Buddhacharita was written by Ashvaghosha, a Sanskrit poet, philosopher, and Buddhist scholar (c. 80–150 CE, 1st–2nd century CE).
- Buddhacharita (meaning "Acts of the Buddha") is an epic Sanskrit poem (mahakavya) narrating the life of Gautama Buddha from birth to enlightenment and parinirvana
- Originally composed in 28 cantos; only 17 survive in Sanskrit the rest preserved in Tibetan and Chinese translations
- Considered the first full-length literary biography of the Buddha
- Ashvaghosha also wrote Saundarananda and lived at the court of Kushan emperor Kanishka I