仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 1.63

1.63

鷲峯山者，梵云結栗陀羅矩吒，唐云鷲峯，亦云鷲臺。《智論》二義：山頭似鷲，故云鷲頭。又云：王舍城南屍陀林中多諸死人，眾鷲來噉還止山頭，時人便名鷲頭山也。又別記說言：靈鷲者，此鳥有靈知人死活，人將欲死群翔彼家，待其送林飛下而食，以懸知故號靈鷲焉。又真諦記引《婆沙》說：釋迦菩薩化受鷲身，廣如彼文，繁而不錄。《西域記》云「言鷲臺者，接北山之陽，孤標特起，既棲鷲鳥。又類高臺，空翠相映濃淡分色。如來御世垂五十年，多居此山廣說妙法。頻毘娑羅王為聞法故，興發人從自麓之峯跨壑陵巖編石為砌，廣十餘步長五六里，中路有二小窣堵波，一謂下乘，即王至此徒行以進；一謂退凡，即簡凡人不令同往。其山頂上則東西長而南北狹，臨崖西絕有甎精舍，高廣奇製，東闢其戶，如來在昔多居說法。今作說法之像，量等如來之身。」

Regarding Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa: in Sanskrit it is Gṛdhrakūṭa; in Chinese it is Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa (Vulture Peak), and also called the Vulture Terrace. The *Dazhidulun* gives two meanings: [1] The peak resembles a vulture, hence it is called the Vulture Head. [2] It also says: In the Śītavana to the south of Rājagṛha there were many dead bodies; flocks of vultures came to devour them and then returned to roost on the peak, so the people of the time named it Vulture Head Mountain. Another record states: 'Holy Vulture' refers to how this bird possesses a spiritual sensitivity and knows when a person is about to die; when someone is about to die, they flock to hover over that home, waiting for the body to be taken to the forest to fly down and feed; because of this advance knowledge, it is called the Holy Vulture. Furthermore, Paramārtha's notes cite the *Vibhāṣā* stating that Śākyamuni Bodhisattva manifested as a vulture; the details are as in that text, and being voluminous, they are not recorded here. The *Xiyu Ji* says: "The so-called Vulture Terrace adjoins the southern slope of the northern mountain, standing loftily and solitary; not only do vultures roost there, but it also resembles a high terrace, where the azure sky and verdant peaks reflect each other in alternating light and shade. During the nearly fifty years the Tathāgata was in the world, he mostly dwelt on this mountain widely expounding the wondrous Dharma. In order to hear the Dharma, King Bimbisāra mobilized laborers to pave steps with stone from the foot of the peak, spanning ravines and ascending crags, more than ten paces wide and five to six li long. Along the way are two small stūpas: one called 'Dismounting', where the king reached this point and proceeded on foot; the other called 'Dismissing Commoners', which screened out commoners, not allowing them to proceed together. The summit of the mountain is long from east to west and narrow from north to south; bordering the sheer cliff to the west is a brick vihāra, high, wide, and of extraordinary construction, opening its door to the east, where the Tathāgata often dwelt in the past to preach the Dharma. Now an image of him preaching the Dharma has been made, equal in size to the Tathāgata's body."