Aśvaghoṣa

Aśvaghoṣa (c. 80 – c. 150 CE) was an Indian Buddhist philosopher, dramatist, poet, musician, and orator. He is thought to be the first Sanskrit dramatist and is regarded as the finest Indian poet before Kālidāsa. He was the leading figure among a circle of Buddhist court writers whose epic works matched the contemporary Ramayana in stature.

Born in Saketa, now known as Ayodhya, his original lay name is unknown; "Aśvaghoṣa" was a later nickname. A traditional biography, translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva, recounts that he was initially a wandering ascetic who defeated all challengers in debate. He challenged Buddhist monks to a debate, threatening that if none could meet him, they should stop beating the wood-block that signaled people to bring offerings. When no one responded, they stopped. The elder bhikṣu Pārśva then traveled from northern India and sounded the block. The ascetic accepted the challenge, and after seven days, a debate was held before the king, ministers, and many ascetics and brahmans. The loser agreed to become the other’s disciple. Pārśva spoke first, saying the world should be peaceful, with a long-lived king, plentiful harvests, and joy. The ascetic had no reply and became Pārśva’s disciple, receiving full ordination. He remained unconvinced until Pārśva demonstrated mastery of the Bases of Spiritual Power (r̥ddhipādāḥ), after which he gained faith. Pārśva then taught him the Five Faculties, Five Powers, Seven Factors, and Eightfold Noble Path, and he mastered the teaching.

Later, the central kingdom was besieged by a Kuṣāna king demanding 300,000 gold pieces in tribute. The king could only offer 100,000. The Kuṣāna king instead demanded the Buddha’s begging bowl, the converted monk, and the 100,000 gold pieces. The monk persuaded the central king to let him go, saying it would help spread the Dharma across the four continents. The Kuṣāna king’s ministers doubted the monk’s worth, so the king starved seven horses for six days. At an assembly, the monk preached the Dharma; even the horses, with their favorite food before them, listened with tears. Convinced, the people named him Aśvaghoṣa, meaning "Horse-Cry." Other sources say horses cried at his birth. He traveled throughout northern India, guiding others through his wisdom, and was revered by the four-fold assembly as "The Sun of Merit and Virtue."

It is now believed Aśvaghoṣa was not from the Mahayanist period and may have been ordained into a subsect of the Mahasanghikas. Recent analysis of his kavya poems suggests he may have used the Yogacarabhumi as a textual reference, especially for the *Saundarananda*, indicating possible affiliation with the Yogacara or Sautrantika schools.

Aśvaghoṣa wrote the epic *Buddhacharita* (Acts of the Buddha) in classical Sanskrit. The monk Yijing noted it was widely read across India and the South Sea islands, delighting readers with its concise expression of noble doctrine. He also wrote *Saundarananda*, a kāvya poem about the conversion of Nanda, the Buddha’s half-brother, with the first half describing Nanda’s life and the second half detailing Buddhist doctrines and ascetic practices. He wrote drama as well; a fragment of his *Śāriputraprakaraṇa* survives in Sanskrit. Several other works, such as the *Tridaṇḍamālā* (preserved in a single Sanskrit manuscript), are attributed to him but of questionable authorship.