The Buddha-Carita or The Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa
A Sanskrit and English line by line (interlinear) version of one of the most important and influential biographies of the Buddha (together with extensive annotation).
A Sanskrit and English line by line (interlinear) version of one of the most important and influential biographies of the Buddha (together with extensive annotation).
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<strong>Buddha</strong>-carita, <strong>or</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 123<br />
adṣṭatattvasya sato ’pi ki tu me śubhāśubhe saśayite śubhe matiḥ |<br />
vthāpi khedo ’pi vara śubhātmanaḥ sukha na tattve ’pi vigarhitātmanaḥ ||<br />
9.65 (9.75)<br />
65. ‘But even though I cannot discern the truth, yet still, if good and evil are doubted,<br />
let one’s mind be set on the good; even a toil 1 in vain is to be chosen <strong>by</strong> him whose soul<br />
is good, while the man <strong>of</strong> base soul has no joy even in the truth.<br />
ima tu dṣṭvāgamamavyavasthita yaduktamāptaistadavehi sādhviti |<br />
prahīṇadoṣatvamavehi cāptatā prahīṇadoṣo hyanta na vakṣyati || 9.66 (9.76)<br />
66. ‘But having seen that this "sacred tradition" is uncertain, know that that only is<br />
right which has been uttered <strong>by</strong> the trustw<strong>or</strong>thy; and know that trustw<strong>or</strong>thiness means<br />
the absence <strong>of</strong> faults; he who is without faults will not utter an untruth.<br />
ghapraveśa prati yacca me bhavānuvāca rāmaprabhtīn nidarśanam |<br />
na te pramāṇa na hi dharmaniścayeṣvala pramāṇāya parikṣatavratāḥ || 9.67<br />
(9.77)<br />
67. ‘And as f<strong>or</strong> what thou saidst to me in regard to my returning to my home, <strong>by</strong><br />
alleging Rāma and others as examples, they are no auth<strong>or</strong>ity, — f<strong>or</strong> in determining<br />
duty, how canst thou quote as auth<strong>or</strong>ities those who have broken their vows?<br />
tadevamapyeva ravirmahī patedapi sthiratva himavān giristyajet |<br />
adṣṭatattvo viṣayonmukhedriyaḥ śrayeya na tveva ghān pthagjanaḥ || 9.68<br />
(9.78)<br />
68. ‘Even the sun, theref<strong>or</strong>e, may fall to the earth, even the mountain Himavat may<br />
lose its firmness; but never would I return to my home as a man <strong>of</strong> the w<strong>or</strong>ld, with no<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> the truth and my senses only alert f<strong>or</strong> external objects.<br />
aha viśeya jvalita hutāśana na cāktārthaḥ praviśeyamālayam |<br />
iti pratijñā sa cakāra garvito yatheṣṭamutthāya ca nirmamo yayau || 9.69 (9.79)<br />
69. ‘I would enter the blazing fire, but not my house with my purpose unfulfilled.’<br />
Thus he proudly made his resolve, and rising up in acc<strong>or</strong>dance with it, full <strong>of</strong><br />
disinterestedness, went his way.<br />
tataḥ savāṣpau sacivadvijāvubhau niśamya tasya sthirameva niścayam |<br />
viṣaṇṇavaktrāvanugamya duḥkhitau śanairagatyā purameva jagmatuḥ || 9.70<br />
(9.80)<br />
70. <strong>The</strong>n the minister and the Brāhman, both full <strong>of</strong> tears, having heard his firm<br />
determination, and having followed him awhile with despondent looks, and overcome<br />
with s<strong>or</strong>row, slowly returned <strong>of</strong> necessity to the city.<br />
1 MSS khedo.
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