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 - 27 tataḥ kumāra suragarbhakalpa snehena bhāvena ca nirviśeṣam | mātṣvasā mātsamaprabhāvā savardhayāmātmajavadbabhūva || 2.19 19. Then the queen’s sister, with an influence like a mother’s, undistinguished from the real mother in her affection or tenderness, brought up as her own son the young prince who was like the offspring of the gods. tataḥ sa bālārka ivodayasthaḥ samīrito vahnirivānilena | krameṇa samyagvavdhe kumārastārādhipaḥ pakṣa ivātamaske || 2.20 20. Then like the young sun on the eastern mountain or the fire when fanned by the wind, the prince gradually grew in all due perfection, like the moon in the fortnight of brightness. tato mahārhāṇi ca candanāni ratnāvalīścauṣadhibhiḥ sagarbhāḥ | mgaprayuktānrathakāśca haimānācakrire ’smai suhdālayebhyaḥ || 2.21 21. Then they brought him as presents from the houses of his friends costly unguents of sandalwood, and strings of gems exactly like wreaths of plants, and little golden carriages yoked with deer; vayo ’nurūpāṇi ca bhūṣaṇāni hiraṇmayā hastimgāśvakāśca | rathāśca gāvo vasanaprayuktā gatrīśca cāmīkararūpyacitrāḥ || 2.22 22. Ornaments also suitable to his age, and elephants, deer, and horses made of gold, 1 carriages and oxen decked with rich garments, and carts 2 gay with silver and gold. eva sa taistairviṣayopacārairvayo ’nurūpairupacaryamāṇaḥ | bālo ’pyabālapratimo babhūva dhtyā ca śaucena dhiyā śriyā ca || 2.23 23. Thus indulged with all sorts of such objects to please the senses as were suitable to his years, child as he was, he behaved not like a child in gravity, purity, wisdom, and dignity. vayaśca kaumāramatītya madhya saprāpya bālaḥ sa hi rājasūnuḥ | alpairahobhirbahuvarṣagamyā jagrāha vidyāḥ svakulānurūpāḥ || 2.24 24. When he had passed the period of childhood and reached that of middle youth, the young prince learned in a few days the various sciences suitable to his race, which generally took many years to master. 1 Cf. Satyavat’s toy horses in Mahābn. III, 16670. 2 Gatrī has this meaning in the Amarakoṣa and Hemacandra.
Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 28 naiḥśreyasa tasya tu bhavyamartha śrutvā purastādasitānmahārṣeḥ | kāmeṣu saga janayābabhūva vddhirbhavacchākyakulasya rājñaḥ || 2.25 25. But having heard before from the great seer Asita his destined future which was to embrace transcendental happiness, the anxious care 1 of the king of the present Śākya race turned the prince to sensual pleasures. kulāttato ’smai sthiraśīlasayutātsādhvī vapurhrīvinayopapannām | yaśodharā nāma yaśoviśālā tulyābhidhāna śriyamājuhāva || 2.26 26. Then he sought for him from a family of unblemished moral excellence a bride possessed of beauty, modesty, and gentle bearing, of wide-spread glory, Yaśodharā by name, having a name well worthy of her, a very goddess of good fortune. athāpara bhūmipateḥ priyo ’ya sanatkumārapratimaḥ kumāraḥ | sārdha tayā śākyanaredravadhvā śacyā sahasrākṣa ivābhireme || 2.27 27. Then after that the prince, beloved of the king his father, he who was like Sanatkumāra, rejoiced in the society of that Śākya princess as the thousand-eyed (Indra) rejoiced with his bride Śacī. kicinmanaḥkṣobhakara pratīpa kathaca paśyediti so ’nucitya | vāsa npo hyādiśati sma tasmai harmyodareṣveva na bhūpracāram || 2.28 28. ‘He might perchance see some inauspicious sight which could disturb his mind,’ — thus reflecting the king had a dwelling prepared for him apart from the busy press in the recesses of the palace. tataḥ śarattoyadapāḍareṣu bhūmau vimāneṣviva rajiteṣu | harmyeṣu sarvartusukhāśrayeṣu strīṇāmudārairvijahāra tūryaiḥ || 2.29 29. Then he spent his time in those royal apartments, furnished with the delights proper for every season, gaily decorated like heavenly chariots upon the earth, and bright like the clouds of autumn, amidst the splendid musical concerts of singingwomen. kalairhi cāmīkarabaddhakakṣairnārīkarāgrābhihatairmdagaiḥ | varāpsarontyasamaiśca ntyaiḥ kailāsavattadbhavana rarāja || 2.30 30. With the softly-sounding tambourines beaten by the tips of the women’s hands, and ornamented with golden rims, and with the dances which were like the dances of the heavenly nymphs, that palace shone like Mount Kailāsa. 1 The last pāda seems spurious as it is only found in C. I have tried to make some sense by reading buddhiḥ for vddiḥ.
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<strong>Buddha</strong>-carita, <strong>or</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 28<br />
naiḥśreyasa tasya tu bhavyamartha śrutvā purastādasitānmahārṣeḥ |<br />
kāmeṣu saga janayābabhūva vddhirbhavacchākyakulasya rājñaḥ || 2.25<br />
25. But having heard bef<strong>or</strong>e from the great seer Asita his destined future which was to<br />
embrace transcendental happiness, the anxious care 1 <strong>of</strong> the king <strong>of</strong> the present Śākya<br />
race turned the prince to sensual pleasures.<br />
kulāttato ’smai sthiraśīlasayutātsādhvī vapurhrīvinayopapannām |<br />
yaśodharā nāma yaśoviśālā tulyābhidhāna śriyamājuhāva || 2.26<br />
26. <strong>The</strong>n he sought f<strong>or</strong> him from a family <strong>of</strong> unblemished m<strong>or</strong>al excellence a bride<br />
possessed <strong>of</strong> beauty, modesty, and gentle bearing, <strong>of</strong> wide-spread gl<strong>or</strong>y, Yaśodharā <strong>by</strong><br />
name, having a name well w<strong>or</strong>thy <strong>of</strong> her, a very goddess <strong>of</strong> good f<strong>or</strong>tune.<br />
athāpara bhūmipateḥ priyo ’ya sanatkumārapratimaḥ kumāraḥ |<br />
sārdha tayā śākyanaredravadhvā śacyā sahasrākṣa ivābhireme || 2.27<br />
27. <strong>The</strong>n after that the prince, beloved <strong>of</strong> the king his father, he who was like<br />
Sanatkumāra, rejoiced in the society <strong>of</strong> that Śākya princess as the thousand-eyed<br />
(Indra) rejoiced with his bride Śacī.<br />
kicinmanaḥkṣobhakara pratīpa kathaca paśyediti so ’nucitya |<br />
vāsa npo hyādiśati sma tasmai harmyodareṣveva na bhūpracāram || 2.28<br />
28. ‘He might perchance see some inauspicious sight which could disturb his mind,’ —<br />
thus reflecting the king had a dwelling prepared f<strong>or</strong> him apart from the busy press in<br />
the recesses <strong>of</strong> the palace.<br />
tataḥ śarattoyadapāḍareṣu bhūmau vimāneṣviva rajiteṣu |<br />
harmyeṣu sarvartusukhāśrayeṣu strīṇāmudārairvijahāra tūryaiḥ || 2.29<br />
29. <strong>The</strong>n he spent his time in those royal apartments, furnished with the delights<br />
proper f<strong>or</strong> every season, gaily dec<strong>or</strong>ated like heavenly chariots upon the earth, and<br />
bright like the clouds <strong>of</strong> autumn, amidst the splendid musical concerts <strong>of</strong> singingwomen.<br />
kalairhi cāmīkarabaddhakakṣairnārīkarāgrābhihatairmdagaiḥ |<br />
varāpsarontyasamaiśca ntyaiḥ kailāsavattadbhavana rarāja || 2.30<br />
30. With the s<strong>of</strong>tly-sounding tambourines beaten <strong>by</strong> the tips <strong>of</strong> the women’s hands, and<br />
<strong>or</strong>namented with golden rims, and with the dances which were like the dances <strong>of</strong> the<br />
heavenly nymphs, that palace shone like Mount Kailāsa.<br />
1 <strong>The</strong> last pāda seems spurious as it is only found in C. I have tried to make some sense <strong>by</strong><br />
reading buddhiḥ f<strong>or</strong> vddiḥ.
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