Udanavarga 4.22

4.22

昔佛將諸弟子至俱曇彌國美音精舍，為諸天人神龍說法。時彼國王名曰優填，有大夫人執行仁愛顯譽清潔，王珍其操每私恭敬。聞佛來化嚴駕共出，往至佛所為佛作禮却坐常位。佛為國王及夫人婇女說無常苦空，人所由生合會別離怨憎會苦，由福生天、由惡入淵。國王夫人歡欣信解，各受五戒為清信士女，禮佛辭退還入宮中。時有婆羅門，名曰吉星，生一好女世間少比，至年十六無能訶者，懸金千兩積九十日，募索智者：「有能訶此女為不端正者，以金與之。」無敢應者。女以長大應當嫁處，念：「當與誰？若有端正如我女者，以女與之。聽聞沙門瞿曇釋迦之種，姿容金色世所希有，當以此女往配與之。」即便將至佛所為佛作禮，白佛言：「我女好潔世間無雙，年大應嫁世無匹偶，瞿曇端正可以為雙，故遠將來以配世尊。」佛告吉星：「卿女端正是卿家好，如我之好是諸佛好，我之所好其道不同，卿自譽女端正姝好。譬如畫瓶中盛屎尿有何奇特？好為所在？著眼耳鼻口，身之大賊，面首端正，身之大患，破家滅族殺親害子，皆由女色。吾為沙門，一身獨立猶尚恐危，況受禍災殘賊之貨也？卿自將去，吾不受之。」於是梵志瞋恚便去，到優填王所讚女姿媚具白王言：「此女應相當為王妃，今以年大故送與王。」王見歡喜即納受之，拜為第二左夫人，即以印綬金銀珍寶賜與吉星拜為輔臣。此女得敘，每協嫉妬妖蠱迷王，數譖大夫人如是非一。王返辱曰：「卿等妖媚言返不遜，彼人操行可貴而返譖之。」此女心忌猶欲害之，數譖不已，王頗惑之，前後心謀伺其齋時，因勸白王：「今日之樂宜請右夫人。」王便普召勅令皆會，大夫人持齋獨不應命，反覆三呼執齋不移，王怒隆盛遣人拽出，縛著殿前欲射殺之。夫人不怖一心歸佛，王自射之箭還向王後，射輒還，數箭亦爾。時王大怖，自解而問之曰：「汝有何術乃致如此？」夫人對曰：「唯事如來歸命三尊，朝奉佛齋過中不飡，加行八事飾不近身，必是世尊哀顧若茲。」王曰：「善哉！豈可言不？」即出吉星女還其父母，以大夫人正理宮內。王與大夫人後宮太子，嚴駕群臣往到佛所，作禮却坐叉手聽法。王即白佛，具以如事向佛陳之。佛告大王：「妖蠱女人有八十四態，大態有八，慧人所惡。何謂為八？一者嫉妬，二者妄瞋，三者罵詈，四者呪詛，五者鎮厭，六者慳貪，七者好飾，八者含毒，是為八大態。」

Formerly Buddha with his followers, having gone to the kingdom of Kausāmbī (Ku-tan-mi), he took up his residence in the Vihāra called Mi-yin (lovely sound), and there preached the word for the sake of Devas and men. At this time the king of the country was called Yau-tien (Udāyana), whose queen was of a remarkably pure character. Having heard that Buddha had come to his kingdom, the King and the Queen, with her attendants, went forth to visit him, and having paid him the usual salutations, they sat down. Then Buddha, for their sakes, began to preach and to show the impermanency, sorrow, and vanity of things around us, from which all our miseries come. And then he proved that heaven was the reward of religious merit (virtue), and hell the result of sin (crime). In consequence of this sermon both the King and Queen were induced to accept the five rules of a lay-disciple, and so returned to the palace. Now at this time there was a certain Brahman called Kih-sing (lucky star), who had a daughter incomparable for loveliness, just sixteen years old. On her account the Brahman, for ninety days, exposed a heap of a thousand gold masurans, and challenged any one to find a single fault in her, and whoever could do so should have the gold. No one being able to do so, and desiring to find some one fit for her to marry, he again challenged any one to bring a man equal to his daughter in grace, and to him he would give her as a wife.

Now, having heard that the family of the Shaman Gōtama, known as the Śākyas, were remarkable for their beauty, and that therefore he was fit to possess his daughter, he came to the place where Buddha was, and taking his daughter with him, after the usual salutations, he spake thus:—"My daughter is extremely beautiful, and unequalled for womanly grace; and you also, Gōtama, are remarkable for your beauty. You may, therefore, have my daughter, and make her your companion (wife).” To whom Buddha replied, “Your daughter's beauty, sir, is according to your own estimation; my beauty is according to that of the Buddhas; my beauty and a woman's beauty are wholly different. Your daughter's loveliness, sir, is like that of the picture on the jar (or vessel), in the middle of which there is only filth and excrement. How can that be considered as beauty which belongs only to the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the body? It is this beauty of outside form that causes sorrow, overturns families, destroys kinship, sacrifices relationships, kills children; all these come from this (love of) womanly beauty. But I am a Shaman—I stand by myself—and would rather endure any calamity than comply with your request. Sir, you may go; I decline your offer.” On this the Brahman departed highly irate; and then, coming into the presence of the King, he dilated on his daughter's beauty, and offered her to him. The King, highly pleased at her appearance, accepted her, and made her his second Queen.

Having laden her with presents and jewelry, she soon began to fill his mind with jealous thoughts and dislike for the first Queen, and at last persuaded him to send for her on a certain occasion to indulge her fancy (knowing that she would not come). Consequently the King sent for her, on which the first Queen declined to appear, on the ground that she was engaged in some religious exercise (fast), and so for several occasions. The King, enraged thereat, sent a man with a rope to drag her into his presence; and when she was brought in, he took his bow and purposed to shoot her through the body. But lo! the arrow he discharged returned again towards the King, and did her no harm; and so again and again. On this the King, filled with astonishment (fear), said to her, “By what power of magic have you been able to bring this about?” To which she replied, “I have but taken refuge in the three gems, and the whole day have been engaged in religious observances (fasts), and on this account the Lord (World-honoured) has protected me.” On this the King exclaimed, “Wonderful!” and, dismissing the second Queen, he sent her back to her parents, and re-established the first in undisputed authority. Then, with the Queen's attendants, he went to the place where Buddha was, and after due salutations, he explained to him what had happened, on which Buddha (after a short discourse) repeated these lines :—