འཕགས་པ་དཔལ་སྦས་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་མད 19

19

addictive, captivating, delightful, pleasing, sweet, agreeable, and worthy to be heard as this.’

“Queen Anupamā said, ‘Lord, please have Suvarṇāvabhāsa quickly brought here.’

“King Brahmadatta replied, ‘But, lady, how could I possibly find such a creature that roams through the sky?’

“Queen Anupamā answered, ‘Lord, if I cannot see Suvarṇāvabhāsa I will die!’

“King Brahmadatta was enamored with Queen Anupamā, and out of affection said to her, ‘Lady, wait a little; I will dispatch hunters.’

“King Brahmadatta then summoned the hunters and said to them, ‘Gentlemen, it is said that on the southern slope of the snowy king of mountains dwells a peacock king named Suvarṇāvabhāsa, whose limbs and body are brightly colored, and who has a jeweled beak. Catch Suvarṇāvabhāsa with nets and traps, and return home with the peacock king. If you manage to bring him home, all will be well. If you fail to do this, you will all lose your lives.’

“Since they were all afraid of dying, the hunters feared for their lives. They took their nets and traps and went to the southern slope of the snowy king of mountains. Upon arriving, they spread out their nets and laid their traps in the area where the peacock king Suvarṇāvabhāsa lived, but the nets would tear and the traps would spring whenever Suvarṇāvabhāsa looked at them. Despite exhausting themselves for seven days in that area, they were not able to catch the peacock king Suvarṇāvabhāsa in their nets and traps. Then the peacock king was touched with compassion and said to the hunters, ‘Laborers, why are you here, exhausting yourselves?’

“They replied, ‘Peacock king, please understand that King Brahmadatta commanded us. Please understand that he said, “Gentlemen, you should know that on the southern slope of the snowy king of mountains