buddho bhagavān satkṛto gurukṛto mānitaḥ pūjito rājabhī rājamātrair dhanibhiḥ pauraiḥ śreṣṭhibhiḥ sārthavāhair devair nāgair yakṣair asurair garuḍaiḥ kinnarair mahoragair iti deva­nāgayakṣāsuragaruḍakinna­ramahoragābhyarcito buddho bhagavān jñāto mahāpuṇyo lābhī cīvarapiṇḍapātaśayanāsanaglānapratyayabhaiṣajya­pari­ṣkārāṇāṃ saśrāvakasaṃghaḥ kuśinagaryāṃ viharati mallānām upavartane yamakaśālavane | atha bhagavāṃs tad eva parinirvāṇakālasamaye āyuṣmantam ānandam āmantrayate sma: prajñāpaya ānanda tathāgatasya āntareṇa yamakaśālayor uttarāśirasaṃ mañcam* | adya tathāgatasya rātryā madhyame yāme nirupadhiśeṣe nirvāṇadhātau parinirvāṇaṃ bhaviṣyatīti | evaṃ bhadantety āyuṣmān ānando bhagavataḥ pratiśrutya antareṇa yamakaśālayor uttarāśirasaṃ mañcaṃ prajñāpya yena bhagavāṃs tenopasaṃkrāntaḥ | upasaṃkramya bhagavataḥ pādau śirasā vanditvā ekānte ’sthāt* | ekāntasthita āyuṣmān ānando bhagavantam idam avocat*: prajñapto bhadanta tathāgatasya antareṇa yamakaśālayor uttarāśirasaṃ mañcaḥ | atha bhagavān* yena mañcas tenopasaṃkrāntaḥ | upasaṃkramya dakṣiṇena pārśvena śayyāṃ kalpayati pādaṃ pādenopadhāya ālokasaṃjñī smṛtaḥ saṃprajānan nirvāṇasaṃjñām eva manasi kurvann iti ||

tatra bhagavān rātryā madhyame yāme ’nupadhiśeṣe nirvāṇadhātau parinirvṛtaḥ | samanantaraparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati atyarthaṃ tasmin samaye mahāpṛthivīcālo ’bhūt* ulkāpātā diśodāhāḥ | antarīkṣe devadundubhayo nadanti | samanantaraparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati ubhau yamakaśālavanasya drumottamau tathāgatasya siṃhaśayyāṃ śālapuṣpair avākiratām* | samanantaraparinirvṛte bhagavati anyataro bhikṣus tasyāṃ velāyāṃ gāthāṃ bhāṣate:

sundarau khalv imau śālavanasyāsya drumottamau
yad avākiratāṃ puṣpaiḥ śāstāraṃ parinirvṛtam* ||

samanantaraparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati śakro devendro gāthāṃ bhāṣate:

anityā bata saṃskārā utpādavyayadharmiṇaḥ
utpadya hi nirudhyante teṣāṃ vyupaśamaḥ sukham* || iti

samanantaraparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati brahmā sahāṃpatir gāthāṃ bhāṣate:

sarvabhūtāni loke ’sminn ikṣepsyanti samucchrayam*
evaṃvidho yatra śāstā lokeṣv apratipudgalaḥ
tathāgatabalaprāptaḥ cakṣumān parinirvṛtaḥ ||

samanantaraparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati āyuṣmān āniruddho gāthāṃ bhāṣate:

sthitā āśvāsapraśvāsā sthiracittasya tāyinaḥ
ānijyāṃ śāntim āgamya cakṣumān parinirvṛtaḥ ||

tadābhavad bhīṣaṇakaṃ tadābhūd romaharṣaṇam*
sarvākārabalopetaḥ śāstā kālaṃ yadākarot* ||

asaṃlīnena cittena vedanā adhivāsayan*
pradyotasy eva nirvāṇaṃ vimokṣas tasya cetasaḥ || iti ||

saptāhaparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati āyuṣmān ānando bhagavataś citāṃ pradakṣiṇīkurvan* gāthāṃ bhāṣate:

yena kāyaratanena nāyako brahmalokam agaman maharddhikaḥ
dahyate sma tanujena tejasā pañcabhir yugaśataiḥ sa veṣṭitaḥ Speyer: veṣṭhitaḥ ||

sahasramātreṇa hi cīvarāṇāṃ buddhasya kāyaḥ pariveṣṭito ’bhūt* | Speyer: pariveṣṭhito

dve cīvare tatra tu naiva dagdhe abhyantaraṃ bāhyam atha dvitīyam* ||

varṣaśataparinirvṛte buddhe bhagavati pāṭaliputre nagare rājā aśoko rājyaṃ kārayati ṛddhaṃ ca sphītaṃ ca kṣemaṃ ca subhikṣaṃ ca ākīrṇabahujanamanuṣyaṃ ca praśānta­kalikalahaḍimbaḍa­maraṃ taskararogāpagataṃ śālīkṣugomahiṣīsaṃpannam* | dhārmiko dharmarājo dharmeṇa rājyaṃ pālayati | yāvad apareṇa samayena devyā sārdhaṃ krīḍati ramate paricārayati | tasya krīḍato ramamāṇasya paricārayataḥ kālāntareṇa devī āpannasatvā saṃvṛttā | sā aṣṭānāṃ vā navānāṃ vā māsānām atyayāt prasūtā | dārako jāto abhirūpo darśanīyaḥ prāsādikaḥ kuṇālasadṛśābhyāṃ netrābhyām* | tasya jātau jātimahaṃ kṛtvā nāmadheyaṃ vyavasthāpyate: kiṃ bhavatu dārakasya nāmeti | jñātaya ūcuḥ: yasmād asya jātamātrasya kuṇālasadṛśe netre, tasmād bhavatu dārakasya kuṇāla iti nāmeti | kuṇālo dārako ’ṣṭābhyo dhātrībhyo datto dvābhyām aṃsadhātrībhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ kṣīradhātrībhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ maladhātrībhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ krīḍanikābhyāṃ dhātrībhyām* | so ’ṣṭābhir dhātrībhir unnīyate vardhyate kṣīreṇa dadhnā navanītena sarpiṣā sarpimaṇḍenānyaiś cottaptottaptair upakaraṇaviśeṣaiḥ | āśu vardhate hradastham iva paṅkajam* | tatas taṃ sarvālaṃkāravibhūṣitaṃ rājā utsaṅgena kṛtvā punaḥ punaḥ prekṣya rūpasaṃpadā praharṣita uvāca: asadṛśo me putro loke rūpeṇeti ||

tatra ca samaye gāndhāre puṣpabherotso nāma grāmaḥ | tatrānyatamasya gṛhapateḥ putro jāto ’tikrānto mānuṣaṃ varṇam asaṃprāptaś ca divyaṃ varṇam* | janmani cāsya divyagandhodakaparipūrṇā ratnamayī puṣkariṇī prādurbhūtā, puṣpasaṃpannaṃ ca mahad udyānaṃ jaṅgamaṃ ca | yatra yatra kumāro gacchati tatra tatra ca puṣkariṇī udyānaṃ ca prādurbhavati | tasya sundara iti nāmadheyaṃ vyavasthāpitam* ||

yāvat krameṇa kumāro mahān saṃvṛttam* | tato ’pareṇa samayena puṣpabherotsād vaṇijaḥ kenacid eva karaṇīyena pāṭaliputraṃ gatāḥ | te prābhṛtam ādāya rājñaḥ sakāśam upagatāḥ | tataḥ pādayor nipatya prābhṛtaṃ rājñe upanamayya purastād vyavasthitāḥ | tato rājā aśokas teṣāṃ kuṇālaṃ darśayati: haṃ bho vaṇijaḥ, kadācit kutracid bhavadbhiḥ paryaṭadbhir evaṃvidhaṃ rūpaviśeṣayuktaṃ dṛṣṭapūrvam iti ? tatas te vaṇijaḥ kṛtakarapuṭāḥ pādayor nipatya abhayaṃ mārgayitvā rājānam ūcuḥ: asti deva asmadīye viṣaye sundaro nāma kumāro ’tikrānto mānuṣaṃ varṇam asaṃprāptaś ca divyaṃ varṇam* | janmani cāsya divyagandhodakaparipūrṇā ratnamayī puṣkariṇī prādurbhūtā, puṣpaphalasamṛddhaṃ ca mahad udyānaṃ jaṅgamam* | yatra yatra ca kumāro gacchati tatra tatra puṣkariṇī udyānaṃ ca prādurbhavati | śrutvā rājā aśokaḥ paraṃ vismayam āpannaḥ | kutūhalajātaś ca dūtasaṃpreṣaṇaṃ kṛtavān: eṣa rājā aśoka āgantum icchati sundarasya kumārasya darśanahetoḥ | yad vaḥ kṛtyaṃ vā karaṇīyaṃ vā tat kurudhvam iti | tato mahājanakāyo bhītāḥ: yadi rājā mahāsādhanena ihāgamiṣyati, mā haiva kaṃcid anartham utpādayiṣyatīti | tataḥ sa kumāro bhadrayānaṃ yojayitvā śatasahasraṃ ca muktāhāraṃ prābhṛtasyārthe datvā aśokasya sakāśaṃ preṣitaḥ | so ’nupūrveṇa cañcūryamāṇaḥ pāṭaliputraṃ nagaraṃ prāptaḥ | śatasahasraṃ ca muktāhāraṃ gṛhītvā rājño ’śokasya sakāśam anuprāptaḥ | rājā aśokaś ca sahadarśanāt sundarasya kumārasya rūpaṃ śobhāṃ varṇapuṣkalatāṃ ca divyāṃ puṣkariṇīm udyānaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā paraṃ vismayam upagataḥ ||

tato rājā aśokaḥ sthaviropaguptasya vismayajananārthaṃ sundaraṃ ca kumāram ādāya kukkuṭāgāraṃ gataḥ | tatropaguptapramukhāṇy aṣṭādaśārhatsahasrāṇi nivasanti, taddviguṇāḥ śaikṣāḥ pṛthagjanakalyāṇakāḥ | tataḥ sa sthavirasya pādābhivandanaṃ kṛtvā purastān niṣaṇṇo dharmaśravaṇāya | sthaviropaguptenāsya dharmo deśitaḥ | tataḥ kumāraḥ paripakvasaṃtatir dharmaṃ śrutvā pravrajyābhilāṣī saṃvṛttaḥ | sa rājānam aśokam anujñāpya sthaviropaguptasya sakāśe pravrajitaḥ | tena yujyamānena ghaṭamānena vyāyacchamānena idam eva pañcagaṇḍakaṃ saṃsāracakraṃ calācalaṃ viditvā sarvasaṃskāragatīḥ śata­napatanavikiraṇavidhvaṃ­sana­dharma­tayā parāhatya sarvakleśaprahāṇād arhatvaṃ sākṣātkṛtam* | arhan saṃvṛttaḥ traidhātukavītarāgaḥ samaloṣṭakāñcana ākāśapāṇitalasamacitto vāsīcandanakalpo vidyāvidāritāṇḍakośo vidyābhijñāprati­saṃ­vitprāpto bhavalābhalobhasat­kāraparāṅmukhaḥ | sendropendrāṇāṃ devānāṃ pūjyo mānyo ’bhivādyaś ca saṃvṛttaḥ ||

tato rājā aśokaḥ saṃdigdhaḥ sthaviraṃ pṛcchati: kāni bhadanta sundareṇa karmāṇi kṛtāni, yenāsyaivaṃvidhaṃ rūpam*, kāni punaḥ karmāṇi yena divyagandhodakaparipūrṇā ratnamayī puṣkariṇī prādurbhūtā, puṣpaphalasamṛddhaṃ ca mahad udyānaṃ jaṅgamam*? sthaviropagupta āha: sundareṇaiva mahārāja pūrvam anyāsu jātiṣu karmāṇi kṛtāny upacitāni labdhasaṃbhārāṇi pariṇatapratyayāni oghavat pratyupasthitāny avaśyaṃbhāvīni | sundareṇaiva karmāṇi kṛtāny upacitāni | ko ’nyaḥ pratyanubhaviṣyati? na bhikṣavaḥ karmāṇi kṛtāny upacitāni bāhye pṛthivīdhātau vipacyante, nābdhātau, na tejodhātau, na vāyudhātau, api tūpātteṣv eva skandhadhātvāyataneṣu karmāṇi kṛtāni vipacyante śubhāny aśubhāni ca:

na praṇaśyanti karmāṇi kalpakoṭiśatair api
sāmagrīṃ prāpya kālaṃ ca phalanti khalu dehinām* ||

bhūtapūrvaṃ mahārāja yadā bhagavān parinirvṛtaḥ, tadā āyuṣmān mahākāśyapaḥ pañcaśataparivāro magadheṣu janapadacārikāṃ caran dharmasaṃgītiṃ kartukāmaḥ | yāvad anyatamena daridrakarṣakeṇa mahān bhikṣusaṃgho dṛṣṭaḥ, śāstṛviyogāc chokārto ’dhvapariśrānto rajasāvacūrṇitagātraḥ | tato ’sya kāruṇyam utpannam* | tatas tena kāśyapapramukhāṇi pañca bhikṣuśatāni jentākasnātreṇopanimantritāni | tatas tena nānāgandhaparibhāvitam uṣṇodakaṃ kṛtvā te bhikṣavaḥ snāpitāḥ, cīvarakāṇi śobhitāni | praṇītena cāhāreṇa saṃtarpya śaraṇagamanaśikṣāpadāni datvā praṇidhānaṃ kṛtam*: asminn eva śākyamuneḥ pravacane pravrajya cārhatvaṃ prāpnuyām iti ||

kiṃ manyase mahārāja yo ’sau tena kālena tena samayena daridrakarṣakaḥ, ayaṃ sa sundaro bhikṣuḥ | yat tena bhikṣavo jentākasnātreṇa snāpitāḥ, tenāsyaivaṃvidho rūpaviśeṣaḥ saṃvṛttaḥ, divyacandanodakaparipūrṇā ramaṇīyā puṣkariṇī puṣpaphalasamṛddhaṃ ca mahad udyānaṃ jaṅgamaṃ prāptam* | yat tena śaraṇagamanaśikṣāpadāni upalabdhāni, teneha janmany arhatvaṃ sākṣātkṛtam* | iti hi mahārāja ekāntakṛṣṇānāṃ karmaṇām ekāntakṛṣṇo vipākaḥ, ekāntaśuklānām ekāntaśuklaḥ, vyatimiśrāṇāṃ vyatimiśraḥ | tasmāt tarhi mahārāja ekāntakṛṣṇāni karmāṇy apāsya vyatimiśrāṇi ca, ekāntaśukleṣv eva karmasv ābhogaḥ karaṇīyaḥ | ity evaṃ vo bhikṣavaḥ śikṣitavyam* ||

atha rāhā aśoka āyuṣmataḥ sthaviropaguptasya bhāṣitam abhinandyānumodya utthāyāsanāt prakrāntaḥ ||