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> - 56<br />
strīsasarga vināśāta pāḍurjñātvāpi kauravaḥ |<br />
mādrīrūpaguṇākṣiptaḥ siṣeve kāmaja sukham || 4.79<br />
79. ‘And the Kaurava king Pāṇḍu, though he knew that intercourse with his wife<br />
would end in death, yet overcome <strong>by</strong> the beauty and good qualities <strong>of</strong> Mādrī yielded to<br />
the pleasures <strong>of</strong> love.<br />
karālajanakaścaiva htvā brāhmaṇakanyakām |<br />
avāpa bhraśam apyeva na tu tyajecca manmatham || 4.80<br />
80. ‘And so Karālajanaka, when he carried <strong>of</strong>f the Brāhman’s daughter, incurred loss<br />
<strong>of</strong> caste there<strong>by</strong>, but he would not give up his love.<br />
evamādyā mahātmāno viṣayān garhitānapi |<br />
ratihet<strong>or</strong>bubhujire prāgeva guṇasahitān || 4.81<br />
81. ‘Great heroes such as these pursued even contemptible desires f<strong>or</strong> the sake <strong>of</strong><br />
pleasure, how much m<strong>or</strong>e so when they are praisew<strong>or</strong>thy <strong>of</strong> their kind?<br />
tva punarnyāyataḥ prāptān balavān rūpavān yuvā |<br />
viṣayānavajānāsi yatra saktamida jagat || 4.82<br />
82. ‘And yet thou, a young man, possessed <strong>of</strong> strength and beauty, despisest<br />
enjoyments which rightly belong to thee, and to which the whole w<strong>or</strong>ld is devoted.’<br />
iti śrutvā vacastasya ślakṣṇamāgamasahitam |<br />
meghastanitanirghoṣaḥ kumāraḥ pratyabhāṣata || 4.83<br />
83. Having heard these specious w<strong>or</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> his, well-supp<strong>or</strong>ted <strong>by</strong> sacred tradition, the<br />
prince made reply, in a voice like the thundering <strong>of</strong> a cloud:<br />
upapannamida vākya sauhārdavyajaka tvayi |<br />
atra ca tvānuneṣyāmi yatra mā duṣṭhu manyase || 4.84<br />
84. ‘This speech manifesting affection is well-befitting in thee; but I will convince thee<br />
as to where thou wrongly judgest me.<br />
nāvajānāmi viṣayāñjāne loka tadātmakam |<br />
anitya tu jaganmatvā nātra me ramate manaḥ || 4.85<br />
85. ‘I do not despise w<strong>or</strong>ldly objects, I know that all mankind are bound up therein; but<br />
remembering that the w<strong>or</strong>ld is transit<strong>or</strong>y, my mind cannot find pleasure in them.<br />
jarā vyādhiśca mtyuśca yadi na syādida trayam |<br />
mamāpi hi manojñeṣu viṣayeṣu ratirbhavet || 4.86<br />
86. ‘Old age, disease, and death — if these three things did not exist, I too should find<br />
my enjoyment in the objects that please the mind.
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