Meera Sasithal | Jul 26, 2015 The Free Press Journal
Asvaghosa was an Indian Philosopher-poet. He was born to a Brahmin family in Ayodhya in Northern India. He is believed to have been the first Sanskrit dramatist, and is considered the greatest Indian poet prior to Kalidasa (5th century). He is acclaimed as the father of Sanskrit drama. He popularized the style of Sanskrit poetry known as Kavya. His span of life was from 80 AD to 150 AD. He died in Peshawar.
He was it seems the most famous in a group of Buddhist court writers whose epics rivaled the contemporary Ramayana. Much of Buddhist literature prior to the time of Asvaghosa had been composed in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit but Asvaghosa wrote in Classical Sanskrit. He was said to be an outspoken opponent of Buddhism till he had a heated debate with a noted Buddhist scholar on the relative merits of Hinduism and Buddhism; he accepted the value of Buddhism and became a disciple of his opponent.
According to the traditional biography of Asvaghosa which was translated into Chinese by Kumaragiva and preserved in that language, he was originally a wandering ascetic who was able to defeat all comers in debate. He set a challenge to the Buddhists monks that if none could meet with him in debate then they should stop beating the wood-block which signaled to the people to bring offerings to them. There was no one there to meet the challenge so they stopped beating the wood-block.
However at that time, in the North, there was an elderly Bhikshu named Parsva, who saw that if he could convert the ascetic, it would be a great asset to propagation of the Dharma, so he travelled from Northern India and has the wood-block sounded. The ascetic when he heard the wood-block sounded, he questioned as to whom and why it was sounded. Though thinking the old monk would be unable to debate with him, he accepted the challenge.
After seven days, the debate was held in front of the King, Ministers, and many ascetics and Brahmins. The loser agreed to become the disciple of the other. They agreed that the elderly Parsva should speak first and he said: “The world should be made peaceable with a long-lived king, plentiful harvests, and joy throughout the land with none of the calamities,” to which the ascetic had no answer. And, so the ascetic was bound to become Parsva’s disciple and he was given full ordination as a Bhikshu.
Although he had to consent to this, the ascetic was still not convinced of Parsva’s virtues until he showed him he had mastered the Basis of Spiritual Power, after which the ascetic was convinced. Parsva then taught him the Five faculties, the Five Powers, the Seven factors and the Eightfold Noble Path and eventually he mastered the teachings.
Later it seems the Central Kingdom was besieged by the Kusan king’s army who demanded 300,000 gold pieces in tribute. The king of the Central Kingdom could not pay so much. The Kusan king, therefore, asked for the Buddha’s begging bowl, the converted monk (ascetic) and 100,000 gold pieces. Though the king of the Central Kingdom was reluctant to part with the converted monk, the monk persuades him saying it would be good for the propagation of the Dharma which would spread across the continent if he went with the Kusan King. So the Kusan king takes with him the ascetic or the converted monk or Bhikshu.
The Kusan king’s Ministers were, however, were not happy as they thought the Bhikshu was priced incorrectly at 100,000 gold pieces. But the King who knew the worth of the Bhikshu ordered that seven horses be starved for six days. The King then had the Assembly make the Bhikshu preach the Dharma. To everybody’s surprise even the horses leaving their favourite food placed in front of them were entranced by the teaching of the Monk and listened intently!! All were convinced now of his worth. The ascetic or the converted monk was then honoured with the name of ‘Asvaghosa’ (Horse-cry).
Apparently the philosopher rose to the position of spiritual counsellor in Kanishka’s court at Peshawar. He travelled throughout Northern India proclaiming the Dharma and guiding all with his wisdom and understanding. He was held in great regard by the Four-fold Assembly who saw him as the Sun of Merit and Virtue. Asvaghosa was a brilliant orator who could speak on length on Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) Buddhist doctrine at the Fourth Buddhist Council which he helped to organize. His fame lay largely in his ability to explain the intricate concepts of Mahayana Buddhism.
Asvaghosa is described in Tibetian history as someone who could just solve any solution, any query and could give a solution to any problem. His opponents were intellectually beaten down by him. Asvaghosa was also known for his musical talents. He used to roam around with his musical partners, men and women, playing music and singing songs in market places. His songs used to narrate about the banalities of life and the meaningless of human existence without faith and belief. Later, he made this one of his techniques to spread the message of his religion.
There is another story pertaining to the term ‘Asvaghosa’. Asvaghosa was once teaching and singing the principles of Dharma to a crowd in the royal city when the king deliberately tried to feed seven hungry horses to test their reaction to Asvaghosa’s teachings. The horses were distressed due to hunger, but they did not touch the food to appease their hunger. They seemed to understand Asvaghosa’s sermon and were relieved. That is how the name Asvaghosa bodhi sattva came into being; it literally means “horses that listen to Bodhisattva”.
Asvaghosa’s famous works include Mahayana Sraddhotpada-Sastra, which means Awakening of Faith in Mahayana, Buddhacharita or Life of Buddha and Mahalankara or the Book of Glory. He also wrote a poem called ‘Saundaramanakavya’. It was about the conversion of Nanda (Buddha’s half-brother) to Buddhism by Lord Buddha in order to give him Salvation.
Regarding other works, Sraddhotpada was translated in Chinese language first time in 534 A.D. and then 710 A.D. After its second translation, it was it seems finally translated into English language by T. Suzuki. It was called the “Discourse on the wakening of Faith in the Mahayana”.
Though Asvaghosa initially was a strict opponent of Buddhism he finally became one of the most noted disciple of Buddhism and preacher of Buddhism.