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.
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> - 85<br />
6. Beholding him, the lamp <strong>of</strong> the race <strong>of</strong> Ikṣvāku, shining like the<br />
rising sun, – even though their milking was over, being filled with<br />
joy, the oblation-giving cows poured f<strong>or</strong>th their milk.<br />
7. ‘It is one <strong>of</strong> the eight Vasus <strong>or</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the two Aśvins, descended<br />
here,’ – these w<strong>or</strong>ds arose, uttered aloud <strong>by</strong> the sages in their<br />
astonishment at seeing him.<br />
8. Like a second f<strong>or</strong>m <strong>of</strong> the l<strong>or</strong>d <strong>of</strong> the gods, like the personified<br />
gl<strong>or</strong>y <strong>of</strong> the universe, he lighted up the entire wood like the sun come<br />
down <strong>of</strong> his own acc<strong>or</strong>d.<br />
9. Then he, being duly honoured and invited to enter <strong>by</strong> those<br />
dwellers in the hermitage, paid his homage to the saints, with a voice<br />
like a cloud in the rainy season.<br />
10. He, the wise one, longing f<strong>or</strong> liberation, traversed that hermitage<br />
filled with the holy company desirous <strong>of</strong> heaven, – gazing at their<br />
strange penances.<br />
11. He, the gentle one, having seen the different kinds <strong>of</strong> penance<br />
practised <strong>by</strong> the ascetics in that sacred grove, – desiring to know the<br />
truth, thus addressed one <strong>of</strong> the ascetics who was following him:<br />
12. ‘Since this to-day is my first sight <strong>of</strong> a hermitage I do not<br />
understand this rule <strong>of</strong> penance; theref<strong>or</strong>e will your honour kindly<br />
explain to me what resolve possesses each one <strong>of</strong> you.’
Change language