Mahavastu [sanskrit verses and english]

by Émile Senart | 1882 | 56,574 words

This is the Sanskrit Mahavastu: a lengthy work on Buddhist teachings and narratives belonging to the school of early Buddhism (Mahasanghika). This edition only includes those metrical verses occuring in the various stories and Jatakas, as well as the corresponding English translation by J. J. Jones.

Verse 10.11

तस्य मूल्यं तव शीर्षं त्यक्त्वा शीर्षम् इत्य् अब्रवीत् ।
ब्रूहि ब्राह्मण शीघ्रं मे गाथाम् एतां सुभाषितां ॥ ११ ॥

tasya mūlyaṃ tava śīrṣaṃ tyaktvā śīrṣam ity abravīt |
brūhi brāhmaṇa śīghraṃ me gāthām etāṃ subhāṣitāṃ || 11 ||

“The price of it is your head.” The seer, ready to sacrifice his head, replied, “Quickly tell me, brahman, this verse of a wise saying.” (11)

English translation by J. J. Jones (1949) Read online

Glossary of Sanskrit terms

Note: This extracts Sanskrit terms and links to English definitions from the glossary, based on an experimental segmentation of verse (10.11). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Tad, Mulya, Yushmad, Shirsha, Brahmana, Shighram, Shighra, Asmad, Gatha, Eta, Esha, Subhashita,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 10.11). 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: “tasya mūlyaṃ tava śīrṣaṃ tyaktvā śīrṣam ity abravīt
  • tasya -
  • tas -> tasya (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √tas]
    ta (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    ta (noun, neuter)
    [genitive single]
    tad (noun, neuter)
    [genitive single]
    sa (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    tas (verb class 4)
    [imperative active second single]
  • mūlyam -
  • mūlya (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    mūlya (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    mūlyā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    mūl -> mūlya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √mūl class 1 verb]
    mūl -> mūlya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √mūl class 1 verb], [accusative single from √mūl class 1 verb]
  • tava -
  • yuṣmad (pronoun, none)
    [genitive single]
  • śīrṣam -
  • śīrṣa (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    śīrṣa (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    śīrṣā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    śīrṣan (noun, neuter)
    [adverb]
  • tyaktvā -
  • tyaj -> tyaktvā (absolutive)
    [absolutive from √tyaj]
  • śīrṣam -
  • śīrṣa (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    śīrṣa (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    śīrṣā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    śīrṣan (noun, neuter)
    [adverb]
  • Cannot analyse ity*ab
  • abravīt -
  • brū (verb class 2)
    [imperfect active third single]
  • Line 2: “brūhi brāhmaṇa śīghraṃ me gāthām etāṃ subhāṣitāṃ
  • brūhi -
  • brū (verb class 2)
    [imperative active second single]
  • brāhmaṇa -
  • brāhmaṇa (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    brāhmaṇa (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • śīghram -
  • śīghram (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    śīghra (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    śīghra (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    śīghrā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
  • me -
  • ma (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    ma (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    asmad (pronoun, none)
    [dative single], [genitive single]
  • gāthām -
  • gāthā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • etām -
  • etā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
    eṣā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • subhāṣitām -
  • subhāṣitā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 10.11

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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