The Lalitavistara is one of the greatest Buddhist texts, and presents us with one of the earliest accounts of Buddha's life. Nothing is known about its author or the specific period of its composition. It is called a Vaipulya sutra of Buddhism. Composed in what is known as Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit, it is something of an enigma and there are still controversies about its interpretation. It is extremely important today not only as a religious text, but a sociological, historical and linguistic document as well.