26.03.2016 Views

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.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>Buddha</strong>-<strong>carita</strong>, <strong>or</strong> <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Buddha</strong> - 107<br />

81. Thus the king, in his grief f<strong>or</strong> his separation from his son, – losing<br />

all his innate firmness which was stedfast like the earth, – loudly<br />

lamented as one distraught, like Daśaratha, a prey to his s<strong>or</strong>row f<strong>or</strong><br />

Rāma.<br />

82. Then the wise counsell<strong>or</strong>, endued with religious learning, courtesy,<br />

and virtue, and the old family priest, spoke to him as was befitting in<br />

these well-weighed w<strong>or</strong>ds, neither with their faces overwhelmed <strong>by</strong><br />

grief n<strong>or</strong> yet wholly unmoved:<br />

83. ‘Cease, O noblest <strong>of</strong> men, thy grief, regain thy firmness, – surely<br />

thou wilt not, O firm hero, shed tears like one <strong>of</strong> no self-control;<br />

many kings on this earth have gone into the f<strong>or</strong>ests, throwing away<br />

their royal pomp like a crushed wreath.<br />

84. ‘M<strong>or</strong>eover, this his state <strong>of</strong> mind was all predetermined; remember<br />

those w<strong>or</strong>ds long ago <strong>of</strong> the holy sage Asita; "He will never be made<br />

to dwell even f<strong>or</strong> a moment contentedly in heaven <strong>or</strong> in an emper<strong>or</strong>’s<br />

domain."<br />

85. ‘But if, O best <strong>of</strong> men, the eff<strong>or</strong>t must be made, quickly speak the<br />

w<strong>or</strong>d, we two will at once go together; let the battle be waged in<br />

every way with thy son and his fate whatever it be.’<br />

86. Then the king commanded them both, ‘Do you both go quickly<br />

hence, – my heart will not return to quiet, any m<strong>or</strong>e than a bird’s in<br />

the woods longing f<strong>or</strong> its young.’

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!