Udanavarga 2.65

2.65

昔佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨精舍中，為天人龍鬼說法。東方有國名欝多羅波提，昔有婆羅門等五百人相率欲詣恒水，岸邊有三祠神池，沐浴垢穢倮形求仙如尼揵法。道由大澤迷不得過，中道乏糧，遙望見一大樹如有神氣，想有人居，馳趣樹下了無所見。婆羅門等舉聲大哭，飢渴委厄窮死斯澤。樹神人現問諸梵志：「道士那來？今欲何行？」同聲答曰：「欲詣神池澡浴望仙，今日飢渴幸哀矜濟。」樹神即舉手，百味飲食從手流溢，給眾飯食皆得飽滿，其餘食飲足供道糧。臨當別去，詣神請問：「本行何德致此巍巍？」神答梵志：「吾本所居在舍衛國，時國大臣名曰須達，飯佛眾僧詣市買酪，無提酪者，左右顧視倩我提之，往到精舍使我斟酌。訖行澡水儼然聽法，一切歡喜稱善無量。時我奉齋暮還不飡，婦怪問我：『不食何恨？』答曰：『不恨也。吾行於市，見長者須達於園飯佛，我往持齋，齋名八關。』其婦瞋恚忿然言曰：『瞿曇亂俗，奚足採納？君毀遺則禍從此興。』踧迫不已便共俱食。時我爾夜年壽算盡終於夜半，神來生此。為是愚婦敗我齋法，不卒其業；來生斯澤作此樹神，提酪之福手出飲食，若終齋法應生天上，封受自然。」即為梵志而說頌曰：

In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Jetavana, at Śrāvastī, and preaching his doctrine for the benefit of men and gods, there were in a country to the eastward, called Uttaravati, a company of 500 Brahmans, who had agreed to go together to the residence of a certain Nirgrantha ascetic on the banks of the Ganges, who, by polluting himself with dirt, etc., aspired to the condition of a Rishi. On their way they were overtaken in the desert with thirst. Seeing a tree, and hoping to find some human habitation near, they hastened on to it, but when arrived there they found no sign of life; on this, they raised their voices in lamentation. Suddenly from the tree they heard the voice of the resident Spirit, who asked them why they lamented so, and on hearing the reason, supplied them to the full with drink and meat. The Brahmans, ready to start onward, asked the Spirit what had been his previous history, that he was thus born; on which he explained that having gone to the assembly of priests in Śrāvastī when Sudatta had bestowed the garden on Buddha, he had remained all night listening to the Law, and having filled his drinking-cup with water as he went, had bestowed it in charity among the priests. On his return next morning, his wife in anger asked him what annoyance he had received that he should stop away all night. On which he replied that he was not annoyed, but he had been to listen to Buddha preaching at the Jetavana. On this his wife began roundly to abuse Buddha, and said, “This Gotama is but a mad preacher, who deceives the people,” and so on. On this I resented not her statements, but rather submitted to them, and so when I came to die I was born as a spirit, but on account of my pusillanimity I was confined to this tree; and then he recited these verses :—