What do you think?
Rate this book
The Buddhacarita: or, The Life of Buddha
The BuddhaCarita, or The Life of Buddha
edited and translated by
Edward B. Cowell
The Sanskrit text of the Buddha-carita was published at the beginning of last year [i.e 1893] in the ‘Anecdota Oxoniensia,’ and the following English translation is now included in the series ‘Sacred Books of the East.’ It is an early Sanskrit poem written in India on the legendary history of Buddha, and therefore contains much that is of interest for the history of Buddhism, besides its special importance as illustarating the early history of classical Sanskrit literature.
It is ascribed to Asvaghosa; and although there were several writers who bore that name, it seems most probable that our author was the contemparary and spiritual advisor of Kaniska in the first century of our era. Hiouen Thsang, who left India in A. D. 645, mentions him with Deva, Nagarjuna, and Kumaralabdha, ‘as the four suns which illumine the world;’1 but our fullest account is given by I-tsing, who visited India in 673. He states that Asvaghosa was an ancient author who composed the Alankara-sastra and the Buddha-carita-kavya, — the latter work being of course the present poem. Besides these two works he also composed the hymns in honour of Buddha and the three holy beings Amitabha, Avalokitesvara, and Mahasthama, which were chanted at the evening service of the monasteries. ‘In the five countries of India and in the countries of the Southern ocean they recite these poems, because they express a store of ideas and meaning in a few words.’ A solitary stanza (VIII, 13) is quoted from the Buddha-carita in Rayamukuta’s commentary on the Amarakosa I, i. 1, 2, and also by Ujjvaladatta in his commentary on the Unadi-sutras I, 156; and five stanzas are quoted as from Asvaghosa in Vallabhadeva’s Subhasitavali, which bear a great resemblance to his style, though they are not found
edited and translated by
Edward B. Cowell
The Sanskrit text of the Buddha-carita was published at the beginning of last year [i.e 1893] in the ‘Anecdota Oxoniensia,’ and the following English translation is now included in the series ‘Sacred Books of the East.’ It is an early Sanskrit poem written in India on the legendary history of Buddha, and therefore contains much that is of interest for the history of Buddhism, besides its special importance as illustarating the early history of classical Sanskrit literature.
It is ascribed to Asvaghosa; and although there were several writers who bore that name, it seems most probable that our author was the contemparary and spiritual advisor of Kaniska in the first century of our era. Hiouen Thsang, who left India in A. D. 645, mentions him with Deva, Nagarjuna, and Kumaralabdha, ‘as the four suns which illumine the world;’1 but our fullest account is given by I-tsing, who visited India in 673. He states that Asvaghosa was an ancient author who composed the Alankara-sastra and the Buddha-carita-kavya, — the latter work being of course the present poem. Besides these two works he also composed the hymns in honour of Buddha and the three holy beings Amitabha, Avalokitesvara, and Mahasthama, which were chanted at the evening service of the monasteries. ‘In the five countries of India and in the countries of the Southern ocean they recite these poems, because they express a store of ideas and meaning in a few words.’ A solitary stanza (VIII, 13) is quoted from the Buddha-carita in Rayamukuta’s commentary on the Amarakosa I, i. 1, 2, and also by Ujjvaladatta in his commentary on the Unadi-sutras I, 156; and five stanzas are quoted as from Asvaghosa in Vallabhadeva’s Subhasitavali, which bear a great resemblance to his style, though they are not found
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2010
4 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
E.B. Cowell
102 books4 followersEdward Byles Cowell FBA, published as E.B. Cowell, was the first professor of Sanskrit at Cambridge University and a noted translator of Persian poetry.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 29, 2025
literal prose translation with side by side of each sanskrit verse, makes me wonder what a verse translation would look like.
stunningly beautiful.
stunningly beautiful.
Displaying 1 of 1 review