仁王護國般若經疏 1.12

1.12

問：古人云《仁王經》非正傳譯。是事云何？答：寡識小智，深可憐愍。豈有不見目錄，即云非是正翻？海庸不信山木似魚，夏革亦云古初無物，嗚呼盲目誚玻瓈珠。且準下經，自有兩本：一廣說，如〈散華品〉云「爾時十六大國王，聞佛所說十萬億偈般若波羅蜜，散花供養」；二者略本，即今經文。譯者不同，前後三本：一者晉時永嘉年，月支三藏曇摩羅察，晉云法護，翻出二卷，名仁王般若。二是偽秦弘始三年，鳩摩羅什於長安逍遙園別館翻二卷，名佛說仁王護國般若波羅蜜。三者梁時真諦，大同年於豫章實因寺翻出一卷，名仁王般若經，疏有六卷。雖有三本，秦為周悉，依費長房《入藏目錄》云耳。

Question: People of old said that the Benevolent King Sūtra is not an authentic transmission and translation. How is this matter [to be understood]?
Answer: One of little learning and small wisdom is deeply pitiable. How could one, merely from not having seen it in a catalogue, say that it is not an authentic translation? The ignorant person by the sea does not believe that mountain trees resemble fish; Xia Ge likewise said that in ancient beginnings there were no things. Alas, the blind reproach the crystal jewel! Furthermore, according to the text below, there are naturally two versions: first, the extensive exposition, as the "Scattering Flowers Chapter" says: "At that time, the sixteen great kings, having heard the hundred thousand kotis of verses on prajñāpāramitā expounded by the Buddha, scattered flowers in offering"; second, the abridged version, which is the present text of the sūtra.
The translators were different, with three versions across time: first, in the Yongjia era of the Jin dynasty, the Yuezhi Tripiṭaka Master Dharmarakṣa—called Fahu in Jin—translated two fascicles entitled Benevolent King Prajñā. Second, in the third year of Hongshi of the illegitimate Qin, Kumārajīva translated two fascicles at the detached villa in the Xiaoyao Garden in Chang'an, entitled Buddha's Exposition of the Benevolent Kings' Prajñāpāramitā for the Protection of the State. Third, Paramārtha of the Liang dynasty, in the Datong era, translated one fascicle at Shiyin Temple in Yuzhang, entitled Benevolent King Prajñā Sūtra, with a commentary in six fascicles. Although there are three versions, the Qin version is the most thorough, according to Fei Changfang's Catalogue of the Canonical Scriptures.