འཕགས་པ་དཔལ་སྦས་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་མད 18

18

“Householder, in the past there was a king of the city of Vārāṇasī named Brahmadatta. He was prosperous, wealthy, and affluent, with an overflowing treasury. Householder, King Brahmadatta had a queen named Anupamā, who had a fine figure, was beautiful and attractive, and had a clear and hearty complexion. To King Brahmadatta, Queen Anupamā was lovely, elegant, beloved, pleasing, desirable, and agreeable to behold. Householder, at that time, on the southern slope of the snowy king of mountains lived a peacock king named Suvarṇāvabhāsa, who had a retinue of five hundred birds. His limbs and body were brightly colored, and his beak was jeweled. Wherever he went, he ranked first among all peacocks.

“On one specific occasion, the peacock king Suvarṇāvabhāsa cried out over the city of Vārāṇasī in the middle of the night and was heard across the entire city. At that time, King Brahmadatta was in Queen Anupamā’s upper chamber. When Queen Anupamā heard this sound, she asked King Brahmadatta, ‘Lord, whose call is so enticing, desirable, elevating, addictive, captivating, delightful, pleasing, sweet, agreeable, and so worthy to be heard?’

“The king replied, ‘Lady, though I have not seen him, I have heard it said that the peacock king Suvarṇāvabhāsa lives on the southern slope of the snowy king of mountains. His limbs and body are brightly colored, he has a jeweled beak, and he possesses a retinue of five hundred birds. Wherever he goes, he ranks first among all peacocks. His call is said to sound just as enticing, desirable, elevating,