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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> - 84<br />

Book VII [Entry into the Penance Grove]<br />

1. Then having left the weeping tear-faced Chaṁda, – indifferent to<br />

all things in his longing f<strong>or</strong> the f<strong>or</strong>est, he <strong>by</strong> whom all objects are<br />

accomplished, overpowering the place <strong>by</strong> his beauty, entered that<br />

hermitage as if it were fully blessed.<br />

2. He the prince with a gait like the lion’s, having entered that arena<br />

<strong>of</strong> deer, himself like a deer, – <strong>by</strong> the beauty <strong>of</strong> his person, even<br />

though bereft <strong>of</strong> his magnificence, attracted the eyes <strong>of</strong> all the<br />

dwellers in the hermitage.<br />

3. The drivers <strong>of</strong> wheeled carriages also, with their wives, stood still<br />

in curiosity, holding the yokes in their hands, – they gazed on him<br />

who was like Indra, and moved not, standing like their beasts <strong>of</strong><br />

burden with their heads half bent down.<br />

4. And the Brāhmans who had gone outside f<strong>or</strong> the sake <strong>of</strong> fuel,<br />

having come with their hands full <strong>of</strong> fuel, flowers, and kusa grass, –<br />

pre-eminent as they were in penances, and pr<strong>of</strong>icients in wisdom,<br />

went to see him, and went not to their cells.<br />

5. Delighted the peacocks uttered their cries, as if they had seen a<br />

dark-blue cloud rising up; and leaving the young grass and coming<br />

f<strong>or</strong>ward, the deer with restless eyes and the ascetics who grazed like<br />

deer stood still.

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