The Buddha-Carita or The Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

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Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 39 pīta hyanenāpi payaḥ śiśutve kālena bhūyaḥ parimṣṭamurvyām | krameṇa bhūtvā ca yuvā vapuṣmān krameṇa tenaiva jarāmupetaḥ || 3.31 31. ‘He too once drank milk in his childhood, and in course of time he learned to grope on the ground; having step by step become a vigorous youth, he has step by step in the same way reached old age.’ ityevamukte calitaḥ sa kicidrājātmajaḥ sūtamida babhāṣe | kimeṣa doṣo bhavitā mamāpītyasmai tataḥ sārathirabhyuvāca || 3.32 32. Being thus addressed, the prince, starting a little, spoke these words to the charioteer, ‘What! will this evil come to me also?’ and to him again spoke the charioteer: āyuṣmato ’pyeṣa vayaḥprakarṣānniḥsaśaya kālavaśena bhāvī | eva jarā rūpavināśayitrī jānāti caivecchati caiṣa lokaḥ || 3.33 33. ‘It will come without doubt by the force of time through multitude of years even to my long-lived lord; all the world knows thus that old age will destroy their comeliness and they are content to have it so.’ tataḥ sa pūrvāśayaśuddhabuddhirvistīrṇakalpācitapuṇyakarmā | śrutvā jarā savivije mahātmā mahāśanerghoṣamivātike gauḥ || 3.34 34. Then he, the great-souled one, who had his mind purified by the impressions of former good actions, who possessed a store of merits accumulated through many preceding aeons, was deeply agitated when he heard of old age, like a bull who has heard the crash of a thunderbolt close by. niḥśvasya dīrgha sa śiraḥ prakapya tasmiśca jīrṇe viniveśya cakṣuḥ | tā caiva dṣṭvā janatā saharṣā vākya sa savignamida jagāda || 3.35 35. Drawing a long sigh and shaking his head, and fixing his eyes on that decrepit old man, and looking round on that exultant multitude he then uttered these distressed words: eva jarā hati ca nirviśeṣa smti ca rūpa ca parākrama ca | na caiva savegamupaiti lokaḥ pratyakṣato ’pīdśamīkṣamāṇaḥ || 3.36 36. ‘Old age thus strikes down all alike, our memory, comeliness, and valour; and yet the world is not disturbed, even when it sees such a fate visibly impending. eva gate sūta nivartayāśvān śīghra ghāṇyeva bhavānprayātu | udyānabhūmau hi kuto ratirme jarābhave cetasi vartamāne || 3.37 37. ‘Since such is our condition, O charioteer, turn back the horses, — go quickly home; how can I rejoice in the pleasure-garden, when the thoughts arising from old age overpower me?’

Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 40 athājñayā bhartsutasya tasya nivartayāmāsa ratha niyatā | tataḥ kumāro bhavana tadeva citāvaśaḥ śūnyamiva prapede || 3.38 38. Then the charioteer at the command of the king’s son turned the chariot back, and the prince lost in thought entered even that royal palace as if it were empty. yadā tu tatraiva na śarma lebhe jarā jareti praparīkṣamāṇaḥ | tato naredrānumataḥ sa bhūyaḥ krameṇa tenaiva bahirjagāma || 3.39 39. But when he found no happiness even there, as he continually kept reflecting, ‘old age, old age,’ then once more, with the permission of the king, he went out with the same arrangement as before. athāpara vyādhiparītadeha ta eva devāḥ sasjurmanuṣyam | dṣṭvā ca ta sārathimābabhāṣe śauddhodanistadgatadṣṭireva || 3.40 40. Then the same deities created another man with his body all afflicted by disease; and on seeing him the son of Śuddhodana addressed the charioteer, having his gaze fixed on the man: sthūlodaraḥ śvāsacalaccharīraḥ srastāsabāhuḥ kśapāṇdugātraḥ | abeti vāca karuṇa bruvāṇaḥ para samāśliṣya naraḥ ka eṣaḥ || 3.41 41. ‘Yonder man with a swollen belly, his whole frame shaking as he pants, his arms and shoulders hanging loose, his body all pale and thin, uttering plaintively the word "mother," when he embraces a stranger, — who, pray, is this?’ tato ’bravītsārathirasya saumya dhātuprakopaprabhavaḥ pravddhaḥ | rogābhidhānaḥ sumahānanarthaḥ śakro ’pi yenaiṣa kto ’svatatraḥ || 3.42 42. Then his charioteer answered, ‘Gentle Sir, it is a very great affliction called sickness, that has grown up, caused by the inflammation of the (three) humours, which has made even this strong man 1 no longer master of himself.’ ityūcivān rājasutaḥ sa bhūyasta sānukapo naramīkṣamāṇaḥ | asyaiva jātaḥ pthageṣa doṣaḥ sāmānyato rogabhaya prajānām || 3.43 43. Then the prince again addressed him, looking upon the man compassionately, ‘Is this evil peculiar to him or are all beings alike threatened by sickness?’ tato babhāṣe sa rathapraṇetā kumāra sādhāraṇa eṣa doṣaḥ | eva hi rogaiḥ paripīḍyamāno rujāturo harṣamupaiti lokaḥ || 3.44 44. Then the charioteer answered, ‘O prince, this evil is common to all; thus pressed round by diseases men run to pleasure, though racked with pain.’ 1 1 Śakro ’pi.

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buddha

objects

tasya

pleasures

tibetan

translation

caiva

various

addressed

sorrow

buddhacarita

The Buddha-Carita or The Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

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