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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> - 77<br />

23. ‘Do thou address the king, O friend, with these and such-like<br />

w<strong>or</strong>ds; and do thou use thy eff<strong>or</strong>ts so that he may not even remember<br />

me.<br />

24. ‘Yea, do thou repeat to the king our utter unw<strong>or</strong>thiness; through<br />

unw<strong>or</strong>thiness affection is lost, – and where affection is lost, there is<br />

no s<strong>or</strong>row.’<br />

25. Having heard these w<strong>or</strong>ds, Chaṁda, overwhelmed with grief,<br />

made reply with folded hands, his voice choked <strong>by</strong> tears :<br />

26. ‘At this state <strong>of</strong> mind <strong>of</strong> thine, causing affliction to thy kindred,<br />

my mind, O my l<strong>or</strong>d, sinks down like an elephant in the mud <strong>of</strong> a<br />

river.<br />

27. ‘To whom would not such a determination as this <strong>of</strong> thine cause<br />

tears, even if his heart were <strong>of</strong> iron, – how much m<strong>or</strong>e if it were<br />

throbbing with love?<br />

28. ‘Where is this delicacy <strong>of</strong> limb, fit to lie only in a palace, – and<br />

where is the ground <strong>of</strong> the ascetic f<strong>or</strong>est, covered with the shoots <strong>of</strong><br />

rough kusa grass?<br />

29. ‘When, on hearing thy resolve, I first brought thee this h<strong>or</strong>se, – it<br />

was fate only, O my l<strong>or</strong>d, which made me do it, mastering my will.<br />

30. ‘But how could I, O king, <strong>by</strong> mine own will, knowing this thy<br />

decision, – carry back the h<strong>or</strong>se to the s<strong>or</strong>row <strong>of</strong> Kapilavastu?

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