ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 5.22

5.22

“Now at this time, a certain King Earnest reigned in that very palace. The king rose early in the morning and went to the garden, attended by his harem. Arriving there he seated himself at one side as the women, hearts set on flowers and fruit, wandered about here and there. They happened upon the five hundred monks sitting beneath the trees as if asleep, legs crossed, their bodies drawn up like nāga kings. Delighted to have found them, they paid homage at their feet, and the eldest among them sat before the arhats to listen to the Dharma.

“When the king heard a man’s voice out in the gardens, he laid a sharp sword across his shoulders and went to where the monks were, spotting all five hundred monks from a distance. Seeing them he thought, ‘No monk should lay an eye on my harem!’ Consumed with fury at the sight of the monks, the king summoned the royal guard and commanded them, ‘Lash these monks!’ and they lashed the monks with whips for some time, until their bodies were like raw meat.

“Once the king had slaked his passion by beating the monks, he handed them over to the executioners, saying, ‘Go now, take these ascetics. Impale some of them on stakes, and run them through with swords, spears, lances, single-tipped vajras, and flat-bladed spears while they yet live! Feed others alive to the dogs! Chop the rest into six pieces and scatter them in every direction!’

“The king’s men replied, ‘As you wish,’ and they impaled some of the five hundred monks on stakes