俱舍論頌疏論本 1.15

1.15

然世親尊者，舊習有宗，後學經部，將為當理。於有宗義懷取捨心，欲定是非，恐畏彼師，情懷忌憚，潛名重往。時經四載，屢以自宗，頻破他部。時有羅漢，被詰莫通，即眾賢師悟入是也。悟入怪異，遂入定觀，知是世親。私告之曰：「此部眾中，未離欲者，知長老破，必相致害，長老可速歸還本國。」于時世親至本國已，講《毘婆沙》，若一日講便造一偈，攝一日中所講之義，刻赤銅葉，書寫此偈。如是次第，成六百頌，攝《大婆沙》，其義周盡。標頌香象，擊鼓宣令云：「誰能破者，吾當謝之。」竟無一人能破斯偈。將此偈頌，使人齎往迦濕彌羅。時彼國王及諸僧眾，聞皆歡喜，嚴幢幡蓋，出境來迎，標頌香象，至國尋讀，謂弘己宗。悟入知非，告眾人曰：「此頌非是專弘我宗，頌置傳說之言，似相調耳。如其不信，請釋即知。」於是國王及諸僧眾發使往請，奉百斤金，以申敬請。論主受請，為釋本文凡八千頌寄往，果如悟入所言。此是第一明本緣起也。

However, the Venerable Vasubandhu had formerly practiced the Sarvāstivāda, but later studied the Sautrāntika, taking it to be aligned with reason. Harboring an attitude of adopting and rejecting with regard to Sarvāstivāda doctrine, and wishing to determine right from wrong, he feared that master and felt apprehensive; so he went there again under an assumed name. Passing through four years, he repeatedly took his own school's [principles] to refute other schools. At that time there was an arhat who, having been cross-examined, could not answer; this was none other than Skandhila, the master of Saṃghabhadra. Finding this strange, Skandhila entered meditative absorption to observe, and knew it was Vasubandhu. He privately informed him: “Among the members of this assembly, those who have not yet abandoned desire, if they learn that the Elder is refuting them, will surely cause you harm. The Elder should quickly return to his native country.” At that time, after Vasubandhu returned to his native country, he expounded the Vibhāṣā; for each day he lectured, he composed one verse summarizing the meaning lectured on that day, engraved it on a sheet of red copper, and inscribed this verse. In this sequence, he completed six hundred verses, encompassing the Mahāvibhāṣā and fully exhausting its meaning. Placing the verses upon a fragrant elephant, he beat a drum and proclaimed: “If anyone can refute these, I shall acknowledge defeat before him.” In the end, not a single person could refute these verses. He sent a person carrying these verses to Kaśmīra. At that time, when the king of that country and the assembly of monks heard of it, they all rejoiced; adorning banners, pennants, and canopies, they came out past the borders to welcome them, and placing the verses upon a fragrant elephant, brought them into the country to read through, thinking he was propagating their own school. Skandhila, knowing this was not so, told the crowd: “These verses do not exclusively propagate our school; the insertion of the phrase 'so it is said' within the verses seems to mock us. If you do not believe it, request a prose commentary and you will know.” Thereupon the king and the assembly of monks dispatched an envoy to invite him, offering one hundred pounds of gold to express their respectful request. The author of the treatise accepted their invitation, composed a commentary on the root text in eight thousand verses, and sent it to them; it turned out just as Skandhila had said. This is the first part, explaining the root origin.