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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> - 19<br />

62. ‘But hear now the motive f<strong>or</strong> my coming and rejoice thereat; a<br />

heavenly voice has been heard <strong>by</strong> me in the heavenly path, that thy<br />

son has been b<strong>or</strong>n f<strong>or</strong> the sake <strong>of</strong> supreme knowledge.<br />

63. ‘Having heard that voice and applied my mind thereto, and having<br />

known its truth <strong>by</strong> signs, I am now come hither, with a longing to see<br />

the banner <strong>of</strong> the Śākya race, as if it were Indra’s banner being set<br />

up.’<br />

64. Having heard this address <strong>of</strong> his, the king, with his steps<br />

bewildered with joy, took the prince, who lay on his nurse’s side, and<br />

showed him to the holy ascetic.<br />

65. Thus the great seer beheld the king’s son with wonder, – his foot<br />

marked with a wheel, his fingers and toes webbed, with a circle <strong>of</strong><br />

hair between his eyebrows, and signs <strong>of</strong> vigour like an elephant.<br />

66. Having beheld him seated on his nurse’s side, like the son <strong>of</strong> Agni<br />

(Skanda) seated on Devī’s side, he stood with the tears hanging on the<br />

ends <strong>of</strong> his eyelashes, and sighing he looked up towards heaven.<br />

67. But seeing Asita with his eyes thus filled with tears, the king was<br />

agitated through his love f<strong>or</strong> his son, and with his hands clasped and<br />

his body bowed he thus asked him in a broken voice choked with<br />

weeping,<br />

68. ‘One whose beauty has little to distinguish it from that <strong>of</strong> a divine<br />

sage, and whose brilliant birth has been so wonderful, and f<strong>or</strong> whom

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