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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> - 13<br />

25. At that time the constellation Puṣya was auspicious, and from the<br />

side <strong>of</strong> the queen, who was purified <strong>by</strong> her vow, her son was b<strong>or</strong>n f<strong>or</strong><br />

the welfare <strong>of</strong> the w<strong>or</strong>ld, without pain and without illness.<br />

26. Like the sun bursting from a cloud in the m<strong>or</strong>ning, – so he too,<br />

when he was b<strong>or</strong>n from his mother’s womb, made the w<strong>or</strong>ld bright<br />

like gold, bursting f<strong>or</strong>th with his rays which dispelled the darkness.<br />

27. As soon as he was b<strong>or</strong>n the thousand-eyed (Indra) well-pleased<br />

took him gently, bright like a golden pillar; and two pure streams <strong>of</strong><br />

water fell down from heaven upon his head with piles <strong>of</strong> Mandāra<br />

flowers.<br />

28. Carried about <strong>by</strong> the chief suras, and delighting them with the<br />

rays that streamed from his body, he surpassed in beauty the new<br />

moon as it rests on a mass <strong>of</strong> evening clouds.<br />

d,<br />

Kakṣīvat’s from the upper end <strong>of</strong> the arm, – thus too was his birth<br />

(miraculous).<br />

30. Having thus in due time issued from the womb, he shone as if he<br />

had come down from heaven, he who had not been b<strong>or</strong>n in the<br />

natural way, – he who was b<strong>or</strong>n full <strong>of</strong> wisdom, not foolish, as if his<br />

mind had been purified <strong>by</strong> countless aeons <strong>of</strong> contemplation.

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