, none)

[accusative plural], [dative plural], [genitive plural]
saubhāgya -
saubhāgya (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
pratikarman -
pratikarman (noun, neuter)

[vocative single]
ir -
i (noun, masculine)

[nominative single]
mitam -
mita (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

mita (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]

mitā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]

mit (noun, feminine)

[accusative single]

√mā -> mita (participle, masculine)

[accusative single from √mā class 2 verb], [accusative single from √mā class 3 verb], [accusative single from √mā class 4 verb]

√mā -> mita (participle, neuter)

[nominative single from √mā class 2 verb], [accusative single from √mā class 2 verb], [nominative single from √mā class 3 verb], [accusative single from √mā class 3 verb], [nominative single from √mā class 4 verb], [accusative single from √mā class 4 verb]

√mi -> mita (participle, masculine)

[accusative single from √mi class 5 verb]

√mi -> mita (participle, neuter)

[nominative single from √mi class 5 verb], [accusative single from √mi class 5 verb]
ahāvi -
√hu (verb class 3)

[aorist middle third single]
dyai -
dī (noun, feminine)

[compound], [adverb]

dā (noun, masculine)

[locative single]

√dā (verb class 4)

[imperative active second single]
aiva -
√i (verb class 2)

[imperfect active first dual]
yenā -
yena (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

ya (noun, masculine)

[instrumental single]

yaḥ (pronoun, masculine)

[instrumental single]

yat (pronoun, neuter)

[instrumental single]
ātmanaḥ -
ātman (noun, masculine)

[accusative plural], [ablative single], [genitive single]

About the Mahāsubhāṣitasaṃgraha

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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 227 and can be found on page . (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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Last Updated: 22 April, 2019