Buddhacarita by Ven Asvaghosa - Ancient Buddhist Texts

Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha - 77
23. ‘Do thou address the king, O friend, with these and such-like
words; and do thou use thy efforts so that he may not even remember
me.
24. ‘Yea, do thou repeat to the king our utter unworthiness; through
unworthiness affection is lost, – and where affection is lost, there is
no sorrow.’
25. Having heard these words, Chaṁda, overwhelmed with grief,
made reply with folded hands, his voice choked by tears :
26. ‘At this state of mind of thine, causing affliction to thy kindred,
my mind, O my lord, sinks down like an elephant in the mud of a
river.
27. ‘To whom would not such a determination as this of thine cause
tears, even if his heart were of iron, – how much more if it were
throbbing with love
28. ‘Where is this delicacy of limb, fit to lie only in a palace, – and
where is the ground of the ascetic forest, covered with the shoots of
rough kusa grass
29. ‘When, on hearing thy resolve, I first brought thee this horse, – it
was fate only, O my lord, which made me do it, mastering my will.
30. ‘But how could I, O king, by mine own will, knowing this thy
decision, – carry back the horse to the sorrow of Kapilavastu