Step 1: Buddhacarita Overview.
Buddhacarita is a seminal Sanskrit epic poem chronicling the life of Gautama Buddha.
Step 2: Author Identification.
The work is attributed to the esteemed poet-philosopher Aśvaghoṣa, dating from the 1st–2nd century CE.
Step 3: Option Evaluation.
- (1) Buddhaghoṣa: Notable for Pali commentaries; not the author of Buddhacarita.
- (2) Aśvaghoṣa: Confirmed author of Buddhacarita.
- (3) Dhammapāla: Primarily a commentator; did not write this epic.
- (4) Buddhadatta: A Theravāda commentator, not the creator of Buddhacarita.
Step 4: Final Determination.
Therefore, the author of Buddhacarita is definitively Aśvaghoṣa.