Buddha-Carita [sanskrit]

by E. B. Cowell | 2003 | 11,474 words | ISBN-10: 8187418788 | ISBN-13: 9788187418788

The Buddha Carita (Saddharma-pundarika) by Asvaghosa a famous Sanskrit text revolving around the live and exploits of the Buddha. The Buddha Carita (Buddhacarita) is written in the style of a Kavya (or Mahakavya, epic poetry) and extant original Sanskrit text consists of roughly 1,000 metrical verses.

Chapter 1

śriyaṃ parārdhyāṃ vidadhadvidhātṛjit tamo nirasyannabhibhūtabhānubhṛt |
nudannidāghaṃ jitacārucandramāḥ sa vandyate 'rhanniha yasya nopamā || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

āsīdviśālonnatasānulakṣmyā payodapaṅktyeva parītapārśvam |
udagradhiṣṇyaṃ gagaṇe 'vagāḍhaṃ puraṃ maharṣeḥ kapilasya vastu || 2 ||
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sitonnateneva nayena hṛtvā kailāsaśailasya yadabhraśobhām |
bhramādupetān vahadambuvāhān sambhāvanāṃ vā saphalīcakāra || 3 ||
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ratnaprabhodbhāsini yatra lebhe tamo na dāridryamivāvakāśam |
parārdhyapauraiḥ sahavāsatoṣāt kṛtasmitevātirarāja lakṣmīḥ || 4 ||
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yadvedikātoraṇasiṃhakarṇairatnairdadhānaṃ prativeśama śobhām |
jagatyadṛṣṭveva samānamanyatspardhāṃ svagehairmitha eva cakre || 5 ||
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rāmāmukhendūn paribhūtapadmān yatrāpayāto 'pyavimanya bhānuḥ |
santāpayogādiva vāri veṣṭuṃ paścātsamudrābhimukhaḥ pratasthe || 6 ||
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śakyārjitānāṃ yaśasāṃ janena dṛṣṭvāntabhāvaṃ gamito 'yamindraḥ |
iti dhvajaiścārucalatpatākairyanmārṣṭumasyāṅkamivodayacchat || 7 ||
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kṛtvāpi rātrau kumudaprahāsamindoḥ karairyadrajatālayasthaiḥ |
sauvarṇaharmyeṣu gatārkapādairdivā sarojadyutimālalambe || 8 ||
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mahībṛtāṃ mūrdhni kṛtābhiṣekaḥ śuddhodano nāma nṛpo 'rkabandhuḥ |
adhyāśayo vā sphuṭapudarīkaṃ purādhirājaṃ tadalañcakāra || 9 ||
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bhūbhṛtparārdhyo 'pi sapakṣa eva pravṛttadāno 'pi madānupetaḥ |
īśo 'pi nityaṃ samaḍṛṣṭipātaḥ saumyasvabhāvo 'pi pṛthupratāpaḥ || 10 ||
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bhujena yasyābhihatāḥ patanto dviṣaddvipendrāḥ samarāṅgaṇeṣu |
udvāntamuktāprakaraiḥ śirobhirbhaktyeva puṣpāñjalibhiḥ praṇemuḥ || 11 ||
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atipratāpādavadhūya śatrūnmahoparāgāniva tigmabhānuḥ |
udyotayāmāsa janaṃ samantātpradarśayannāśrayaṇīyamārgān || 12 ||
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dharmārthakāmā viṣayaṃ mitho 'nyaṃ na veśamācakramurasya nītyā |
vispardhamānā iva tūgrasiddheḥ sugocare dīptatarā babhūvuḥ || 13 ||
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udārasaṅkhyaiḥ sacivāirasaṅkhyaiḥ kṛtāgrabhāvaḥ sa udagrabhāvaḥ |
śaśī yathā bhairakṛtānyathābhaiḥ śakyendrarājaḥ sutarāṃ rarāja || 14 ||
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tasyātiśobhāvisṛtātiśobhā raviprabhevāstatamaḥ prabhāvā |
samagradevīnivahāgradevī babhūva māyāpagateva māyā || 15 ||
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prajāsu māteva hitapravṛttā gurau jane bhaktirivānuvṛttā |
lakṣmīrivādhīśakule kṛtābhā jagatyabhūduttamadevatā yā || 16 ||
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kāmaṃ sadā strīcaritaṃ tamisraṃ tathāpi tāṃ prapya bhṛśaṃ vireje |
na hīndulekhāmupagamya śubhāṃ naktaṃ tathā santamasatvameti || 17 ||
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atīndriyenātmani duṣkuho 'yaṃ mayā jano yojayituṃ na śakyaḥ |
itīva sūkṣmāṃ prakṛtiṃ vihāya dharmeṇa sākṣādvihitā svamūrtiḥ || 18 ||
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cyuto 'tha kāyāttuṣitāt trilokīmudyotayannuttamabodhisattvaḥ |
viveśa tasyāḥ smṛta eva kukṣau nandāguhāyāmiva nāgarājaḥ || 19 ||
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dhṛtvā himādridhavalaṃ guru ṣaḍviṣāṇāṃ dānādhivāsitamukhaṃ dviradasya rūpam |
śuddhodanasya vasudhādhipatermahiṣyāḥ kukṣiṃ viveśa sa jagadvyasanakṣayāya || 20 ||
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rakṣāvidhānaṃ prati lokapālā lokaikanāthasya divo 'bhijagmuḥ |
sarvatra bhānto 'pi hi candrapādā bhajanti kailāsagirau viśeṣam || 21 ||
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mayāpi taṃ kukṣigataṃ dadhānā vidyudvilāsaṃ jaladāvalīva |
dānābhivarṣaiḥ parito janānāṃ dāridryatāpaṃ śamayāñcakāra || 22 ||
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sātaḥ purajanā devī kadācidatha lumbinīm |
jagāmānumate rājñaḥ sambhūtottamadohadā || 23 ||
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śākhāmālambamānāyāḥ puṣpabhārāvalambinīm |
devyāḥ kukṣiṃ vibhidyāśu bodhisattvo viniryayau || 24 ||
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tataḥ prasannaśca babhūva puṣyastasyāśca devyā vratasaṃskṛtāyāḥ |
pārśvātsuto lokahitāya jajñe nirvedanaṃ caiva nirāmayaṃ ca || 25 ||
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prātaḥ payodādiva tigmabhānuḥ samudbhavanso 'pi ca mātṛkukṣeḥ |
sphuranmayūkhairvihatāndhakāraiścakāra lokaṃ kanakāvadātam || 26 ||
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taṃ jātamātramatha kāñcanayūpagauraṃ prītaḥ sahasranayaṇaḥ śanakairagṛhṇāt |
mandārapuṣpanikaraiḥ saha tasya mūrdhni khānnirmale ca vinipetaturambudhāre || 27 ||
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surapradhānaiḥ paridhāryamāṇo dehāṃśujālairanurañjayaṃstān |
sandhyābhrajāloparisaṃniviṣṭaṃ navoḍurājaṃ vijigāya lakṣmyā || 28 ||
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ūroryathaurvasya pṛthośca hastānmāndhāturindrapratimasya mūrdhnaḥ |
kakṣīvataścaiva bhujāṃsadeśāttathāvidhaṃ tasya babhūva janma || 29 ||
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krameṇa garbhādabhiniḥsṛtaḥ san babhau gataḥ khādiva yonyajātaḥ |
kalpeṣvanekeṣviva bhāvitātmā yaḥ samprajānan suṣuve na mūḍhaḥ || 30 ||
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dīptyā ca dhairyeṇa ca yo rarāja bālo ravirbhūmimivāvatīrṇaḥ |
tathātidīpto 'pi nirīkṣyamāṇo jahāra cakṣūṃṣi yathā śaśāṅkaḥ || 31 ||
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sa hi svagātraprabhayojjvalantyā dīpaprabhāṃ bhāskaravanmumoṣa |
mahārhajāmbūnadacāruvarṇo vidyotayāmāsa diśaśca sarvāḥ || 32 ||
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anākulānyabjasamudgatāni niṣpeṣavantyāyatavikramāṇi |
tathaiva dhīrāṇi padāni sapta saptarṣitārāsadṛśo jagāma || 33 ||
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bodhāya jāto 'smi jagaddhitārthamantyā tathotpattiriyaṃ mameti |
caturdiśaṃ siṃhagatirvilokya vāṇīṃ ca bhavyārthakarīmuvāca || 34 ||
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khātprasrute candramarīciśubhre dve vāridhāre śiśiroṣṇavīrye |
śarīrasaukhyārthamanuttarasya nipetaturmūrdhani tasya saumye || 35 ||
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śrīmadvitāne kanakojjvalāṅge vaiḍūryapāde śayane śayānam |
yadgauravātkāñcanapadmahastā yakṣādhipāḥ samparivārya tasthuḥ || 36 ||
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māyātanūjasya divaukasaḥ khe yasya prabhāvātpraṇataiḥ śirobhiḥ |
ādhārayan pāṇdaramātapatraṃ bodhāya jepuḥ paramāśiṣaśca || 37 ||
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mahoragā dharmaviśeṣatarṣādbuddheṣvatīteṣu kṛtādhikārāḥ |
yamavyajan bhaktiviśiṣṭanetrā mandārapuṣpaiḥ samavākiraṃśca || 38 ||
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tathāgatotpādaguṇena tuṣṭāḥ śuddhādhivāsāśca viśuddhasattvāḥ |
devā nanandurvigate 'pi rāge magnasya duḥkhe jagato hitāya || 39 ||
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yasmin prasūte girirājakīlā vātāhatā nauriva bhūścacāla |
sacandanā cotpalapadmagarbhā papāta vṛṣṭirgagaṇādanabhrāt || 40 ||
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vātā vavuḥ sparśasukhā manojñā divyāni vāsāṃsyavapātayantaḥ |
sūryaḥ sa evābhyadhikaṃ cakāśe jajvāla saumyārciranīrito 'gniḥ || 41 ||
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prāguttare cāvasathapradeśe kūpaḥ svayaṃ prādurabhūtsitāmbuḥ |
antaḥ purāṇyāgatavismayāni yasmin kriyāstīrtha iva pracakruḥ || 42 ||
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dharmārthibhirbhūtagaṇaiśca divyaistaddarśanārthaṃ balamāpa pūraḥ |
kautūhalenaiva ca pādapaiśca prapūjayāmāsa sagandhapuṣpaiḥ || 43 ||
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puṣpadumāḥ svaṃ kusumaṃ pukulluḥ sasīraṇodrāmitadiksugandhi |
susambhramadnṛgavadhūpagītaṃ bhujaṅgaṃvṛdāpihitāttavātam || 44 ||
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kvacit kvaṇattūryamṛdaṅgagītairvīṇāmukundāmurajādibhiśca |
svīṇāṃ calatkuṇḍalabhūṣitānāṃ virājitaṃ cobhayapārścatastat || 45 ||
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yadrājaśāstraṃ bhṛguraṅgirā vā na cakraturvaṃśakarāvṛṣī tau |
tayoḥ sutau tau ca sasarjatustatkālena śukraśca bṛhaspatiśca || 46 ||
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sārasvataścāpi jagāda naṣṭaṃ vedaṃ punaryaṃ dadṛśurna pūrvam |
vyāsastathainaṃ bahudhā cakāra na yaṃ vaśiṣṭhaḥ kṛtavānaśaktiḥ || 47 ||
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vālmīkinādaśca sasarja padyaṃ jagrantha yanna cyavano mahārṣiḥ |
cikitsitaṃ yacca cakāra nātriḥ paścāttadātreya ṛṣirjagāda || 48 ||
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yacca dvijatvaṃ kuśiko na lebhe tadgādhanaḥ sūnuravāpa rājan |
velāṃ samudre sagaraśca dadhre nekṣvākavo yāṃ prathamaṃ babandhuḥ || 49 ||
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ācāryakaṃ yogavidhau dvijānāmaprāptamanyairjanako jagāma |
khyātāni karmāṇi ca yāni śauraiḥ śūrādayasteṣvabalā babhūvuḥ || 50 ||
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tasmātpramāṇaṃ na vayo na kālaḥ kaścitkvacicchraiṣṭhyamupaiti loke |
rājñāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca hitāni tāni kṛtāni putrairakṛtāni pūrvaiḥ || 51 ||
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evaṃ nṛpaḥ pratyayitairdvijaistairāśvāsitaścāpyabhinanditaśca |
śaṅkāmaniṣṭāṃ vijahau manastaḥ praharṣamevādhikamāruroha || 52 ||
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prītaśca tebhyo dvijasattamebhyaḥ satkārapūrvaṃ pradadau dhanāni |
bhūyādayaṃ bhūmipatiryathokto yāyājjarāmetya vanāni ceti || 53 ||
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athau nimittaiśca tapobalācca tajjanma janmāntakarasya buddhvā |
śākyeśvarasyālayamājagāma saddharmatarṣādasito mahārṣiḥ || 54 ||
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taṃ brahmavidbrahmavidāṃ jvalantaṃ brāhmyā śriyā caiva tapaḥśriyā ca |
rājño gururgauravasatkriyābhyāṃ praveśayāmāsa narendrasadma || 55 ||
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sa pārthivāntaḥpurasaṃnikarṣaṃ kumārajanmāgataharṣavegam |
viveśa dhīro balasañjñayaiva tapaḥprakarṣācca jarāśrayācca || 56 ||
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tato nṛpastaṃ munimāsanasthaṃ pādyārghyapūrvaṃ pratipūjya samyak |
nimantrayāmāsa yathopacāraṃ purā vasiṣṭhaṃ sa ivāntidevaḥ || 57 ||
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dhanyo 'smyanugrāhyamidaṃ kulaṃ me yanmāṃ didṛkṣurbhagavānupetaḥ |
ājñāpyatāṃ kiṃ karavāṇi saumya śiṣyo 'smi viśrambhitumarhasīti || 58 ||
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evaṃ nṛpeṇopanimantritaḥ sansarveṇa bhāvena muniryathāvat |
savismayotphullaviśāladṛṣṭirgambhīradhīrāṇi vacāṃsyuvāca || 59 ||
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mahātmani tvayyupapannametat priyātithau tyāgini dharmakāme |
sattvānvayajñānavayo 'nurūpā snigdhā yadevaṃ mayi te matiḥ syāt || 60 ||
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etacca tadyena nṛparṣayaste dharmeṇa sūkṣmāṇi dhanānyapāsya |
nityaṃ tyajanto vidhivadbabhūvustapobhirāḍhyā vibhavairdaridrāḥ || 61 ||
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prayojanaṃ yattu mamopayāne tanme śṛṇu prītimupehi ca tvam |
divyā mayā divyapathe śrutā vāgbodhāya jātastanayastaveti || 62 ||
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śrutvā vacastacca manaśca yuktvā jñātvā nimittaiśca tato 'smyupetaḥ |
didṛkṣayā śākyakuladhvajasya śakradhvajasyeva samucchritasya || 63 ||
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ityetadevaṃ vacanaṃ niśamya praharṣasambhrāntagatirnarendraḥ |
ādāya dhātryaṅkagataṃ kumāraṃ sandarśayāmāsa tapodhanāya || 64 ||
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cakrāṅkapādaṃ sa tathā mahārṣirjālāvanaddhāṅgulipāṇipādam |
sorṇabhruvaṃ vāraṇavastikośaṃ savismayaṃ rājasutaṃ dadarśa || 65 ||
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dhātryaṅkasaṃviṣṭamavekṣya cainaṃ devyaṅkasaṃviṣṭamivāgnisūnum |
babhūva pakṣmāntarivāñcitāśrurniśvasya caivaṃ tridivonmukho 'bhūt || 66 ||
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dṛṣṭvāsitaṃ tvaśrupariplutākṣaṃ snehāttu putrasya nṛpaścakampe |
sagadgadaṃ bāṣpakaṣāyakaṇṭhaḥ papraccha ca prāñjalirānatāṅgaḥ || 67 ||
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svalpāntaraṃ yasya vapurmuneḥ syādbahvadbhutaṃ yasya ca janma dīptam |
yasyottamaṃ bhāvinamāttha cārthaṃ taṃ prekṣya kasmāttava dhīra vāṣpaḥ || 68 ||
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api sthirāyurbhagavan kumāraḥ kaccinna śokāya mama prasūtaḥ |
labdhaḥ kathañcit salilāñjalirme na khalvimaṃ pātumupaiti kālaḥ || 69 ||
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apyakṣayaṃ me yaśaso nidhānaṃ kacciddhruvo me kulahastasāraḥ |
api prayāsyāmi sukhaṃ paratra supte 'pi putre 'nimiṣaikacakṣuḥ || 70 ||
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kaccinna me jātamaphullameva kulaprabālaṃ pariśoṣabhāgi |
kṣipraṃ vibho brūhi na me 'sti śāntiḥ snehaṃ sute vetsi hi bāndhavānām || 71 ||
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ityāgatāvegamaniṣṭabuddhyā buddhvā narendraṃ sa munirbabhāṣe |
mā bhūnmatiste nṛpa kācidanyā niḥsaṃśayaṃ tadyadavocamasmi || 72 ||
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nāsyānyathātvaṃ prati vikriyā me svāṃ vañcanāṃ tu prati viklavo 'smi |
kālo hi me yātumayaṃ ca jāto jātikṣayasyāsulabhasya boddhā || 73 ||
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vihāya rājyaṃ viṣayeṣvanāsthastīvraiḥ prayatnairadhigamya tattvam |
jagatyayaṃ mohatamo nihantuṃ jvaliṣyati jñānamayo hi sūryaḥ || 74 ||
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duḥkhārṇavādvyādhivikīrṇaphenājjarātaraṅgānmaraṇogravegāt |
uttārayiṣyatyayamuhyamānamārttaṃ jagajjñānamahāplavena || 75 ||
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prajñāmbuvegāṃ sthiraśīlavaprāṃ samādhiśītāṃ vratacakravākām |
asyottamāṃ dharmanadīṃ pravṛttāṃ tṛṣṇārditaḥ pāsyati jīvalokaḥ || 76 ||
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duḥkhārditebhyo viṣayāvṛtebhyaḥ saṃsārakāntārapathasthitebhyaḥ |
ākhyāsyati hyeṣa vimokṣamārgaṃ mārgapranaṣṭebhya ivādhvagebhyaḥ || 77 ||
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vidahyamānāya janāya loke rāgāgnināyaṃ viṣayendhanena |
prahlādamādhāsyati dharmavṛṣṭyā vṛṣṭyā mahāmegha ivātapānte || 78 ||
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tṛṣṇārgalaṃ mohatamaḥkapāṭaṃ dvāraṃ prajānāmapayānahetoḥ |
vipāṭayiṣyatyayamuttamena saddharmatāḍena durāsadena || 79 ||
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svairmohapāśaiḥ pariveṣṭitasya duḥkhābhibhūtasya nirāśrayasya |
lokasya sambudhya ca dharmarājaḥ kariṣyate bandhanamokṣameṣaḥ || 80 ||
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tanmā kṛthāḥ śokamimaṃ prati tvam tatsaumya śocye hi manuṣyaloke |
mohena vā kāmasukhairmadādvā yo naiṣṭhikaṃ śroṣyati nāsya dharmam || 81 ||
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bhraṣṭasya tasmācca guṇādato me dhyānāni labdhvāpyakṛtārthataiva |
dharmasya tasyāśravaṇādahaṃ hi manye vipattiṃ tridive 'pi vāsam || 82 ||
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iti śrutārthaḥ sasuhṛtsadārastyaktvā viṣādaṃ mumude narendraḥ |
evaṃvidho 'yaṃ tanayo mameti mene sa hi svāmapi sāramattām || 83 ||
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āryeṇa mārgeṇa tu yāsyatīti cintāvidheyaṃ hṛdayaṃ cakāra |
na khalvasau na priyadharmapakṣaḥ santānanāśāttu bhayaṃ dadarśa || 84 ||
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atha munirasito nivedya tattvaṃ sutaniyataṃ sutaviklavāya rājñe |
sabahumatamudīkṣyamāṇarūpaḥ pavanapathena yathāgataṃ jagāma || 85 ||
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kṛtamatiranujāsutaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā munivacanaśravaṇe pi tanmatau ca |
bahuvidhamanukampayā sa sādhuḥ priyasutavadviniyojayāñcakāra || 86 ||
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narapatirapi putrajanmatuṣṭo viṣayamatāni vimucya bandhanāni |
kulasadṛśamacīkaradyathāvatpriyatanayaṃ tanayasya jātakarma || 87 ||
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daśasu pariṇateṣvahaḥsu caivaṃ prayatamanāḥ parayā mudā parītaḥ |
akuruta japahomamaṅgalādyāḥ paramatamāḥ sa sutasya devatejyāḥ || 88 ||
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api ca śatasahasrapūrṇasaṅkhyāḥ sthirabalavattanayāḥ sahemaśṛṅgīḥ |
anupagatajarāḥ payasvinīrgāḥ svayamadadātsutavṛddhaye dvijebhyaḥ || 89 ||
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bahuvidhaviṣayāstato yatātmā svahṛdayatoṣakarīḥ kriyā vidhāya |
guṇavati divase śive muhūrte matimakaronmuditaḥ purapraveśe || 90 ||
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dviradaradamayīmatho mahārhāṃ sitasitapuṣpabhṛtāṃ maṇipradīpām |
abhajata śivikāṃ śivāya devī tanayavatī praṇipatya devatābhyaḥ || 91 ||
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puramatha purataḥ praveśya patnīṃ sthavirajanānugatāmapatyanāthām |
nṛpatirapi jagāma paurasaṅghairdivamamarairmaghavānivārcyamānaḥ || 92 ||
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bhavanamatha vigāhya śākyarājo bhava iva ṣaṇmukhajanmanā pratītaḥ |
idamidamiti harṣapūrṇavaktro bahuvidhapuṣṭiyaśaskaraṃ vyadhatta || 93 ||
[Analyze grammar]

iti narapatiputrajanmavṛddhyā sajanapadaṃ kapilāhvayaṃ puraṃ tat |
dhanadapuramivāpsaro 'vakīrṇaṃ muditamabhūnnalakūvaraprasūtau || 94 ||
[Analyze grammar]

Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Buddha-carita Chapter 1

Cover of edition (2003)

The Buddha-Carita By Asvaghosa or Acts of Buddha
by E. B. Cowell (2003)

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Cover of edition (2011)

Buddha Carita of Asvaghosa
by Shanti Lal Nagar (2011)

Sanskrit text, English translation, Index of Verse and Photographs of Archaeological Evidence

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Cover of edition (2016)

Asvaghosa’s Buddhacarita or Acts of the Buddha
by E. H. Johnston (2016)

Sanskrit text with English Translation

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