Sanskrit quote nr. 8857 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)

Sanskrit text:

कर्तव्यमेव कर्तव्यं प्राणैः कण्ठगतैरपि ।
अकर्तव्यं न कर्तव्यं प्राणैः कण्ठगतैरपि ॥

kartavyameva kartavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairapi |
akartavyaṃ na kartavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairapi ||

Index

  1. Introduction
  2. Glossary of terms
  3. Analysis of Sanskrit grammar
  4. 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.

Kartavya (कर्तव्य): defined in 9 categories.
Eva (एव): defined in 6 categories.
Prana (prāṇa, प्राण): defined in 16 categories.
Kanthagata (kaṇṭhagata, कण्ठगत): defined in 4 categories.
Api (अपि): defined in 4 categories.
Ap (अप्): defined in 9 categories.
Aka (अक): defined in 7 categories.
Ritavya (rtavya, ṛtavya, ऋतव्य): defined in 1 categories.
Na (न): defined in 12 categories.

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

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: “kartavyameva kartavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairapi
  • kartavyam -
  • kartavya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    kartavya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    kartavyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 8 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 8 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 8 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 6 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 6 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 6 verb]
  • eva -
  • eva (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
    eva (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    eva (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • kartavyam -
  • kartavya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    kartavya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    kartavyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 8 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 8 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 8 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 6 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 6 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 6 verb]
  • prāṇaiḥ -
  • prāṇa (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental plural]
    prāṇa (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental plural]
  • kaṇṭhagatair -
  • kaṇṭhagata (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental plural]
    kaṇṭhagata (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental plural]
  • api -
  • api (indeclinable preposition)
    [indeclinable preposition]
    ap (noun, neuter)
    [locative single]
    api (Preverb)
    [Preverb]
  • Line 2: “akartavyaṃ na kartavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairapi
  • akar -
  • aka (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ak (verb class 1)
    [imperative active second single]
  • ṛtavyam -
  • ṛtavya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    ṛtavya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    ṛtavyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • na -
  • na (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
    na (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    na (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • kartavyam -
  • kartavya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    kartavya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    kartavyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 8 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 1 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 2 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 5 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 8 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 8 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 6 verb]
    kṛ -> kartavya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 3 verb], [nominative single from √kṛ class 6 verb], [accusative single from √kṛ class 6 verb]
  • prāṇaiḥ -
  • prāṇa (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental plural]
    prāṇa (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental plural]
  • kaṇṭhagatair -
  • kaṇṭhagata (noun, masculine)
    [instrumental plural]
    kaṇṭhagata (noun, neuter)
    [instrumental plural]
  • api -
  • api (indeclinable preposition)
    [indeclinable preposition]
    ap (noun, neuter)
    [locative single]
    api (Preverb)
    [Preverb]

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 8857 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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