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

Ancient.Buddhist.Texts
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Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 65 pratisahara tāta buddhimetā na hi kālastava dharmasaśrayasya | vayasi prathame matau calāyā bahudoṣā hi vadati dharmacaryām || 5.30 30. ‘O my son, keep back this thought, it is not the time for thee to betake thyself to dharma; they say that the practice of religion is full of evils in the first period of life when the mind is still fickle. viṣayeṣu kutūhaledriyasya vratakhedeṣvasamarthaniścayasya | taruṇasya manaścalatyaraṇyādanabhijñasya viśeṣato ’vivekam || 5.31 31. ‘The mind of the thoughtless ignorant young man whose senses are eager for worldly objects, and who has no power of settled resolution for the hardships of vows of penance, shrinks back from the forest, for it is especially destitute of discrimination. mama tu priyadharma dharmakālastvayi lakṣmīmavasjya lakṣyabhūte | sthiravikrama vikrameṇa dharmastava hitvā tu guru bhavedadharmaḥ || 5.32 32. ‘It is high time for me to practise religion, O my child of loved qualities, 1 leaving my royal glory to thee who art well worthy to be distinguished by it; but thy religion, O firm-striding hero, is to be accomplished by heroism; it would be irreligion if thou wert to leave thine own father. tadima vyavasāyamutsja tva bhava tāvannirato ghasthadharme | puruṣasya vayaḥsukhāni bhuktvā ramaṇīyo hi tapovanapraveśaḥ || 5.33 33. ‘Do thou therefore abandon this thy resolution; devote thyself for the present to the duties of a householder; to a man who has enjoyed the pleasures of his prime, it is delightful to enter the penance-forest.’ iti vākyamida niśamya rājñaḥ kalavikasvara uttara babhāṣe | yadi me pratibhūścaturṣu rājan bhavasi tva na tapovana śrayiṣye || 5.34 34. Having heard these words of the king, he made his reply in a voice soft like a sparrow’s: ‘If thou wilt be my surety, O king, against four contingencies, I will not betake myself to the forest. na bhavenmaraṇāya jīvita me viharetsvāsthyamida ca me na rogaḥ | na ca yauvanamākṣipejjarā me na ca sapattimapāharedvipattiḥ || 5.35 35. ‘Let not my life be subject to death, and let not disease impair this health of mine; let not old age attack my youth, and let not misfortune destroy my weal.’ 1 Or ‘lover of religion’.

Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 66 iti durlabhamarthamūcivāsa tanaya vākyamuvāca śākyarājaḥ | tyaja buddhimatimā gatipravttāmavahāsyo ’timanorathakramaśca || 5.36 36. When his son uttered a speech so hard to be understood, the king of the Śākyas thus replied: ‘Abandon this idea bent upon departure; extravagant desires are only ridiculous.’ atha merugururguru babhāṣe yadi nāsti krama eṣa nāsti vāryaḥ | śaraṇājjvalanena dahyamānānna hi niścikramiṣu kṣama grahītum || 5.37 37. Then he who was firm as Mount Meru addressed his father: ‘If this is impossible, then this course of mine is not to be hindered; it is not right to lay hold of one who would escape 1 from a house that is on fire. jagataśca yathā dhruvo viyogo na tu dharmāya vara tvaya viyogaḥ | avaśa nanu viprayojayenmāmaktasvārthamatptameva mtyuḥ || 5.38 38. ‘As separation is inevitable to the world, but not for Dharma, 2 this separation is preferable; will not death sever me helplessly, my objects unattained and myself unsatisfied?’ iti bhūmipatirniśamya tasya vyavasāya tanayasya nirmumukṣoḥ | abhidhāya na yāsyatīti bhūyo vidadhe rakṣaṇamuttamāśca kāmān || 5.39 39. The monarch, having heard this resolve of his son longing for liberation, and having again exclaimed, ‘He shall not go,’ set guards round him and the highest pleasures. sacivaistu nidarśito yathāvadbahumānāt praṇayācca śāstrapūrvam | guruṇā ca nivārito ’śrupātaiḥ praviveśāvasatha tataḥ sa śocan || 5.40 40. Then having been duly instructed 3 by the counsellors, with all respect and affection, according to the śāstras, and being thus forbidden with tears by his father, the prince, sorrowing, entered into his palace. calakuṇdalacubitānanābhirghananiśvāsavikapitastanībhiḥ | vanitābhiradhīralocanābhirmgaśāvābhirivābhyudīkṣyamāṇaḥ || 5.41 41. There he was gazed at by his wives with restless eyes, whose faces were kissed by their dangling earrings, and whose bosoms were shaken with their thick-coming sighs, — as by so many young fawns. 1 Read niścikramiṣum. 2 This accompanies the soul at death; cf. Manu VIII, 17. 3 Does this allude to Udāyin? or should we translate it ‘being shown the way’?

<strong>Buddha</strong>-carita, <strong>or</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 66<br />

iti durlabhamarthamūcivāsa tanaya vākyamuvāca śākyarājaḥ |<br />

tyaja buddhimatimā gatipravttāmavahāsyo ’timan<strong>or</strong>athakramaśca || 5.36<br />

36. When his son uttered a speech so hard to be understood, the king <strong>of</strong> the Śākyas<br />

thus replied: ‘Abandon this idea bent upon departure; extravagant desires are only<br />

ridiculous.’<br />

atha merugururguru babhāṣe yadi nāsti krama eṣa nāsti vāryaḥ |<br />

śaraṇājjvalanena dahyamānānna hi niścikramiṣu kṣama grahītum || 5.37<br />

37. <strong>The</strong>n he who was firm as Mount Meru addressed his father: ‘If this is impossible,<br />

then this course <strong>of</strong> mine is not to be hindered; it is not right to lay hold <strong>of</strong> one who<br />

would escape 1 from a house that is on fire.<br />

jagataśca yathā dhruvo viyogo na tu dharmāya vara tvaya viyogaḥ |<br />

avaśa nanu viprayojayenmāmaktasvārthamatptameva mtyuḥ || 5.38<br />

38. ‘As separation is inevitable to the w<strong>or</strong>ld, but not f<strong>or</strong> Dharma, 2 this separation is<br />

preferable; will not death sever me helplessly, my objects unattained and myself<br />

unsatisfied?’<br />

iti bhūmipatirniśamya tasya vyavasāya tanayasya nirmumukṣoḥ |<br />

abhidhāya na yāsyatīti bhūyo vidadhe rakṣaṇamuttamāśca kāmān || 5.39<br />

39. <strong>The</strong> monarch, having heard this resolve <strong>of</strong> his son longing f<strong>or</strong> liberation, and<br />

having again exclaimed, ‘He shall not go,’ set guards round him and the highest<br />

pleasures.<br />

sacivaistu nidarśito yathāvadbahumānāt praṇayācca śāstrapūrvam |<br />

guruṇā ca nivārito ’śrupātaiḥ praviveśāvasatha tataḥ sa śocan || 5.40<br />

40. <strong>The</strong>n having been duly instructed 3 <strong>by</strong> the counsell<strong>or</strong>s, with all respect and<br />

affection, acc<strong>or</strong>ding to the śāstras, and being thus f<strong>or</strong>bidden with tears <strong>by</strong> his father,<br />

the prince, s<strong>or</strong>rowing, entered into his palace.<br />

calakuṇdalacubitānanābhirghananiśvāsavikapitastanībhiḥ |<br />

vanitābhiradhīralocanābhirmgaśāvābhirivābhyudīkṣyamāṇaḥ || 5.41<br />

41. <strong>The</strong>re he was gazed at <strong>by</strong> his wives with restless eyes, whose faces were kissed <strong>by</strong><br />

their dangling earrings, and whose bosoms were shaken with their thick-coming sighs,<br />

— as <strong>by</strong> so many young fawns.<br />

1 Read niścikramiṣum.<br />

2 This accompanies the soul at death; cf. Manu VIII, 17.<br />

3 Does this allude to Udāyin? <strong>or</strong> should we translate it ‘being shown the way’?

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