Buddha Carita of Asvaghosha : Sanskrit Text English Translation Index of Verse and Photographs of Archaeological Evidence Book

In the Indian cultural horizon, Buddha had a distinctive personality. He was the founder of Buddhism. In Hinduism, he has been believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu. The learned scholars have come to conclusions that Gautama Buddha was born in BC 560 in Kapilavastu near the Himalayas, to the king Shuddhodhana, of the Shakya clan. The word Shakya is another form of kshatriya. The real name of Buddha was Siddhartha. He spent his childhood in comfort and pleasure. Once he happened to see a sick man, an old man and a dead body, the sight of which erode the innocent child quite thoughtful. He therefore, began to think upon a way to remove the sufferings and pain from the world, bringing about peace and comfort to one and all. Siddhartha wandered from place to place, alone learning from various teachers, but the mental peace still eluded him. Once on a full moon day, while he was still in meditation under a banyan tree, he got enlightenment. From that day onwards, he came to be known as Buddha. Buddha Carita is a poetic marvel by the great poet Ashvaghosha which depicts the entire life sketch or biography of Buddha in an exhaustive manner. This epic comprises of twenty eight sargas in which the life and teachings of Buddha have been brought out. It was translated into Chinese in the 7th Century AD and was subsequently translated into the Tibetan language. The present edition of Buddha Carita is the first of its type that includes Sanskrit text, side by side English translation and also photographs of archaeological importance at appropriate places in the text itself. At last, an index of Sanskrit verses is also provided for the benefit of the readers and researchers.