The Saundarananda is Aśvaghoṣa’s poetic retelling of the conversion and enlightenment of Nanda, the Buddha’s half-brother. Composed in the second century ce, it is one of the oldest epic poems (kāvya) in Sanskrit. The narrative lovingly depicts Nanda’s life of marital bliss with his beautiful wife, Sundarī before the Buddha arrives intent on abducting Nanda from his domestic life. Forsaking his wife is a prerequisite for Nanda’s spiritual advancement—and this is the moral of the story. For Sundarī, Nanda’s renunciation brings profound grief, and between sobs and rage she gives voice to the pain of her unjust abandonment in her lament. Nanda’s abandonment of Sundarī reflects the misogynist portrayal of women apparent in Buddhist literature, as well as in most Indian ascetic texts. In these tracts, women are frequently depicted as temptresses alluring poor unsuspecting men into their trap, thereby placing the blame for male desire and lust on female allure and beauty. From a Buddhist perspective, however, the same events are understood quite differently. Buddha compelling Nanda to become a reluctant monk is seen as an act of kindness and compassion, intended to guide him toward enlightenment.