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 51.8

कथं विजानेय गृहीतनागो ।
स उग्रतेजो बलस्थामवन्तो ।
दुरासदो दुःप्रसहो भुजंगो ।
हस्तत्वम् आगच्छे वणीपकस्य ॥ ८ ॥

kathaṃ vijāneya gṛhītanāgo |
sa ugratejo balasthāmavanto |
durāsado duḥprasaho bhujaṃgo |
hastatvam āgacche vaṇīpakasya || 8 ||

How can one believe that such a fiery, strong and stalwart Naga should have been caught, that an unrivalled and invincible serpent should fall into the hands of a begging tramp? (8)

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 (51.8). Some terms could be superfluous while some might not be mentioned. Click on the word to show English definitions.

Katham, Katha, Vijani, Vijana, Grihita, Nri, Agu, Sah, Ugratejas, Balastha, Antu, Durasada, Hasta, Tva, Yushmad, Sha, Shi, Vani, Paka,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 51.8). 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: “kathaṃ vijāneya gṛhītanāgo
  • katham -
  • katham (indeclinable interrogative)
    [indeclinable interrogative]
    katham (indeclinable)
    [indeclinable]
    kathā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    katha (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    katha (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • vijāne -
  • vijāna (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single], [locative single]
    vijāni (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
    vijāni (noun, feminine)
    [vocative single]
  • iya -
  • i (verb class 2)
    [perfect active second plural]
  • gṛhīta -
  • gṛhīta (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    gṛhīta (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    grah -> gṛhīta (participle, masculine)
    [vocative single from √grah class 9 verb]
    grah -> gṛhīta (participle, neuter)
    [vocative single from √grah class 9 verb]
  • -
  • na (indeclinable particle)
    [indeclinable particle]
    na (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    na (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
    nṛ (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • ago -
  • ago (noun, feminine)
    [compound]
    agu (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
    agu (noun, feminine)
    [vocative single]
  • Line 2: “sa ugratejo balasthāmavanto
  • sa* -
  • saḥ (indeclinable correlative)
    [indeclinable correlative]
    sa (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • ugratejo* -
  • ugratejas (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ugratejas (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
  • balasthām -
  • balasthā (noun, feminine)
    [accusative single]
  • a -
  • a (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • va -
  • u (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    ū (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [adverb], [vocative single]
    ū (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [adverb], [nominative single], [vocative single], [accusative single]
    ū (noun, feminine)
    [compound], [adverb], [vocative single]
    o (noun, masculine)
    [adverb]
    au (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    au (noun, masculine)
    [adverb]
    va (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    va (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • anto -
  • antu (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
  • Line 3: “durāsado duḥprasaho bhujaṃgo
  • durāsado* -
  • durāsada (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • duḥprasaho* -
  • Cannot analyse bhujaṅgo
  • Line 4: “hastatvam āgacche vaṇīpakasya
  • hasta -
  • hasta (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    hasta (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • tvam -
  • tva (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    tva (noun, masculine)
    [accusative single]
    yuṣmad (pronoun, none)
    [nominative single]
  • āgacch -
  • ag (verb class 1)
    [imperfect active third single]
  • śe -
  • śa (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    śa (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    śi (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
  • vaṇī -
  • vaṇi (noun, masculine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
    vaṇi (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
  • pakasya -
  • paka (noun, masculine)
    [genitive single]
    paka (noun, neuter)
    [genitive single]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 51.8

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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