佛祖統紀 4.37

4.37

On the sixth day of the third month, the king of the country of Kapila, a relative of the Tathāgata by birth (The father King Śuddhodana had two sons and one grandson, all of whom had already renounced household life. The father king asked the Buddha, saying, 'The royal lineage is forever cut off,' so we know that after his death there was no heir. The King of Kapila here must be one of the people of the state who enthroned the son of a brother as his successor; hence it is now called 'relatives by birth'), along with the members of the Śākya clan, learned after three weeks that the Buddha had entered nirvāṇa and entered the city of Kuśīnagara to request relics, but their request was not granted. King Ajātaśatru went to the Buddha to repent; having cleansed his bodily sores, his extremely grave transgressions were eliminated, and he returned to his own palace. On the night of the nirvāṇa he dreamed that the moon fell, and summoning his ministers, he asked about it. They replied, 'This is a sign of the Buddha's nirvāṇa.' The king then led his ministers and retinue to the city of Kuśīnagara to request relics, but his request was not granted. At that time, the King of Vaiśālī, a renowned king of the non-Buddhists, King Allakappa, King Veṭhadīpa the Fearless, King Calakappa, and King Pāvā, each led their ministers and retinue into the city of Kuśīnagara, requesting a portion of the relics to bring back to their countries for worship, but their requests were not granted (Later Portion; Note: The seven countries above, together with Kuśīnagara, make eight countries). At that time, the kings of the eight countries fought over the relics. A minister named Upakāra admonished the eight kings. Then Śakra transformed into a human and spoke: 'We gods should also have a share.' The dragon king Anavatapta said: 'We too should have a share. If you do not give it to us, our strength is sufficient to match yours.' Then Upakāra told them: 'Gentlemen, stop for a moment. These relics should be divided together. Why must there be fighting?' He then divided the relics into three shares: one share for the gods, one share for the dragon kings, and one share for the eight kings (Garbhastha Sūtra). The eight countries divided the relics together. King Ajātaśatru obtained eighty-four thousand [measures], and additionally received the mustache, returning to his country. On the road he met the dragon king Nandopananda, who sought relics from him. King Ajātaśatru would not give them. The dragon said: 'My strength is capable of destroying your kingdom.' King Ajātaśatru was terrified, and immediately gave the Buddha's mustache to him. The dragon king erected a crystal stūpa at the foot of Mount Sumeru. King Ajātaśatru returned to his country, placed the relics in a box of purplish gold, made a thousand-year lamp, and built a stūpa to enshrine them in the waters of the five Gaṅgā rivers (Aśokarāja Sūtra).