Itihas ke Pariprekshya mein Bhagwan Buddha ka Vyaktitva

Summary

In this article, the author seeks to reconstruct the personality of Gautama Buddha by placing him in the historical contexts of sixth‑century BCE India and by distinguishing the historical figure from later hagiographical embellishments. The paper begins by summarising canonical accounts of the Buddha’s life: his princely upbringing, renunciation, enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and subsequent sermons. It then turns to archaeological and textual evidence to assess which elements are historically plausible. The author discusses the social conditions of the Ganges plain, including the rise of cities, mercantile classes and competing śramaṇa movements, to show how the Buddha’s rejection of caste privilege and ritual sacrifice resonated with his contemporaries. The article also analyses how the Buddha is portrayed differently in the Pali Nikāyas, Mahāyāna sūtras and later biographies, noting the gradual deification of his persona. By examining episodes such as the meeting with Kāśyapa, the taming of Nalāgiri and miracles at Śrāvastī, the author illustrates how moral lessons were attached to his image over time. The paper concludes that while details of the Buddha’s life will remain contested, viewing him as a historical reformer rather than an otherworldly figure enriches our understanding of early Buddhism. It emphasises that the Buddha’s charisma stemmed not from supernatural feats but from his ethical teaching and his ability to articulate a path between indulgence and asceticism.