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 - 69 aparāḥ śayitā yathopaviṣṭāḥ stanabhārairavamanyamānagātrāḥ | upaguhya paraspara virejurbhujapāśaistapanīyapārihāryaiḥ || 5.54 54. Others, lying as they sat, with their limbs oppressed by the weight of their bosoms, shone in their beauty, mutually clasping one another with their twining arms decorated with golden bracelets. mahatī parivādinī ca kācidvanitāligya sakhīmiva prasuptā | vijughūrṇa calatsuvarṇasūtrā vadanenākulakarṇikojjvalena || 5.55 55. And another damsel lay sound asleep, embracing her big lute as if it were a female friend, and rolled it about, while its golden strings trembled, with her own face bright with her shaken earrings. paṇava yuvatirbhujāsadeśādavavisrasitacārupāśamanyā | savilāsaratātatātamūrvorvivare kātamivābhinīya śiśye || 5.56 56. Another lay, with her tabour, 1 aparā na babhurnimīlitākṣyo vipulākṣyo ’pi śubhabhruvo ’pi satyaḥ | pratisakucitāravidakośāḥ savitaryastamite yathā nalinyaḥ || 5.57 57. Others showed no lustre with their eyes shut, although they were really full-eyed and fair-browed, — like the lotus-beds with their buds closed at the setting of the sun. śithilākulamūrdhajā tathānyā jaghanasrastavibhūṣaṇāśukātā | aśayiṣṭa vikīrṇakaṭhasūtrā gajabhagnā pratipātitāganeva || 5.58 58. Another, with her hair loose and dishevelled, and her skirts and ornaments fallen from her loins, lay with her necklace in confusion, like a woman crushed by an elephant and then dropped. aparāstvavaśā hriyā viyuktā dhtimatyo ’pi vapurguṇairupetāḥ | viniśaśvasurulvaṇa śayānā viktākṣiptabhujā jajbhire ca || 5.59 59. Others, helpless and lost to shame, though naturally self-possessed and endued with all graces of person, breathed violently as they lay and yawned with their arms distorted and tossed about. 1 [Ed: So Cowell, who apparently found it impossible to translate the rest of the verse. Johnson was not so reticent, and rendered the verse: “Another young woman lay, bringing her paṇava, whose beautiful netting had slipped from her armpit, between her thighs, like a lover exhausted at the end of his sport.”]
Buddha-carita, or The Life of Buddha - 70 vyapaviddhavibhūṣaṇasrajo ’nyā vistāgrathanavāsaso visajñāḥ | animīlitaśuklaniścalākṣyo na virejuḥ śayitā gatāsukalpāḥ || 5.60 60. Others, with their ornaments and garlands thrown off, — unconscious, with their garments spread out unfastened, — their bright eyes wide open and motionless, — lay without any beauty as if they were dead. vivtāsyapuṭā vivddhagātrā prapatadvaktrajalā prakāśaguhyā | aparā madaghūrṇiteva śiśye na babhāṣe vikta vapuḥ pupoṣa || 5.61 61. Another, with fully-developed limbs, her mouth wide open, her saliva dropping, and her person exposed, lay as though sprawling in intoxication, — she spoke not, but bore every limb distorted. iti sattvakulānurūparūpa vividha sa pramadājanaḥ śayānaḥ | sarasaḥ sadśa babhāra rūpa pavanāvarjitarugṇapuṣkarasya || 5.62 62. Thus that company of women, lying in different attitudes, according to their disposition and family, bore the aspect of a lake whose lotuses were bent down and broken by the wind. samavekṣya tataśca tāḥ śayānā viktāstā yuvatīradhīraceṣṭāḥ | guṇavadvapuṣo ’pi valgubhāso npasūnuḥ sa vigarhayā babhūva || 5.63 63. Then having seen these young women thus lying distorted and with uncontrolled gestures, however excellent their forms and graceful their appearance, — the king’s son felt moved with scorn. aśucirviktaśca jīvaloke vanitānāmayamīdśaḥ svabhāvaḥ | vasanābharaṇaistu vacyamānaḥ puruṣaḥ strīviṣayeṣu rāgameti || 5.64 64. ‘Such is the nature of women, impure and monstrous in the world of living beings; but deceived by dress and ornaments a man becomes infatuated by a woman’s attractions. vimśedyadi yoṣitā manuṣyaḥ prakti svapnavikāramīdśa ca | dhruvamatra na vardhayetpramāda guṇasakalpahatastu rāgameti || 5.65 65. ‘If a man would but consider the natural state of women and this change produced in them by sleep, assuredly he would not cherish his folly; but he is smitten from a right will and so succumbs to passion.’ iti tasya tadatara viditvā niśi niścikramiṣā samudbabhūva | avagamya manastato ’sya devairbhavanadvāramapāvta babhūva || 5.66 66. Thus to him having recognised that difference there arose a desire to escape in the night; and then the gods, knowing his purpose, caused the door of the palace to fly open.
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<strong>Buddha</strong>-carita, <strong>or</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 69<br />
aparāḥ śayitā yathopaviṣṭāḥ stanabhārairavamanyamānagātrāḥ |<br />
upaguhya paraspara virejurbhujapāśaistapanīyapārihāryaiḥ || 5.54<br />
54. Others, lying as they sat, with their limbs oppressed <strong>by</strong> the weight <strong>of</strong> their bosoms,<br />
shone in their beauty, mutually clasping one another with their twining arms<br />
dec<strong>or</strong>ated with golden bracelets.<br />
mahatī parivādinī ca kācidvanitāligya sakhīmiva prasuptā |<br />
vijughūrṇa calatsuvarṇasūtrā vadanenākulakarṇikojjvalena || 5.55<br />
55. And another damsel lay sound asleep, embracing her big lute as if it were a female<br />
friend, and rolled it about, while its golden strings trembled, with her own face bright<br />
with her shaken earrings.<br />
paṇava yuvatirbhujāsadeśādavavisrasitacārupāśamanyā |<br />
savilāsaratātatātamūrv<strong>or</strong>vivare kātamivābhinīya śiśye || 5.56<br />
56. Another lay, with her tabour, 1<br />
aparā na babhurnimīlitākṣyo vipulākṣyo ’pi śubhabhruvo ’pi satyaḥ |<br />
pratisakucitāravidakośāḥ savitaryastamite yathā nalinyaḥ || 5.57<br />
57. Others showed no lustre with their eyes shut, although they were really full-eyed<br />
and fair-browed, — like the lotus-beds with their buds closed at the setting <strong>of</strong> the sun.<br />
śithilākulamūrdhajā tathānyā jaghanasrastavibhūṣaṇāśukātā |<br />
aśayiṣṭa vikīrṇakaṭhasūtrā gajabhagnā pratipātitāganeva || 5.58<br />
58. Another, with her hair loose and dishevelled, and her skirts and <strong>or</strong>naments fallen<br />
from her loins, lay with her necklace in confusion, like a woman crushed <strong>by</strong> an<br />
elephant and then dropped.<br />
aparāstvavaśā hriyā viyuktā dhtimatyo ’pi vapurguṇairupetāḥ |<br />
viniśaśvasurulvaṇa śayānā viktākṣiptabhujā jajbhire ca || 5.59<br />
59. Others, helpless and lost to shame, though naturally self-possessed and endued with<br />
all graces <strong>of</strong> person, breathed violently as they lay and yawned with their arms<br />
dist<strong>or</strong>ted and tossed about.<br />
1 [Ed: So Cowell, who apparently found it impossible to translate the rest <strong>of</strong> the verse. Johnson<br />
was not so reticent, and rendered the verse: “Another young woman lay, bringing her paṇava,<br />
whose beautiful netting had slipped from her armpit, between her thighs, like a lover exhausted<br />
at the end <strong>of</strong> his sp<strong>or</strong>t.”]