無量壽經連義述文贊 1.25

1.25

經曰「遊於後園」至「色味之間」者，述云：此第五、效藝納妻也。講武試藝者，即娉妻之前事。處色味間者，即納妻之後事。有人引《本起》云：擲象角力名為講武，共射金鼓說為試藝。猶有未盡故。今即菩薩年既長大，王問堪為太子之妃。執杖之女名耶輸陀羅，端嚴第一。王勅國師往陳執杖，執杖報云：「自我家法積代相承，技能過人以女妻之。」王聞此言憂愁不樂。菩薩白王：「召有異術，現我技藝。」王於城外為一試場，遍告天下集善技術。至第七日，五百釋子菩薩為首，當共出往試場所，王遣白象以迎菩薩。提婆先至生嫉妬心，前執象鼻以手搏而死。難陀續至，欲出城門，見彼白象當路而斃，以手倒曳到於路側。菩薩尋至，坐於寶輅，以左足指持彼白象徐擲虛空，越七重城過一拘盧舍，其象墮處便為大坑，爾後眾人號為象坑。五百釋種皆至此場，請毘奢蜜多為試藝師，語言：「應觀諸釋種中誰最工書。」毘奢蜜多微笑而言：「天上人間所有文字太子究之。」王亦語頞順那：「觀諸童子誰優算數？」時菩薩自唱數，令諸童子次第下籌，無能及者。諸童子等次第舉數，菩薩運籌，唱不能及。五百童子一時俱唱亦不雜亂。頞順那心生希有，歎心智奇敏捷，釋種無及。諸釋人天皆歎第一。五百釋子角力相撲，分為三十二朋。難陀就前騁其剛勇，菩薩舉手纔觸其身，威力所加應時而倒。提婆出眾欲挫菩薩，菩薩安祥待右手徐投，飄然擎舉摧其我慢三擲空中，以慈悲故使無傷損。諸釋種子俱生瞋忿銳意齊奔，菩薩指之無不顛仆。執杖大臣今可試射。阿難陀曰：「可置鐵鼓二拘慮舍。」提婆達多曰：「可置鐵鼓四拘盧舍。」孫陀羅難陀曰：「可置鐵鼓六拘盧舍。」執杖大臣曰：「可置鐵鼓八拘盧舍。」菩薩言：「可將鐵鼓置十拘盧舍。」菩薩七鐵楯及七鐵多羅樹置十拘盧舍外，阿難、提婆、難陀、執杖，唯及自限，皆不能越。菩薩引弓，弓及以弦一時俱斷，更求良弓。取先王弓與釋子，釋子皆不能張。授與菩薩，菩薩安穩而坐，左手執弓右指上弦忽然而張，似不加力，彈弓之響遍迦毘羅城，人皆驚怖。然後控弦射諸鐵鼓，悉皆穿過。鐵楯鐵樹無不貫達，箭沒於地因而成井，爾後眾人號為箭井。人天唱言：「太子生年未曾習學備此技藝。」於是執杖以女為妃。故今言講武者，即角力射鼓也。試藝者，即試書運籌也。後園者，即城外之苑也。現處者，難陀愛欲遂宜示處。故即彼經云「爾時菩薩隨順世法現處宮中，八萬四千婇女娛樂而住，耶輸陀羅為第一妃。處王宮時，能令八萬四千諸婇等發無上覺心，無量諸天皆於無上正等菩提得不退轉，說微妙偈勸請菩薩速疾出家。」

The sūtra says: from "He roamed in the rear gardens" to "amid forms and tastes." In exposition: This is the fifth [section], displaying arts and taking a wife. "Expounding martial skills and testing arts" refers to the events prior to betrothing a wife. "Dwelling amid forms and tastes" refers to the events after taking a wife. Someone cited the Benqi, saying: "Hurling an elephant and wrestling is called 'expounding martial skills'; jointly shooting at an iron drum is said to be 'testing arts.'" But that is not yet exhaustive. Here, when the Bodhisattva had grown up, the king inquired about who was fit to be the crown prince's consort. The daughter of Daṇḍapāṇi was named Yaśodharā, foremost in upright beauty. The king ordered the royal preceptor to go and inform Daṇḍapāṇi. Daṇḍapāṇi replied: "According to our family custom, handed down for generations, one must surpass others in arts and skills before giving a daughter to him as wife." Hearing this, the king was sorrowful and unhappy. The Bodhisattva addressed the king: "Summon those with extraordinary skills; I will display my arts." Outside the city, the king made an arena and proclaimed everywhere under heaven to assemble those skilled in arts. On the seventh day, with five hundred Śākya youths and the Bodhisattva at their head, when they were about to go forth together to the arena, the king dispatched a white elephant to welcome the Bodhisattva. Devadatta arrived first and gave rise to jealousy; coming forward, he grabbed the elephant's trunk and struck it dead with his hand. Nanda arrived next; wishing to go out of the city gate, he saw that white elephant lying dead across the road, and with his hand dragged it backwards to the side of the road. The Bodhisattva arrived shortly after, sitting in a jeweled chariot. With his left big toe, he picked up that white elephant and gently hurled it into the air; it crossed seven city walls and passed one krośa. The place where the elephant fell became a great pit, and thereafter the multitudes called it the Elephant Pit. The five hundred Śākyas all reached this arena and requested Viśvāmitra to be the master who tested the arts, saying to him: "You should observe who among the Śākyas is most skilled in writing." Viśvāmitra smiled faintly and said: "The crown prince has completely mastered all scripts in the heavens and among humans." The king also said to Arjuna: "Observe which of the youths excels in calculation." Then the Bodhisattva himself called out the numbers and had the youths lay down counting-rods in turn, but none could match him. The youths in turn raised numbers, and the Bodhisattva manipulated the rods; he called out that none could match him. Even when five hundred youths called out at once, it was not confused. Arjuna felt this was extraordinary and praised his mental acuity as marvelous and nimble, unmatched among the Śākyas. The Śākyas, devas, and humans all praised him as foremost. The five hundred Śākya youths wrestled and matched strength, divided into thirty-two groups. Nanda stepped forward and displayed his fierce courage; the Bodhisattva raised his hand and merely touched his body, and under the impact of his awe-inspiring power, he collapsed instantly. Devadatta stepped out from the assembly wishing to humble the Bodhisattva; the Bodhisattva calmly waited, then gently cast his right hand, lightly raised him up to crush his haughtiness, and threw him three times into the air; out of compassion, he caused him no injury. The Śākya youths all gave rise to rage and rushed forward together with sharp intent; the Bodhisattva pointed at them, and there was none who did not stumble. The great minister Daṇḍapāṇi said: "Now we may test archery." Ānanda said: "An iron drum may be set at two krośas." Devadatta said: "An iron drum may be set at four krośas." Sundarananda said: "An iron drum may be set at six krośas." The great minister Daṇḍapāṇi said: "An iron drum may be set at eight krośas." The Bodhisattva said: "Let an iron drum be placed at ten krośas." The Bodhisattva placed seven iron shields and seven iron tāla trees beyond ten krośas. Ānanda, Devadatta, Nanda, and Daṇḍapāṇi only reached their own limits, and none could surpass them. The Bodhisattva drew a bow; the bow and the string snapped at once, so he sought a better bow. They brought the bow of the former king and gave it to the Śākya youths, but none could string it. Handing it to the Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva sat stably; holding the bow with his left hand and putting his right finger to the string, he drew it in an instant, seemingly without exerting force. The twang of the bow echoed throughout the city of Kapilavastu, and the people were all terrified. Then, drawing the string, he shot at the iron drums, piercing through them all. There was no iron shield or iron tree that was not penetrated. The arrow sank into the earth and thus formed a well; thereafter the multitudes called it the Arrow Well. Devas and humans exclaimed: "Since his birth, the crown prince has never practiced or learned, yet he is fully equipped with these arts!" Thereupon Daṇḍapāṇi gave his daughter to be his consort. Therefore, what is now called "expounding martial skills" refers to wrestling and shooting at the drums. "Testing arts" refers to testing writing and manipulating counting-rods. The "rear gardens" refers to the park outside the city. "Manifested dwelling" means that to satisfy Nanda's sensual desire, he appropriately manifested dwelling there. Thus that sūtra says: "At that time the Bodhisattva, complying with worldly dharmas, manifested dwelling in the palace, dwelling in amusement with eighty-four thousand palace women, with Yaśodharā as his foremost consort. While dwelling in the royal palace, he was able to cause eighty-four thousand palace maidens to generate the unexcelled aspiration for enlightenment, and immeasurable devas to attain non-retrogression in unexcelled, correct, and equal bodhi, proclaiming marvelous verses to urge and request the Bodhisattva to swiftly leave the household life."