Sanskrit quote nr. 91 (Maha-subhashita-samgraha)

Sanskrit text:

अकृतकवलारम्भैर्वक्त्रैर्भयस्थगितेक्षणाः किमपि वलितग्रीवं स्थित्वा मुहुर्मृगपङ्क्तयः ।
गगनमसकृत्पश्यन्त्येतास्तथाश्रुघनैर्मुखैर् निपतति यथा शृङ्गाग्रेभ्योऽक्रमं नयनोदकम् ॥

akṛtakavalārambhairvaktrairbhayasthagitekṣaṇāḥ kimapi valitagrīvaṃ sthitvā muhurmṛgapaṅktayaḥ |
gaganamasakṛtpaśyantyetāstathāśrughanairmukhair nipatati yathā śṛṅgāgrebhyo'kramaṃ nayanodakam ||

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.

Akrita (akrta, akṛta, अकृत): defined in 8 categories.
Kavala (कवल): defined in 9 categories.
Arambha (ārambha, आरम्भ): defined in 15 categories.
Vaktra (वक्त्र): defined in 13 categories.
Bhayastha (भयस्थ): defined in 2 categories.
Ta (त, tā, ता): defined in 11 categories.
Tad (तद्): defined in 5 categories.
Yushmad (yusmad, yuṣmad, युष्मद्): defined in 3 categories.
Kshana (ksana, kṣaṇa, क्षण): defined in 13 categories.
Kim (किम्): defined in 4 categories.
Api (अपि): defined in 4 categories.
Ap (अप्): defined in 9 categories.
Valitagriva (valitagrīva, वलितग्रीव): defined in 1 categories.
Sthitva (sthitvā, स्थित्वा): defined in 2 categories.
Muhur (मुहुर्): defined in 1 categories.
Mriga (mrga, mṛga, मृग): defined in 21 categories.
Pankti (paṅkti, पङ्क्ति): defined in 13 categories.
Gagana (गगन): defined in 20 categories.
Asakrit (asakrt, asakṛt, असकृत्): defined in 6 categories.
Pashyanti (pasyanti, paśyantī, पश्यन्ती): defined in 6 categories.
Pashyat (pasyat, paśyat, पश्यत्): defined in 3 categories.
Eta (एत, etā, एता): defined in 5 categories.
Tatha (tathā, तथा): defined in 6 categories.
Ashru (asru, aśru, अश्रु): defined in 11 categories.
Ghana (घन): defined in 22 categories.
Mukha (मुख): defined in 17 categories.
Nipa (निप): defined in 12 categories.
Yatha (yathā, यथा): defined in 6 categories.
Shringa (srnga, śṛṅga, शृङ्ग): defined in 15 categories.
Agra (अग्र): defined in 15 categories.
Akramam (अक्रमम्): defined in 1 categories.
Akrama (अक्रम): defined in 8 categories.
Nayanoda (नयनोद): defined in 1 categories.
Ka (क): defined in 15 categories.

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

[compound], [vocative single]

akṛta (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]

√kṛ (verb class 1)

[aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]

√kṛ (verb class 2)

[imperfect active second plural], [imperfect middle third single], [aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]

√kṛ (verb class 5)

[aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]

√kṛ (verb class 8)

[aorist active second plural], [aorist middle third single]
kavalā -
kavala (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]
ārambhair -
ārambha (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]
vaktrair -
vaktra (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]

vaktra (noun, neuter)

[instrumental plural]
bhayastha -
bhayastha (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
gi -
gī (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
te -
ta (noun, masculine)

[locative single]

ta (noun, neuter)

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

tā (noun, feminine)

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

tad (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [accusative dual]

sa (noun, masculine)

[nominative plural]

sā (noun, feminine)

[nominative dual], [accusative dual]

yuṣmad (pronoun, none)

[dative single], [genitive single]
kṣaṇāḥ -
kṣaṇa (noun, masculine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural]
kim -
kim (indeclinable interrogative)

[indeclinable interrogative]

kim (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

kim (pronoun, neuter)

[nominative single], [accusative single]
api -
api (indeclinable preposition)

[indeclinable preposition]

ap (noun, neuter)

[locative single]
valitagrīvam -
valitagrīva (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

valitagrīva (noun, neuter)

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

valitagrīvā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]
sthitvā -
sthitvā (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

√sthā -> sthitvā (absolutive)

[absolutive from √sthā]
muhur -
muhur (indeclinable adverb)

[indeclinable adverb]

muhur (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]
mṛga -
mṛga (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]
paṅktayaḥ -
paṅkti (noun, feminine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural]
Line 2: “gaganamasakṛtpaśyantyetāstathāśrughanairmukhair nipatati yathā śṛṅgāgrebhyo'kramaṃ nayanodakam”
gaganam -
gagana (noun, neuter)

[adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
asakṛt -
asakṛt (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]
paśyantye -
paśyantī (noun, feminine)

[compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single]

paśyat (noun, neuter)

[nominative dual], [nominative plural], [vocative dual], [vocative plural], [accusative dual], [accusative plural]
etās -
eta (noun, masculine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural]

etā (noun, feminine)

[nominative plural], [vocative plural], [accusative plural]

eṣā (noun, feminine)

[nominative plural], [accusative plural]
tathā -
tathā (indeclinable correlative)

[indeclinable correlative]

tathā (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]
aśru -
aśru (noun, neuter)

[compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
ghanair -
ghana (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]

ghana (noun, neuter)

[instrumental plural]
mukhair -
mukha (noun, masculine)

[instrumental plural]

mukha (noun, neuter)

[instrumental plural]
nipa -
nipa (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

nipa (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
tati -
tati (noun, feminine)

[compound], [adverb]
yathā -
yathā (indeclinable adverb)

[indeclinable adverb]

yathā (indeclinable relative)

[indeclinable relative]

yathā (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]
śṛṅgā -
śṛṅga (noun, masculine)

[compound], [vocative single]

śṛṅga (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
agrebhyo' -
agra (noun, masculine)

[dative plural], [ablative plural]

agra (noun, neuter)

[dative plural], [ablative plural]
akramam -
akramam (indeclinable)

[indeclinable]

akrama (noun, masculine)

[adverb], [accusative single]

akrama (noun, neuter)

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

akramā (noun, feminine)

[adverb]

√kram (verb class 1)

[imperfect active first single], [aorist active first single]

√kram (verb class 4)

[aorist active first single]
nayanoda -
nayanoda (noun, neuter)

[compound], [vocative single]
kam -
ka (noun, neuter)

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

ka (noun, masculine)

[accusative single]

kaḥ (pronoun, masculine)

[accusative 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 91 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: 20 April, 2019