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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> - 103<br />

57. ‘He who was proud <strong>of</strong> his family, goodness, strength, energy,<br />

sacred learning, beauty, and youth, – who was ever ready to give, not<br />

to ask, – how will he go about begging alms from others?<br />

58. ‘He who, lying on a spotless golden bed, was awakened during the<br />

night <strong>by</strong> the concert <strong>of</strong> musical instruments, – how alas! will he, my<br />

ascetic, sleep to-day on the bare ground with only one rag <strong>of</strong> cloth<br />

interposed?’<br />

59. Having heard this piteous lamentation, the women, embracing one<br />

another with their arms, rained the tears from their eyes, as the<br />

shaken creepers drop honey from their flowers.<br />

60. Then Yaśodharā fell upon the ground, like the ruddy goose parted<br />

from her mate, and in utter bewilderment she slowly lamented, with<br />

her voice repeatedly stopped <strong>by</strong> sobs:<br />

61. ‘If he wishes to practise a religious life after abandoning me his<br />

lawful wife widowed, – where is his religion, who wishes to follow<br />

penance without his lawful wife to share it with him?<br />

62. ‘He surely has never heard <strong>of</strong> the monarchs <strong>of</strong> olden times, his<br />

own ancest<strong>or</strong>s, Mahāsudarśa and the rest, – how they went with their<br />

wives into the f<strong>or</strong>est, – that he thus wishes to follow a religious life<br />

without me.<br />

63. ‘He does not see that husband and wife are both consecrated in<br />

sacrifices, and both purified <strong>by</strong> the perf<strong>or</strong>mance <strong>of</strong> the rites <strong>of</strong> the

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