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 110.18

यो च वर्षशतं जीवे दुःशीलो असमाहितः ।
एकाहं जीवितं श्रेयं शीलवन्तस्य ध्यायतो ॥ १८ ॥

yo ca varṣaśataṃ jīve duḥśīlo asamāhitaḥ |
ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ śreyaṃ śīlavantasya dhyāyato || 18 ||

One may live for a hundred years, immoral, with mind unconcentrated, but better is the one day’s life of him who is moral and who meditates. (18)

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

Varshashata, Jiva, Asama, Ahita, Ekaha, Jivita, Shreya, Shilavat, Tad,

Analysis of Sanskrit grammar

Note: this is an experimental feature and only shows the first possible analysis of the Sanskrit text (Mahavastu Verse 110.18). 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: “yo ca varṣaśataṃ jīve duḥśīlo asamāhitaḥ
  • yo -
  • yu (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
    yu (noun, feminine)
    [vocative single]
  • ca -
  • ca (indeclinable conjunction)
    [indeclinable conjunction]
    ca (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    ca (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
  • varṣaśatam -
  • varṣaśata (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
  • jīve -
  • jīva (noun, masculine)
    [locative single]
    jīva (noun, neuter)
    [nominative dual], [vocative dual], [accusative dual], [locative single]
    jīvā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative dual], [vocative single], [vocative dual], [accusative dual]
  • duḥśīlo -
  • asamā -
  • asama (noun, masculine)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    asama (noun, neuter)
    [compound], [vocative single]
    asamā (noun, feminine)
    [nominative single]
  • ahitaḥ -
  • ahita (noun, masculine)
    [nominative single]
  • Line 2: “ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ śreyaṃ śīlavantasya dhyāyato
  • ekāham -
  • ekāha (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    ekāhan (noun, neuter)
    [adverb]
  • jīvitam -
  • jīvita (noun, masculine)
    [adverb], [accusative single]
    jīvita (noun, neuter)
    [adverb], [nominative single], [accusative single]
    jīvitā (noun, feminine)
    [adverb]
    jīv -> jīvita (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √jīv class 1 verb]
    jīv -> jīvita (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √jīv class 1 verb], [accusative single from √jīv class 1 verb]
  • śreyam -
  • śrā -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √śrā class 1 verb], [accusative single from √śrā class 2 verb], [accusative single from √śrā class 4 verb]
    śrā -> śreya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √śrā class 1 verb], [accusative single from √śrā class 1 verb], [nominative single from √śrā class 2 verb], [accusative single from √śrā class 2 verb], [nominative single from √śrā class 4 verb], [accusative single from √śrā class 4 verb]
    śrai -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √śrai class 1 verb], [accusative single from √śrai class 2 verb], [accusative single from √śrai class 4 verb]
    śrai -> śreya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √śrai class 1 verb], [accusative single from √śrai class 1 verb], [nominative single from √śrai class 2 verb], [accusative single from √śrai class 2 verb], [nominative single from √śrai class 4 verb], [accusative single from √śrai class 4 verb]
    śri -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √śri class 1 verb]
    śri -> śreya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √śri class 1 verb], [accusative single from √śri class 1 verb]
    śrī -> śreya (participle, masculine)
    [accusative single from √śrī class 9 verb]
    śrī -> śreya (participle, neuter)
    [nominative single from √śrī class 9 verb], [accusative single from √śrī class 9 verb]
  • śīlavan -
  • śīlavat (noun, masculine)
    [vocative single]
  • 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]
  • Cannot analyse dhyāyato

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Mahavastu Verse 110.18

Cover of edition (1949)

The Mahavastu
by J. J. Jones (1949)

Translated from the Buddhist Sanskrit

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