十二門論宗致義記 1.32

1.32

第七、造論時代者，有說龍樹佛滅度後八百年出，依《摩訶摩耶經》，佛滅後七百年出。近問三藏云：西國有傳，龍樹從佛滅後三百年，出南天竺，共一國王以藥自持，擬待彌勒。至八百年，彼王諸子並皆老死，無嗣位者。後一太子恨無得位，母氏教云：「汝父不死，是龍樹所持。汝乞彼首，父則隨喪。」子便依言往乞，菩薩剔頸與之，於是而卒。既五百年在世，是故諸說皆會。然其所造雖復廣多，唯於此論自造本頌，還自造釋，既不雜餘言，亦將為甚妙也。

Seventh, the period when the treatise was composed: some say that Nāgārjuna appeared eight hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa; according to the Mahāmāyā Sūtra, he appeared seven hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa. Recently, when I asked a Tripiṭaka master, he said: in the Western countries there is a tradition that Nāgārjuna, appearing in South India three hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, sustained himself together with a king by means of elixirs, intending to await Maitreya. By the eight hundredth year, that king's sons had all grown old and died, leaving no heir to the throne. Later, a crown prince resented not obtaining the throne, and his mother instructed him, saying: 'Your father does not die because he is sustained by Nāgārjuna. If you beg for his head, your father will perish accordingly.' The son then followed her words and went to beg for it; the Bodhisattva severed his neck and gave it to him, and thereupon passed away. Since he was in the world for five hundred years, all these accounts are reconciled. Although his compositions were numerous, it was only for this treatise that he composed the root verses himself and also composed the commentary himself; since it is unmixed with other words, it must also be considered exceedingly wonderful.