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Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

An English translation of this famous life of the Buddha, one of the great pieces of Sanskrit literature, with additions to help complete the text.

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<strong>Buddha</strong>-<strong>carita</strong>, <strong>or</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 100<br />

38. ‘Even that h<strong>or</strong>se Kaṁthaka without doubt desired my utter ruin;<br />

f<strong>or</strong> he b<strong>or</strong>e away from hence my treasure when all were sound asleep<br />

in the night, – like one who steals jewels.<br />

39. ‘When he was able to bear even the onsets <strong>of</strong> arrows, and still<br />

m<strong>or</strong>e the strokes <strong>of</strong> whips, – how then f<strong>or</strong> fear <strong>of</strong> the fall <strong>of</strong> a whip,<br />

could he go carrying with him my prosperity and my heart together?<br />

40. ‘The base creature now neighs loudly, filling the king’s palace with<br />

the sound; but when he carried away my beloved, then this vilest <strong>of</strong><br />

h<strong>or</strong>ses was dumb.<br />

41. ‘If he had neighed and so woke up the people, <strong>or</strong> had even made a<br />

noise with his ho<strong>of</strong>s on the ground, <strong>or</strong> had made the loudest sound he<br />

could with his jaws, my grief would not have been so great.’<br />

42. Having thus heard the queen’s w<strong>or</strong>ds, their syllables choked with<br />

tears and full <strong>of</strong> lament, slowly Chaṁdaka uttered this answer, with<br />

his face bent down, his voice low with tears, and his hands clasped in<br />

supplication:<br />

43. ‘Surely, O queen, thou wilt not blame Kaṁthaka n<strong>or</strong> wilt thou<br />

show thy anger against me, know that we two are entirely guiltless, –<br />

that god amongst men, O queen, is gone away like a god.<br />

44. ‘I indeed, though I well knew the king’s command, as though<br />

dragged <strong>by</strong> f<strong>or</strong>ce <strong>by</strong> some divine powers, brought quickly to him this<br />

swift steed, and followed him on the road unwearied.

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