Asita or Kaladevala or Kanhasiri was a hermit ascetic depicted in Buddhist sources as having lived in ancient India.

[2] In the "Devadatta" chapter of the Lotus Sutra, it is mentioned that in a past life, Shakyamuni was a king who renounced his throne to seek the Law.

Asita was a seer in Kapilavastu, the kingdom of the Shākyas, who foretold that Shakyamuni would achieve supreme wisdom and become a Buddha if he renounced secular life.

The Theravada tradition depicts Asita as an advisor and chaplain to Sihahanu, the grandfather of Gotama Buddha.

[2] A vision alerted Asita of the birth of the Bodhisattva Gotama, causing him to leave the forest and travel to see the infant, where he prophesied that he would become either a 'wheel turning monarch' (chakravartin) or a Buddha.

[2] Siddhartha Gautama was born into the royal family of the Shakya clan, having his father being King Suddhodana, he grew up to be a respected sage in the mountains who often noticed extraordinary signs in the heavens.

When Asita heard of the birth of he who would save mankind from the pain of rebirth, he traveled to King Suddhodana’s palace and approached respectfully towards the women’s quarters.

The hermit joyfully declared, "This has happened to you, O noble, generous and hospitable king, because you love duty and because you are ever kind to those who are wise and to those who are full of years.

The baby would surrender his godly power, control his passions, understand truth, and error would vanish from the world before his knowledge.

For this reason, Asita continued, I weep that in spite of my serious contemplation and prayers, I will never know your son’s message and law.

In addition, great king, pity the individual who ascends to the highest states of contemplation and prayer yet does not hear your son’s voice.

This prediction highlighted the significant choice Siddhartha would eventually face between living a life of luxury or pursuing a spiritual path.

Overall, the prophecy is crucial in the story of the Buddha because of how it paved the way for Siddhartha’s eventual decision to leave his princely life in search of a spiritual path.

Asita's predictions add a sense of destiny and omniscience to the Buddha's journey, by emphasizing the importance of his choice and the impact he would have in the world of Buddhism.