Buddhacarita by Ven Asvaghosa - Ancient Buddhist Texts

Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha - 22
now overcome by misery, destitute of every refuge, and enveloped in
its own chains of delusion.
81. ‘Therefore make no sorrow for him, – that belongs rather, kind
sire, to the pitiable world of human beings, who through illusion or
the pleasures of desire or intoxication refuse to hear his perfect Law.
82. ‘Therefore since I have fallen short of that excellence, though I
have accomplished all the stages of contemplation, my life is only a
failure; since I have not heard his Law, I count even dwelling in the
highest heaven a misfortune.’
83. Having heard these words, the king with his queen and his friends
abandoned sorrow and rejoiced; thinking, ‘such is this son of mine,’ he
considered that his excellence was his own.
84. But he let his heart be influenced by the thought, ‘he will travel by
the noble path,’ – he was not in truth averse to religion, yet still he
saw alarm at the prospect of losing his child.
85. Then the sage Asita, having made known the real fate which
awaited the prince to the king who was thus disturbed about his son,
departed by the way of the wind as he had come, his figure watched
reverentially in his flight.
86. Having taken his resolution and having seen the son of his
younger sister, the saint, filled with compassion, enjoined him