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).
Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 169 tadbodhimūla samavekṣya kīrṇa hisātmanā mārabalena tena | dharmātmabhirlokavimokṣakāmairbabhūva hāhāktamatarīkṣam || 13.32 32. When they saw the foot of the Bodhi tree crowded with that host of Māra, intent on doing harm, — the sky was filled with the cry raised by all the virtuous beings who desired the world’s liberation. upapluta dharmavidastu tasya dṣṭvā sthita mārabala mahārṣiḥ | na cukṣubhe nāpi yayau vikāra madhye gavā siha ivopaviṣṭaḥ || 13.33 33. But the great sage 2 having beheld that army of Māra thus engaged in an attack on the knower of the Law, 3 remained untroubled and suffered no perturbation, like a lion seated in the midst of oxen. mārastato bhūtacamūmudīrṇāmājñāpayāmāsa bhayāya tasya | svaiḥ svaiḥ prabhāvairatha sāsya senā taddhairyabhedāya mati cakāra || 13.34 34. Then Māra commanded his excited army of demons to terrify him; and forthwith that host resolved to break down his determination with their various powers. keciccalannaikavilabijihvāstīkṣṇogradaṣṭrā harimaḍalākṣāḥ | vidāritāsyāḥ sthiraśakukarṇāḥ satrāsayataḥ kila nāma tasthuḥ || 13.35 35. Some with many tongues hanging out and shaking, with sharp-pointed savage teeth and eyes like the disk of the sun, with wide-yawning mouths and upright ears like spikes, — they stood round trying to frighten him. tebhyaḥ sthitebhyaḥ sa tathāvidhebhyaḥ rūpeṇa bhāvena ca dāruṇebhyaḥ | na vivyathe nodvivije mahārṣiḥ krīḍan subālebhya ivoddhatebhyaḥ || 13.36 36. Before these monsters standing there, so dreadful in form and disposition, the great sage remained unalarmed and untroubled, sporting with them as if they had been only rude children. 4 kaścittato raudravivttadṣṭistasmai gadāmudyamayācakāra | tastabha bāhuḥ sagadastato ’sya puradarasyeva purā savajraḥ || 13.37 37. Then one of them, with his eyes rolling wildly, lifted up a club against him; but his arm with the club was instantly paralysed, as was Indra’s of old with its thunderbolt. 5 1 In Pāli Suddhāvāsā. Cf. III, 26. 2 Buddha himself, viewing all this ab extra. 3 The Tibetan seems to read dharmavidheḥ for dharmavidaḥ, as it has chos·kyi cho·ga de·ni, ‘(injurer) of that law of dharma’. 4 Prof. Bühler suggests svabālebhyaḥ, ‘as with his own tossed hair’. 5 Cf. Śatap. Br. XII, 7, 3; Viṣṇu Pur. V, 30; Kum Sambh. II, 20.
Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 170 kecitsamudyamya śilāstarūśca viṣehire naiva munau vimoktum | petuḥ savkṣāḥ saśilāstathaiva vajrāvabhagnā iva vidhyapādāḥ || 13.38 38. Some, having lifted up stones and trees, found themselves unable to throw them against the sage; down they fell, with their trees and their stones, like the roots of the Vindhya shattered by the thunderbolt. kaiścitsamutpatya nabho vimuktāḥ śilāśca vkṣāśca paraśvadhāśca | tasthurnabhasyeva na cāvapetuḥ sadhyābhrapādā iva naikavarṇāḥ || 13.39 39. Others, leaping up into the sky, flung rocks, trees, and axes; these remained in the sky and did not fall down, like the many-coloured rays of the evening clouds. cikṣepa tasyopari dīptamanyaḥ kaḍagara parvataśgamātram | yanmuktamātra gaganasthameva tasyānubhāvācchatadhā babhūva || 13.40 40. Another hurled upon him a mass of blazing straw as big as a mountain-peak, which, as soon as it was thrown, while it hung poised in the sky, was shattered into a hundred fragments by the sage’s power. kaścijjvalannarka ivoditaḥ khādagāravarṣa mahadutsasarja | cūrnāni cāmīkarakadarāṇā kalpātyaye meruriva pradīptaḥ || 13.41 41. One, rising up like the sun in full splendour, rained down from the sky a great shower of live embers, as at the end of an aeon blazing Meru showers down the pulverised scoriae of the golden valleys. tadbodhimūle pravikīryamāṇamagāravarṣa tu savisphuligam | maitrīvihārādṣisattamasya babhūva raktotpalapatravarṣaḥ || 13.42 42. But that shower of embers full of sparks, when scattered at the foot of the Bodhi tree, became a shower of red lotus-petals through the operation of the great saint’s boundless charity. śarīracittavyasanātapaistairevavidhaistaiśca nipātyamānaiḥ | naivāsanācchākyamuniścacāla sva niścaya badhumivopaguhya || 13.43 43. But with all these various scorching assaults on his body and his mind, and all these missiles showered down upon him, the Śākya saint did not in the least degree move from his posture, clasping firmly his resolution as a kinsman. athāpare nirjagalurmukhebhyaḥ sarpānvijīrṇebhya iva drumebhyaḥ | te matrabaddhā iva tatsamīpe na śaśvasurnotsasjurna celuḥ || 13.44 44. Then others spat out serpents from their mouths as from old decayed trunks of trees; but, as if held fast by a charm, near him they neither breathed nor discharged venom nor moved.
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<strong>Buddha</strong>-carita, <strong>or</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 169<br />
tadbodhimūla samavekṣya kīrṇa hisātmanā mārabalena tena |<br />
dharmātmabhirlokavimokṣakāmairbabhūva hāhāktamatarīkṣam || 13.32<br />
32. When they saw the foot <strong>of</strong> the Bodhi tree crowded with that host <strong>of</strong> Māra, intent<br />
on doing harm, — the sky was filled with the cry raised <strong>by</strong> all the virtuous beings who<br />
desired the w<strong>or</strong>ld’s liberation.<br />
upapluta dharmavidastu tasya dṣṭvā sthita mārabala mahārṣiḥ |<br />
na cukṣubhe nāpi yayau vikāra madhye gavā siha ivopaviṣṭaḥ || 13.33<br />
33. But the great sage 2 having beheld that army <strong>of</strong> Māra thus engaged in an attack on<br />
the knower <strong>of</strong> the Law, 3 remained untroubled and suffered no perturbation, like a lion<br />
seated in the midst <strong>of</strong> oxen.<br />
mārastato bhūtacamūmudīrṇāmājñāpayāmāsa bhayāya tasya |<br />
svaiḥ svaiḥ prabhāvairatha sāsya senā taddhairyabhedāya mati cakāra || 13.34<br />
34. <strong>The</strong>n Māra commanded his excited army <strong>of</strong> demons to terrify him; and f<strong>or</strong>thwith<br />
that host resolved to break down his determination with their various powers.<br />
keciccalannaikavilabijihvāstīkṣṇogradaṣṭrā harimaḍalākṣāḥ |<br />
vidāritāsyāḥ sthiraśakukarṇāḥ satrāsayataḥ kila nāma tasthuḥ || 13.35<br />
35. Some with many tongues hanging out and shaking, with sharp-pointed savage teeth<br />
and eyes like the disk <strong>of</strong> the sun, with wide-yawning mouths and upright ears like<br />
spikes, — they stood round trying to frighten him.<br />
tebhyaḥ sthitebhyaḥ sa tathāvidhebhyaḥ rūpeṇa bhāvena ca dāruṇebhyaḥ |<br />
na vivyathe nodvivije mahārṣiḥ krīḍan subālebhya ivoddhatebhyaḥ || 13.36<br />
36. Bef<strong>or</strong>e these monsters standing there, so dreadful in f<strong>or</strong>m and disposition, the<br />
great sage remained unalarmed and untroubled, sp<strong>or</strong>ting with them as if they had been<br />
only rude children. 4<br />
kaścittato raudravivttadṣṭistasmai gadāmudyamayācakāra |<br />
tastabha bāhuḥ sagadastato ’sya puradarasyeva purā savajraḥ || 13.37<br />
37. <strong>The</strong>n one <strong>of</strong> them, with his eyes rolling wildly, lifted up a club against him; but his<br />
arm with the club was instantly paralysed, as was Indra’s <strong>of</strong> old with its thunderbolt. 5<br />
1 In Pāli Suddhāvāsā. Cf. III, 26.<br />
2 <strong>Buddha</strong> himself, viewing all this ab extra.<br />
3 <strong>The</strong> Tibetan seems to read dharmavidheḥ f<strong>or</strong> dharmavidaḥ, as it has chos·kyi cho·ga de·ni,<br />
‘(injurer) <strong>of</strong> that law <strong>of</strong> dharma’.<br />
4 Pr<strong>of</strong>. Bühler suggests svabālebhyaḥ, ‘as with his own tossed hair’.<br />
5 Cf. Śatap. Br. XII, 7, 3; Viṣṇu Pur. V, 30; Kum Sambh. II, 20.