佛祖歷代通載 1.194

1.194

五非天者。妙高水際下。過一萬一千由旬。山曠廓閒光明城內。阿修羅王曰羅睺羅（此云攝腦）眾眷屬居。又過一萬一千由旬。星鬘城內阿修羅王。名曰項鬘。眾眷屬居。又過一萬一千由旬。堅牢城內阿修羅王。名曰妙鎮。又曰大力。眾眷屬居。又過一萬一千由旬。甚深城內阿修羅王。名曰毘摩質多羅（此云絲種種亦云紋身）眾眷屬居。常共帝釋比對鬪諍。城曰具金。殿名奏樂。如意樹王名即怛鉢㗚。聚集之處。名曰賢財。石名善賢。苑名普喜。妙喜最喜甚喜善地。亦名普喜妙喜最喜甚喜。臨戰所乘象名無能敵。遊戲所乘象名壘雪。馬曰峭脖。是等非天共三十三天。諍須陀味及修羅女為戰諍故從山廓出。身服金銀琉璃玻𭹳珂等堅固鎧甲。手執劍槊標鎗弓箭。領四部軍。彼阿修羅王羅睺羅。項鬘。妙鎮。毘摩質多羅等。或前三來。或四皆來。是時帝釋五守護眾。一住戲海。願樂白法龍王等眾與非天軍鬪戰今迴。龍若不勝去堅守所。共二守護復與修羅鬪戰。又若不勝去持鬘所。共三守護復與鬪戰。又若不勝去恒憍所。共四守護復與鬪戰。又若不勝去四王所。共五守護復與鬪戰。四大天王率四軍眾。服寶堅鎧執諸戈杖鬪戰。多分四天王勝。若不能却去忉利天。前白帝釋曰。我等守護不能回彼修羅王應却敵。如是白已。天主帝釋乘善住象。告三十三天眾等曰。汝等應知。今修羅軍至妙高頂。當服堅鎧取所乘車與修羅戰。說是語已。彼諸天子各服寶鎧執持戈仗。去眾車苑取所乘車。入麁惡苑身心轉惡。出善見城共修羅戰。若修羅勝侵至城內。若天得勝逐修羅軍至第一海。鬪戰之時。天與非天斷其頸腰。彼等即死。手足若斷。復生如本。若薄伽梵辟支佛轉輪聖王住世間時。諸阿修羅不起諍心。設若相持諸天必勝。世間善增天眾亦勝。世不善增阿修羅勝。是故諸天護持善事。

Fifth, asuras: Eleven thousand yojanas beneath the water level of Mount Meru, within the City of Radiant Light amidst the mountain terraces, the asura king named Rāhu (translated here as 'Seizing the Head') dwells with his retinue. Eleven thousand yojanas further down, within the City of Garlands of Stars, the asura king named Kaṇṭhamālā ('Necklace Garland') dwells with his retinue. Eleven thousand yojanas further down, within the City of Firm Stability, the asura king named Suṣṭhita (Fine Subduer), also called Mahābala (Great Strength), dwells with his retinue. Eleven thousand yojanas further down, within the City of Profundity, the asura king named Vemacitrin (translated here as 'Various Threads' and also as 'Tattooed Body') dwells with his retinue. They constantly rival and fight with Śakra. Their city is called Possessing Gold; their palace is called Making Music; their wish-fulfilling king of trees is called Cittapāṭali; their gathering place is called Worthy Wealth; their stone is called Excellent and Worthy; their groves are called Universal Delight, Sublime Delight, Utmost Delight, and Extreme Delight; their grounds are also named Universal Delight, Sublime Delight, Utmost Delight, and Extreme Delight. The elephant ridden when going to battle is named Invincible; the elephant ridden for amusement is named Mound of Snow; the horse is called Steep Neck. These asuras fight with the Trāyastriṃśa gods over the taste of amṛta and over asura maidens, coming forth from the mountain terraces to wage war. Their bodies are clad in firm armor of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, and the like, and their hands wield swords, lances, spears, bows, and arrows, commanding the fourfold army. Those asura kings Rāhu, Kaṇṭhamālā, Suṣṭhita, Vemacitrin, and so forth, either come as the first three, or all four come. At that time Śakra has five retinues of defenders: first, the dragon king and his retinue who dwell in the Sea of Play and aspire to the white dharmas, who battle the asura army to turn them back. If the dragons are not victorious, they go to the place of the Firm Guardians and, together with the two retinues of defenders, fight the asuras again. If they are still not victorious, they go to the place of the Garland Holders and, together with the three retinues of defenders, fight again. If they are still not victorious, they go to the place of the Constantly Proud and, together with the four retinues of defenders, fight again. If they are still not victorious, they go to the place of the Four Kings and, together with the five retinues of defenders, fight again. The Four Heavenly Kings lead the hosts of the four armies, clad in solid jewel armor and wielding various halberds and staves in combat; mostly the Four Heavenly Kings are victorious. If they cannot repel them, they go to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven and report to Śakra: 'We guardians cannot turn back those asura kings; you must repel the enemy.' Having reported thus, the heavenly lord Śakra mounts the elephant Supratiṣṭhita and addresses the host of the Trāyastriṃśa gods: 'You should know that the asura army has now reached the summit of Meru. Put on firm armor, take your chariots, and battle the asuras!' Having spoken these words, those sons of heaven each put on jewel armor, wield halberds and staves, go to the Grove of Various Chariots to fetch the chariots they ride, enter the Grove of Harsh Cruelty where their bodies and minds turn fierce, and march out from the City of Sudarśana to battle the asuras. If the asuras are victorious, they advance into the city; if the gods are victorious, they pursue the asura army to the first sea. When fighting, if a god or an asura has his neck or waist severed, he dies immediately; if hands or feet are severed, they grow back as before. When a Bhagavān, a pratyekabuddha, or a cakravartin resides in the world, the asuras do not give rise to thoughts of contention; even if they clash, the gods are certain to be victorious. When wholesome deeds increase in the world, the host of gods is also victorious; when unwholesome deeds increase in the world, the asuras are victorious. Therefore the gods protect and sustain wholesome deeds.