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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> - 96<br />

13. ‘This city bereft <strong>of</strong> him is a f<strong>or</strong>est, and that f<strong>or</strong>est which possesses<br />

him is a city; the city without him has no charms f<strong>or</strong> us, like heaven<br />

without the l<strong>or</strong>d <strong>of</strong> the Maruts, when V<br />

14. Next the women crowded to the rows <strong>of</strong> windows, crying to one<br />

another, ‘The prince has returned;’ but having heard that his h<strong>or</strong>se had<br />

an empty back, they closed the windows again and wailed aloud.<br />

15. But the king, having undertaken religious observances f<strong>or</strong> the<br />

recovery <strong>of</strong> his son, with his mind distressed <strong>by</strong> the vow and the<br />

s<strong>or</strong>row, was muttering prayers in the temple, and perf<strong>or</strong>ming such<br />

rites as suited the occasion.<br />

16. Then with his eyes filled with tears, – taking the h<strong>or</strong>se, his whole<br />

soul fixed on the h<strong>or</strong>se, – overcome with grief he entered the palace<br />

as if his master had been killed <strong>by</strong> an enemy.<br />

17. And entering the royal stable, looking about with his eyes full <strong>of</strong><br />

tears, Kaṁthaka uttered a loud sound, as if he were uttering his woe<br />

to the people.<br />

18. Then the birds that fed in the middle <strong>of</strong> the house, and the<br />

carefully cherished h<strong>or</strong>ses that were tied near <strong>by</strong>, re-echoed the sound<br />

<strong>of</strong> that h<strong>or</strong>se, thinking that it might be the return <strong>of</strong> the prince.<br />

19. And the people, deceived <strong>by</strong> an excessive joy, who were in the<br />

neighbourhood <strong>of</strong> the king’s inner apartments, thought in their hearts,

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