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.

sa tathā viṣayairvilobhyamānaḥ paramohairapi śākyarājasūnuḥ |
na jagāma ratiṃ na śarma lebhe hṛdaye siṃha ivātidigdhaviddhaḥ || 1 ||
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atha mantrisutaiḥ kṣamaiḥ kadācitsakhibhiścitrakathaiḥ kṛtānuyātraḥ |
vanabhūmididṛkṣayā śamepsurnaradevānumato vahiḥ pratasthe || 2 ||
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navarukmakhalīnakiṅkiṇīkaṃ pracalaccāmaracāruhemabhāṇḍam |
abhiruhya sa kaṇṭhakaṃ sadaśvaṃ prayayau ketumiva drumābjaketuḥ || 3 ||
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sa nikṛṣṭatarāṃ vanāntabhūmiṃ vanalobhācca yayau mahīguṇecchuḥ |
salilormivikārasīramārgāṃ vasudhāṃ caiva dadarśa kṛṣyamāṇām || 4 ||
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halabhinnavikīrṇaśaṣpadarbhāṃ hatasūkṣmakrimikāṇḍajantukīrṇām |
samavekṣya rasāṃ tathāvidhāṃ tāṃ svajanasyeva badhe bhṛśaṃ śuśoca || 5 ||
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kṛṣataḥ puruṣāṃśca vīkṣamāṇaḥ pavanārkāṃśurajovibhinnavarṇān |
vahanaklamaviklavāṃśca dhuryān paramāryaḥ paramāṃ kṛpāṃ cakāra || 6 ||
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avatīrya tatasturaṅgapṛṣṭhācchanakairgāṃ vyacarat śucā parītaḥ |
jagato jananavyayaṃ vicinvan kṛpaṇaṃ khalvidamityuvāca cārttaḥ || 7 ||
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manasā ca viviktatāmabhīpsuḥ suhṛdastānanuyāyino nivārya |
abhitāralacāruparṇavatyā vijane mūlamupeyivān sa jambvāḥ || 8 ||
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niṣasāda ca patrakhoravatyāṃ bhuvi vaidūryanikāśaśādvalāyām |
jagataḥ prabhavavyayau vicintya manasaśca sthitimārgamālalambe || 9 ||
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samavāptamanaḥ sthitiśca sadyo viṣayecchādibhirādhibhiśca muktaḥ |
savitarkavicāramāpa śāntaṃ prathamaṃ dhyānamanāśravaprakāram || 10 ||
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adhigamya tato vivekajaṃ tu paramaprītisukhaṃ manaḥ samādhim |
idameva tataḥ paraṃ pradadhyau manasā lokagatiṃ niśamya samyak || 11 ||
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kṛpaṇaṃ vata yajjanaḥ svayaṃ sannaraso vyādhijarāvināśadharmaḥ |
jarayārditamāturaṃ mṛtaṃ vā paramajño vijugupsate madāndhaḥ || 12 ||
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iha cedahamīdṛśaḥ svayaṃ san vijugupseya paraṃ tathāsvabhāvam |
na bhavetsadṛśaṃ hi tatkṣamaṃ vā paramaṃ dharmamimaṃ vijānato me || 13 ||
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iti tasya vipaśyato yathāvajjagato vyādhijarāvipattidoṣān |
balayauvanajīvitapravṛttau vijagāmātmagato madaḥ kṣaṇena || 14 ||
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na jaharṣa na cāpi cānutepe vicikitsāṃ na yayau na tandrinidre |
na ca kāmaguṇeṣu saṃrarañje na ca didveṣa paraṃ na cāvamene || 15 ||
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iti buddhiriyaṃ ca nīrajaskā vavṛdhe tasya mahātmano viśuddhā |
puruṣairaparairadṛśyamānaḥ puruṣaścopasasarpa bhikṣuveśaḥ || 16 ||
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naradevasutastamabhyapṛcchadvada ko 'sīti śaśaṃsa so 'tha tasmai |
sa ca puṅgava janmamṛtyubhītaḥ śramaṇaḥ pravrajito 'smi mokṣahetoḥ || 17 ||
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jagati kṣayadharmake mumukṣurmṛgaye 'haṃ śivamakṣayaṃ padaṃ tat |
ajano 'nyajanairatulyabuddhirviṣayebhyo vinivṛttarāgadoṣaḥ || 18 ||
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nivasan kvacideva vṛkṣamūle vijane vāyatane girau vane vā |
vicarāmyaparigraho nirāśaḥ paramārthāya yathopapannabhikṣuḥ || 19 ||
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iti paśyata eva rājasūnoridamuktvā sa nabhaḥ samutpapāta |
sa hi tadvapuranyabuddhidarśī smṛtaye tasya sameyivān divaukāḥ || 20 ||
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gaganaṃ khagavadgate ca tasmin nṛvaraḥ sañjahṛṣe visismiye ca |
upalabhya tataśca dharmasañjñāmabhiniryāṇavidhau matiṃ cakāra || 21 ||
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tata indrasamo jitendriyaśca pravivikṣuḥ paramāśvamāruroha |
parivartya janaṃ tvavekṣamāṇastata evābhimataṃ vanaṃ na bheje || 22 ||
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sa jarāmaraṇakṣayaṃ cikīrṣurvanavāsāya matiṃ smṛtau nidhāya |
praviveśa punaḥ puraṃ na kāmādvanabhūmeriva maṇḍalaṃ dvipendraḥ || 23 ||
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sukhitā vata nirvṛtā ca sā strī patirīdṛktvamivāyatākṣa yasyāḥ |
iti taṃ samudīkṣya rājakanyā praviśantaṃ pathi sāñjalirjagāda || 24 ||
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atha ghoṣamimaṃ mahābhraghoṣaḥ pariśuśrāva śamaṃ paraṃ ca lebhe |
śrutavāṃśca hi nirvṛteti śabdaṃ parinirvāṇavidhau matiṃ cakāra || 25 ||
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atha kāñcanaśailaśṛṅgavarṣmā gajamegharṣabhabāhunisvanākṣaḥ |
kṣayamakṣayadharmajātarāgaḥ śaśisiṃhānanavikramaḥ prapede || 26 ||
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mṛgarājagatistato 'bhyagacchannṛpatiṃ mantrigaṇairupāsyamānam |
samitau marutāmiva jvalantaṃ maghavantaṃ tridive sanatkumāraḥ || 27 ||
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praṇipatya ca sāñjalirbabhāṣe diśa mahyaṃ naradeva sādhvanujñām |
parivivrajiṣāmi mokṣahetorniyato hyasya janasya viprayogaḥ || 28 ||
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iti tasya vaco niśamya rājā kariṇevābhihato drumaścacāla |
kamalapratime 'ñjalau gṛhītvā vacanaṃ cedamuvāca vāṣpakaṇṭhaḥ || 29 ||
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pratisaṃhara tāta buddhimetāṃ na hi kālastava dharmasaṃśrayasya |
vayasi prathame matau calāyāṃ bahudoṣāṃ hi vadanti dharmacaryām || 30 ||
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viṣayeṣu kutūhalendriyasya vratakhedeṣvasamarthaniścayasya |
taruṇasya manaścalatyaraṇyādanabhijñasya viśeṣato 'vivekam || 31 ||
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mama tu priyadharma dharmakālastvayi lakṣmīmavasṛjya lakṣyabhūte |
sthiravikrama vikrameṇa dharmastava hitvā tu guruṃ bhavedadharmaḥ || 32 ||
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tadimaṃ vyavasāyamutsṛja tvaṃ bhava tāvannirato gṛhasthadharme |
puruṣasya vayaḥsukhāni bhuktvā ramaṇīyo hi tapovanapraveśaḥ || 33 ||
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iti vākyamidaṃ niśamya rājñaḥ kalaviṅkasvara uttaraṃ babhāṣe |
yadi me pratibhūścaturṣu rājan bhavasi tvaṃ na tapovanaṃ śrayiṣye || 34 ||
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na bhavenmaraṇāya jīvitaṃ me viharetsvāsthyamidaṃ ca me na rogaḥ |
na ca yauvanamākṣipejjarā me na ca sampattimapāharedvipattiḥ || 35 ||
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iti durlabhamarthamūcivāṃsaṃ tanayaṃ vākyamuvāca śākyarājaḥ |
tyaja buddhimatimāṃ gatipravṛttāmavahāsyo 'timanorathakramaśca || 36 ||
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atha merugururguruṃ babhāṣe yadi nāsti krama eṣa nāsti vāryaḥ |
śaraṇājjvalanena dahyamānānna hi niścikramiṣuṃ kṣamaṃ grahītum || 37 ||
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jagataśca yathā dhruvo viyogo na tu dharmāya varaṃ tvayaṃ viyogaḥ |
avaśaṃ nanu viprayojayenmāmakṛtasvārthamatṛptameva mṛtyuḥ || 38 ||
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iti bhūmipatirniśamya tasya vyavasāyaṃ tanayasya nirmumukṣoḥ |
abhidhāya na yāsyatīti bhūyo vidadhe rakṣaṇamuttamāṃśca kāmān || 39 ||
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sacivaistu nidarśito yathāvadbahumānāt praṇayācca śāstrapūrvam |
guruṇā ca nivārito 'śrupātaiḥ praviveśāvasathaṃ tataḥ sa śocan || 40 ||
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calakuṇdalacumbitānanābhirghananiśvāsavikampitastanībhiḥ |
vanitābhiradhīralocanābhirmṛgaśāvābhirivābhyudīkṣyamāṇaḥ || 41 ||
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sa hi kāñcanaparvatāvadāto hṛdayonmādakaro varāṅganānām |
śravanāṅgavilocanātmabhāvān vacanasparśavapurguṇairjahāra || 42 ||
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vigate divase tato vimānaṃ vapuṣā sūrya iva pradīpyamānaḥ |
timiraṃ vijighāṃsurātmabhāsā ravirudyanniva merumāruroha || 43 ||
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kanakojjvaladīptadīpavṛkṣaṃ varakālāgurudhūpapūrṇagarbham |
adhiruhya sa vajrabhakticitraṃ pravaraṃ kāñcanamāsanaṃ siṣeve || 44 ||
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tata uttamamuttamāśca nāryo niśi tūryairupatasthurindrakalpam |
himavacchirasīva candragaure draviṇendrātmajamapsarogaṇaughāḥ || 45 ||
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paramairapi divyatūryakalpaiḥ sa tu tairnaiva ratiṃ yayau na harṣam |
paramārthasukhāya tasya sādhorabhiniścikramiṣā yato na reme || 46 ||
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atha tatra suraistapovariṣṭhairakaniṣṭhairvyavasāyamasya buddhvā |
yugapatpramadājanasya nidrā vihitāsīdvikṛtāśca gātraceṣṭāḥ || 47 ||
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abhavacchayitā hi tatra kācidviniveśya pracale kare kapolam |
dayitāmapi rukmapattracitrāṃ kupitevāṅkagatāṃ vihāya vīṇām || 48 ||
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vibabhau karalagnaveṇuranyā stanavisrastasitāṃśukā śayānā |
ṛjuṣaṭpadapaṅktijuṣṭapadmā jalaphenaprahasattaṭā nadīva || 49 ||
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navapuṣkaragarbhakomalābhyāṃ tapanīyojjvalasaṅgatāṅgadābhyām |
svapiti sma tathā purā bhujābhyāṃ parirabhya priyavanmṛdaṅgameva || 50 ||
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navahāṭakabhūṣaṇāstathānyā vasanaṃ pītamanuttamaṃ vasānāḥ |
avaśā vata nidrayā nipeturgajabhagnā iva karṇikāraśākhāḥ || 51 ||
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avalambya gavākṣapārśvamanyā śayitā cāpavibhugnagātrayaṣṭiḥ |
virarāja vilambicāruhārā racitā toraṇaśālabhañjikeva || 52 ||
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maṇikuṇḍaladaṣṭapatralekhaṃ mukhapadmaṃ vinataṃ tathāparasyāḥ |
śatapatramivārdhacakranāḍaṃ sthitakāraṇḍavaghaṭṭitaṃ cakāśe || 53 ||
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aparāḥ śayitā yathopaviṣṭāḥ stanabhārairavamanyamānagātrāḥ |
upaguhya parasparaṃ virejurbhujapāśaistapanīyapārihāryaiḥ || 54 ||
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mahatīṃ parivādinīṃ ca kācidvanitāliṅgya sakhīmiva prasuptā |
vijughūrṇa calatsuvarṇasūtrāṃ vadanenākulakarṇikojjvalena || 55 ||
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paṇavaṃ yuvatirbhujāṃsadeśādavavisraṃsitacārupāśamanyā |
savilāsaratāntatāntamūrvorvivare kāntamivābhinīya śiśye || 56 ||
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aparā na babhurnimīlitākṣyo vipulākṣyo 'pi śubhabhruvo 'pi satyaḥ |
pratisaṅkucitāravindakośāḥ savitaryastamite yathā nalinyaḥ || 57 ||
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śithilākulamūrdhajā tathānyā jaghanasrastavibhūṣaṇāṃśukāntā |
aśayiṣṭa vikīrṇakaṇṭhasūtrā gajabhagnā pratipātitāṅganeva || 58 ||
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aparāstvavaśā hriyā viyuktā dhṛtimatyo 'pi vapurguṇairupetāḥ |
viniśaśvasurulvaṇaṃ śayānā vikṛtākṣiptabhujā jajṛmbhire ca || 59 ||
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vyapaviddhavibhūṣaṇasrajo 'nyā visṛtāgranthanavāsaso visañjñāḥ |
animīlitaśuklaniścalākṣyo na virejuḥ śayitā gatāsukalpāḥ || 60 ||
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vivṛtāsyapuṭā vivṛddhagātrā prapatadvaktrajalā prakāśaguhyā |
aparā madaghūrṇiteva śiśye na babhāṣe vikṛtaṃ vapuḥ pupoṣa || 61 ||
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iti sattvakulānurūparūpaṃ vividhaṃ sa pramadājanaḥ śayānaḥ |
sarasaḥ sadṛśaṃ babhāra rūpaṃ pavanāvarjitarugṇapuṣkarasya || 62 ||
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samavekṣya tataśca tāḥ śayānā vikṛtāstā yuvatīradhīraceṣṭāḥ |
guṇavadvapuṣo 'pi valgubhāso nṛpasūnuḥ sa vigarhayāṃ babhūva || 63 ||
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aśucirvikṛtaśca jīvaloke vanitānāmayamīdṛśaḥ svabhāvaḥ |
vasanābharaṇaistu vañcyamānaḥ puruṣaḥ strīviṣayeṣu rāgameti || 64 ||
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vimṛśedyadi yoṣitāṃ manuṣyaḥ prakṛtiṃ svapnavikāramīdṛśaṃ ca |
dhruvamatra na vardhayetpramādaṃ guṇasaṅkalpahatastu rāgameti || 65 ||
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iti tasya tadantaraṃ viditvā niśi niścikramiṣā samudbabhūva |
avagamya manastato 'sya devairbhavanadvāramapāvṛtaṃ babhūva || 66 ||
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atha so 'vatatāra harmyapṛṣṭhādyuvatīstāḥ śayitā vigarhamāṇaḥ |
avatīrya tataśca nirviśaṅko gṛhakakṣyāṃ prathamaṃ vinirjagāma || 67 ||
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turagāvacaraṃ sa bodhayitvā javinaṃ chandakamitthamityuvāca |
hayamānaya kanthakaṃ tvarāvān amṛtaṃ prāptumito 'dya me yiyāsā || 68 ||
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hṛdi yā mama tuṣṭiradya jātā vyavasāyaśca yathā dhṛtau niviṣṭaḥ |
vijane 'pi ca nāthavānivāsmi dhruvamartho 'bhimukhaḥ sa me ya iṣṭaḥ || 69 ||
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hriyameva ca saṃnatiṃ ca hitvā śayitā matpramukhe yathā yuvatyaḥ |
vivṛte ca yathā svayaṃ kapāṭe niyataṃ yātumanāmayāya kālaḥ || 70 ||
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pratigṛhya tataḥ sa bharturājñāṃ viditārtho 'pi narendraśāsanasya |
manasīva pareṇa codyamānasturagasyānayane matiṃ cakāra || 71 ||
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atha hemakhalīnapūrṇavaktraṃ laghuśayyāstaraṇopagūḍhapṛṣṭham |
balasattvajavatvaropapannaṃ sa varāśvaṃ tamupānināya bhartre || 72 ||
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pratatatrikapucchamūlapārṣṇiṃ nibhṛtaṃ hrasvatanūjapṛṣṭhakarṇam |
vinatonnatapṛṣṭhakukṣipārśvaṃ vipulaprothalalāṭakaṭhyuraskam || 73 ||
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upaguhya sa taṃ viśālavakṣāḥ kamalābhena ca sāntvayan kareṇa |
madhurākṣarayā girā śaśāsa dhvajinīmadhyamiva praveṣṭukāmaḥ || 74 ||
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bahuśaḥ kaliśatravo nirastāḥ samare tvāmadhiruhya pārthivena |
ahamapyamṛtaṃ paraṃ yathāvatturagaśreṣṭha labheya tatkuruṣva || 75 ||
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sulabhāḥ khalu saṃyuge sahāyā viṣayāvāptasukhe dhanārjane vā |
puruṣasya tu durlabhāḥ sahāyāḥ patitasyāpadi dharmasaṃśraye vā || 76 ||
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iha caiva bhavanti ye sahāyāḥ kaluṣe dharmaṇi dharmasaṃśraye vā |
avagacchati me yathāntarātmā niyataṃ te 'pi janāstadaṃśabhājaḥ || 77 ||
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tadidaṃ parigamya dharmayuktaṃ mama niryāṇamato jagaddhitāya |
turagottama vegavikramābhyāṃ prayatasvātmahite jagaddhite ca || 78 ||
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iti suhṛdamivānuśiṣya kṛtye turagavaraṃ nṛvaro vanaṃ yiyāsuḥ |
sitamasitagatidyutirvapuṣmān raviriva śāradamabhramāruroha || 79 ||
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atha sa pariharanniśīthacaṇḍaṃ parijanabodhakaraṃ dhvaniṃ sadaśvaḥ |
vigatahanuravaḥ praśāntaheṣaścakitavimuktapadakramā jagāma || 80 ||
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kanakavalayabhūṣitaprakoṣṭhaiḥ kamalanibhaiḥ kamalāni ca pravidhya |
avanatatanavastato 'sya yakṣāścakitagaterdadhire khurān karāgraiḥ || 81 ||
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guruparighakapāṭasaṃvṛtā yā na sukhamapi dviradairapāvriyante |
vrajati nṛpasute gatasvanāstāḥ svayamabhavan vivṛtāḥ puraḥ pratolyaḥ || 82 ||
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pitaramabhimukhaṃ sutaṃ ca bālaṃ janamanuraktamanuttamāṃ ca lakṣmīm |
kṛtamatirapahāya nirvyapekṣaḥ pitṛnagarāt sa tato vinirjagāma || 83 ||
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atha sa vikacapaṅkajāyatākṣaḥ puramavalokya nanāda siṃhanādam |
jananamaraṇayoradṛṣṭapāro na punarahaṃ kapilāhvayaṃ praviṣṭā || 84 ||
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iti vacanamidaṃ niśamya tasya draviṇapateḥ pariṣadgaṇā nananduḥ |
pramuditamanasaśca devasaṅghā vyavasitapāraṇamāśaśaṃsire 'smai || 85 ||
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hutavahavapuṣo divaukaso 'nye vyavasitamasya duṣkaraṃ viditvā |
akuruta tuhine pathi prakāśaṃ ghanavivarapraṣṛtā ivendupādāḥ || 86 ||
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harituragaturaṅgavatturaṅgaḥ sa tu vicaran manasīva codyamānaḥ |
aruṇaparuṣabhāramantarīkṣaṃ sarasabahūni jagāma yojanāni || 87 ||
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Other editions:

Also see the following editions of the Sanskrit text or (alternative) English translations of the Buddha-carita Chapter 5

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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