大般涅槃經義記 3.305

3.305

第三句中，「王既沒已」喻佛滅後，性從緣變故言「是藥或酢、醎」等，「如是一」下釋別所由，隨處故爾，亦得名為結別所以。此即答上後十難中前九難也，明性隨緣故有差別、勝負等異。

In the third clause, "after the king passed away" is a metaphor for after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa; the nature transforming according to conditions is therefore expressed as "this medicine was sometimes sour, salty..." and so on; from "this single..." down explains the reason for the distinctions—it is so in accordance with the place, and can also be called concluding with the reasons for the distinctions. This precisely answers the first nine of the subsequent ten objections above, clarifying that because the nature accords with conditions, there are distinctions, superiority and inferiority, and other differences.