Composition of the biography of the Buddha occupies a special place in Buddhist literature. Which one among the following is a full-fledged biography of the Buddha ?
Lalitavistara
Milind Panho
Sariputra-prakarana
Avadanasataka
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2014
– Milind Panho (Questions of Milinda) is a Theravada Buddhist text in the form of a dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Pali: Milinda) and the Buddhist sage Nagasena. It discusses various philosophical and doctrinal questions, not the life of the Buddha.
– Sariputra-prakarana is a Sanskrit play by the famous Buddhist poet Ashvaghosha, describing the conversion of two chief disciples of the Buddha, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. It is not a biography of the Buddha himself.
– Avadanasataka (Century of Glorious Deeds) is an early collection of 100 Buddhist narratives, primarily illustrating the doctrine of karma by recounting deeds from past lives that resulted in specific outcomes in the present. While some stories involve the Buddha, it is not a continuous or full biography.