BUDDHACARITA 12.109: The Gods Are On Our Side!

⏑⏑−−¦⏑⏑⏑−¦¦−⏑−⏑¦⏑−⏑−   navipulā

atha gopādhipa-sutā daivatair abhicoditā |

−−⏑⏑¦⏑−−−¦¦−⏑−⏑¦⏑−⏑−

udbhūta-hdayānandā tatra nandabalāgamat || 12.109 

12.109

Just then a dairy farmer's daughter,

Impelled by the gods, came by,

With joy swelling up in her heart –

There came Nanda-balā, 'Power of Joy.'

COMMENT:

There is nothing I have encountered anywhere in Aśvaghoṣa's writing to support religious belief in the existence of what Jews, Christians and Muslims call “God.” 

There is plenty, however, to support ironic acceptance of the existence of what the ancient Greeks called “the gods.” 

And those gods, today's verse suggests, were firmly on the bodhisattva's side. 

God? Who needs Him? 

VOCABULARY

atha: now, then

gopādhipa-sutā (nom. sg. f.): the daughter of the chief herdsman

gopa: m. a cowherd , herdsman , milkman (considered as a man of mixed caste)

adhipa: m. ruler, commander

daivataiḥ (inst. pl. n.): the gods

abhicoditā (nom. sg. f.): impelled

abhi- √ cud: to impel , drive ; to inflame , animate , embolden

udbhūta-hṛdayānandā (nom. sg. f.): with an upsurge of joy in her heart

udbhūta: mfn. come forth , produced , born ; raised , elevated , increased

hṛdaya: n. the heart

ānanda: m. happiness , joy , enjoyment , sensual pleasure

tatra: ind. there

nanda-balā: f. N. of a girl connected with gautama buddha

nanda: m. joy, happiness

bala: m. power, strength

agamat = 3^rd pers. sg. aorist gam: to go

時彼山林側 有一牧牛長
長女名難陀 淨居天來告

菩薩在林中 汝應往供養