Udanavarga 4.60-61

4.60

比丘聞偈，即便稽首懺悔謝過，內自篤責深惟為非，即於佛前逮得應真。時捕象人即皆還，穌走者尋還，皆得道迹。

When the bhikṣus heard the verse, they at once bowed their heads, repented, and acknowledged their fault. Deeply censuring themselves within and deeply considering their wrongdoing, right before the Buddha they attained the state of arhat. At that time, the elephant-capturers all revived, and those who had fled soon returned, all attaining the trace of the Way.

The Bhikshu, having heard these words, was convinced that he was wrong in giving loose to the thoughts he had, and in deep penitence bowing at Buddha's feet, obtained wisdom. [The next story is that of Buddha, in a similar way to the last, converting a Raksha, who had attacked a city to the south of Rājagriha, and devoured many of its inhabitants; on which occasion the Master recited these lines:—

4.61

昔佛在羅閱祇耆闍崛山中。時國王瓶沙有一大臣，犯事免退徙著南山中，去國千里外。由來無人不熟五穀，大臣到中，泉水流溢五穀大熟，四方諸國有飢寒者，皆來至此山中，數年之中便有三四千家，來者給與田地令得生活。其中三老諸長宿年共議：「國之無君猶身之無首。」相將至大臣所，舉大臣為國王。大臣答長老曰：「若以我為王者，當如諸國王之法，左右大臣文武將士，上下朝直發女闐宮，租稅穀帛當如民法。」諸國老曰：「唯然奉命一隨王法。」即立為王，處置群臣文武上下，發調人民築城作舍，宮殿樓觀，民被苦毒不復堪諧，皆發想念欲謀圖王。諸姦臣輩將王出獵，去城三四十里，於曠野澤中，牽王欲殺。王問左右：「何緣殺我？」答曰：「民慕豐樂奉王以禮，民困思亂破家圖國。」王告之言：「卿等自為非我本造，枉殺我者神祇知之。聽我發一願，死不有恨。」即願曰：「我本開荒出穀養民，來者皆活，富樂無極，自共舉我立為國王，依案諸國自共作此，今反殺我。我實無惡於此人民，若我死者，願作羅剎，還入故身中，當報此怨。」於是絞殺棄屍而去。三日之後，王神即作羅剎還入故身中，自名阿羅婆，即起入宮絞殺新王，并及後宮婇女左右姦臣，即皆殺之。羅剎瞋恚出宮，盡欲殺人。國中三老草索自縛，來向羅剎自首：「此是姦臣所為，非是細民所可能知，乞匃原恕願還治國。」曰：「我是羅剎，何與人等共從事也？食飲當得人肉，羅剎急性忿不思難。」三老曰：「國是王許，故當如前，食飲所須當相差次。」國老共出，宣令人民皆共探籌，以此為次家出一小兒，生用作食食羅剎王。三四千家正有一戶，為佛弟子，居門精進五戒不犯，隨民探籌，得第一籌。有一小兒，當先食鬼王。賢者大小懊惱啼哭，遙向崛山，為佛作禮悔過自責，佛以道眼見其辛苦，便自說言：「因是小兒當度無數人。」便獨飛往至羅剎門，現變光相照其宮內。羅剎見光疑是異人，即出見佛，便起毒心欲前噏佛，光刺其目，擔山吐火皆化為塵，至久疲頓然後降化，請佛入坐頭面作禮。佛為說經，一心聽法，即受五戒為優婆塞。里吏催食奪兒將來，室家嘷哭隨道而來，觀者無數為之悲哀。吏抱兒擏食著羅剎前，羅剎即持此小兒擎食至佛前，長跪白佛言：「國人相差次以小兒為食，我今受佛五戒，不復得食此小兒，請以小兒布施佛，為佛作給使。」佛為受之，即說呪願，羅剎歡喜得須陀洹道。佛以小兒著鉢中，擏出宮門，還其父母而告之曰：「快養小兒勿復愁憂。」眾人見佛莫不驚愕，怪是何神？此兒何福而獨救之？羅剎所食奪還父母。於是世尊在於大眾中央而說偈言：

Formerly, the Buddha was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha. At that time, King Bimbisāra had a minister who committed an offense, was dismissed, and was exiled to the southern mountains, more than a thousand li from the kingdom. Previously there had been no people there and the five grains did not ripen, but after the minister arrived, spring water flowed abundantly and the five grains ripened profusely. People suffering from cold and hunger in the countries of the four directions all came to this mountain; within a few years there were three to four thousand households, and those who came were given fields and land so that they could make a living. Among them, the elders and seniors consulted together, saying: ‘A country without a ruler is like a body without a head.’ They went together to the minister's place and elevated him to be king. The minister replied to the elders: ‘If you take me as king, it must be according to the laws of kings of various realms: ministers on the left and right, civil and military generals and soldiers, higher and lower ranks attending court duties, drafting women to fill the palace, and taxes of grain and silk according to the laws of the people.’ The elders of the land said: ‘Indeed, we will obey your orders and entirely follow the king's law.’ Thereupon they established him as king. He appointed the ministers, civil and military, superior and inferior, and levied the people to build city walls and houses, palaces, towers, and pavilions. The people suffered bitter distress and could endure it no longer; they all conceived the thought of plotting against the king. The treacherous ministers took the king out on a hunt, thirty to forty li from the city, and in an open swampy wilderness, they dragged the king out intending to kill him. The king asked his attendants: ‘For what reason do you kill me?’ They answered: ‘The people longed for abundance and ease and honoured you with rites; but when the people are exhausted they contemplate rebellion, destroying their households to overthrow the realm.’ The king addressed them, saying: ‘You brought this about yourselves; it was not originally my doing. The spirits know that you kill me unjustly. Allow me to make a single vow, so that I may die without resentment.’ He then vowed: ‘Originally I cleared the wilderness and produced grain to sustain the people, so that those who came all survived, with wealth and happiness without limit. You yourselves together elevated me to be king, and following the example of other realms, you yourselves made all this; yet now on the contrary you kill me. Truly I had no ill will toward this people. If I die, may I become a rākṣasa, enter back into my former body, and avenge this grievance!’ Thereupon they strangled him, abandoned his corpse, and left. After three days, the king's spirit became a rākṣasa and entered back into his former body. Calling himself Āḷavaka, he arose, entered the palace, and strangled the new king, as well as the palace women and the treacherous attendants on his left and right, killing them all. Enraged, the rākṣasa came out of the palace, intending to kill all the people. The elders of the country bound themselves with grass ropes, came before the rākṣasa, and confessed: ‘This was done by treacherous ministers; it was not something the ordinary people could have known. We beg for forgiveness, and wish that you return to govern the country.’ He said: ‘I am a rākṣasa; how could I engage in affairs alongside humans? For food and drink I must have human flesh; a rākṣasa is hasty-tempered and wrathful, and does not consider consequences.’ The elders said: ‘The country is your domain, so it should be as before; what is needed for food and drink shall be provided in turns.’ The elders went out together and announced to the people that all should draw lots, according to which each household in turn would give up one young child to serve alive as food for the rākṣasa king. Among the three to four thousand households, there was just one that was a disciple of the Buddha; his household was vigorous and did not transgress the five precepts. Drawing lots along with the people, he drew the first lot. He had a young child, who was to be the first to be eaten by the demon king. Great and small, the virtuous man’s household wept in distress. Facing Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa from afar, they bowed to the Buddha, repented, and blamed themselves. With his divine eye, the Buddha saw their distress and said to himself: ‘By means of this child, countless people shall be saved.’ He then flew alone to the rākṣasa’s gate and manifested transformed radiant signs that illuminated his palace. Seeing the light, the rākṣasa suspected it was an extraordinary person, went out, and saw the Buddha. A vicious mind arose in him, and he wished to step forward and swallow the Buddha, but the light pierced his eyes; he hurled mountains and spat fire, but all turned to dust. After a long while, exhausted, he submitted and was transformed; he invited the Buddha to enter, take a seat, and bowed with his head and face to the ground. The Buddha preached the scriptures for him; he listened to the Dharma single-mindedly, and at once received the five precepts as an upāsaka. The village officials, hurrying with the food, seized the child and brought him along; the family came along the road wailing, and the countless onlookers grieved for them. The officials held the child and presented the food before the rākṣasa. The rākṣasa then took the child, held up the food, and went before the Buddha. Kneeling long, he addressed the Buddha: ‘The people of the realm by turns provide young children as food; having now received the Buddha’s five precepts, I may no longer eat this child. I beg to give this child as an offering to the Buddha, to serve as the Buddha’s attendant.’ The Buddha accepted him, and at once recited verses of aspiration; the rākṣasa was joyful and attained the trace of the srotāpanna. The Buddha placed the child in his alms-bowl, carried him out of the palace gate, returned him to his parents, and told them: ‘Rear the child well, and worry no more.’ When the multitude saw the Buddha, none were not astonished, wondering what manner of spirit this was, and what blessing this child possessed that he alone was saved, snatched back from being eaten by the rākṣasa and returned to his parents. Thereupon the Bhagavat, in the midst of the great assembly, spoke in verse: