釋迦譜 2.18

English (machine translation) 2.18

Language: English

2.18.1

"Great King, you should know: when seeking the lady, the Śākyas squabbled together, some saying not to grant her, causing both sides distress and separation (liuli). Now he should be named; let him be called Virūḍhaka (Liuli)." At that time King Prasenajit loved this crown prince Virūḍhaka and never let him leave his presence. As he approached eight years of age, the king told him, "You are now grown. You may go to Kapilavastu to learn the archery arts." At that time King Prasenajit provided attendants; riding a great elephant, [the prince] went to the Śākya home, reached Mahānāma, and said, "King Prasenajit has sent me here to learn archery arts. I only wish my grandparents would instruct me in all matters." Then Mahānāma replied, saying, "If you wish to learn arts, very well, you may train in them." Then the Śākya Mahānāma gathered five hundred youths to have them train in the arts together. At that time Crown Prince Virūḍhaka trained in archery arts with them. Meanwhile, in the city of Kapilavastu, a new lecture hall had recently been erected. They said among themselves, "Now this lecture hall has not been completed long; the colored paintings are finished, resembling a heavenly palace. We should first invite the Tathāgata to be venerated within it, along with the community of monks, so that we may obtain boundless merit. Only after that shall we enter this hall." Then the Śākyas spread various sitting mats in the hall, hung silk banners and canopies, sprinkled the ground with perfumed water, burned various renowned incenses, stored fine water, and lit bright lamps. At that time Crown Prince Virūḍhaka went to the lecture hall and directly mounted the lion throne. When the Śākyas saw this, they harbored great wrath; they came forward, seized his arms, and threw him out of the gate. They reviled him together, "How dare the offspring of this slave-girl enter the throne?" and dashed him to the ground. Then Crown Prince Virūḍhaka rose from the ground, gave a long sigh, looked back, and at that time there was the son of a brahmin named Ambariṣa (Haoku). Crown Prince Virūḍhaka said to the brahmin's son Ambariṣa, "These Śākyas have reviled and humiliated me even to this extent. When I later succeed to the royal throne, you must remind me of this matter." Then the brahmin's son Ambariṣa replied, "As you instruct." Then King Prasenajit died, and Crown Prince Virūḍhaka was installed as king. The brahmin Ambariṣa went to the king's place and spoke thus, "The king should remember the past humiliation by the Śākyas." King Virūḍhaka replied, "I remember the past matter." Then King Virūḍhaka gave rise to wrath and ordered his ministers, "Hurry, equip carriages and assemble the fourfold army; I wish to go punish the Śākya clan." The ministers received the king's command and immediately had the four types of troops gather like clouds, proceeding to Kapilavastu. At that time, many monks heard that King Virūḍhaka was going to punish the Śākya clan, and they fully reported it to the World-Honoured One. When the World-Honoured One heard these words, he went to intercept King Virūḍhaka. He sat cross-legged beneath a withered tree that had no branches or leaves. King Virūḍhaka saw the World-Honoured One from afar, stepped down from his chariot, bowed to his feet, and stood to one side. Then King Virūḍhaka addressed the World-Honoured One, "There are other fine trees with lush and flourishing branches; for what reason do you sit under this withered tree?" The World-Honoured One told him, "The shade of kinsmen surpasses that of outsiders." Then King Virūḍhaka thought, "Today the World-Honoured One acts on behalf of his kinsmen. I ought not to advance and punish them; I should turn back from here and return to my home country." Then the brahmin Ambariṣa again addressed the king, "The king should remember the past humiliation by the Śākyas." Having heard these words, the king again gathered troops and went to Kapilavastu. Mahāmaudgalyāyana heard that King Virūḍhaka was going to punish the Śākya clan and addressed the World-Honoured One, "Today King Virūḍhaka goes to attack the Śākya clan; I am capable of hurling King Virūḍhaka and his fourfold army into another world system." The World-Honoured One told him, "Could you take the Śākya clan's past karma and place it into another world system?" Then Maudgalyāyana addressed the Buddha, "Truly I am not capable of causing past karmic causes and conditions to be placed in another world system." Then the World-Honoured One told Maudgalyāyana, "Return to your seat." Maudgalyāyana again addressed the Buddha, "I am now capable of moving this Kapilavastu and placing it in empty space." The World-Honoured One told him, "Are you now capable of moving the past karma of the Śākya clan and placing it in empty space?" Maudgalyāyana replied, "No, World-Honoured One." The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana, "Now return to your original place." Maudgalyāyana again addressed the Buddha, "May you permit me to cover the city of Kapilavastu with an iron cage." The World-Honoured One told him, "How, Maudgalyāyana, could you cover the Śākyas' past karma with an iron cage?" Maudgalyāyana addressed the Buddha, "No, World-Honoured One." The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana, "Today the past karma of the Śākyas has ripened; they must now receive retribution." Then King Virūḍhaka advanced toward Kapilavastu. The Śākyas also assembled the fourfold host and, within one yojana, went out to intercept King Virūḍhaka. At that time, the Śākyas, from within one yojana, shot arrows at King Virūḍhaka from afar: some shot into his ear holes without harming his ears; some shot through the hair on his head without harming his head; some shot through his bowstring without harming his person; some shot into his armor without injuring him; some shot into his seat without harming him; some shot his chariot and broke its wheels without harming him; some destroyed the banners and standards without harming him. Seeing this, King Virūḍhaka was terrified and said to his ministers, "Look at these arrows; from where do they come?" The ministers replied, "These Śākyas shot these arrows from a yojana away." King Virūḍhaka replied, "If they had set their minds to harm us, we would all be dead. We should return from here to Śrāvastī." At that time, the brahmin Ambariṣa came forward and addressed the king, saying, "Great King, do not fear. These Śākyas all maintain the precepts together; they do not harm even insects, let alone human beings! Now you should advance; you will surely destroy the Śākyas." Then King Virūḍhaka gradually advanced toward those Śākyas. The Śākyas retreated into the city. King Virūḍhaka stood outside the city and called out to them, "Open the city gates quickly! If you do not, I will kill you all!" At that time, in the city of Kapilavastu, there was a Śākya youth approaching fifteen years of age named Śama. Hearing that King Virūḍhaka was now outside the gate, he put on armor, took up weapons, went up onto the city wall, and fought alone against King Virūḍhaka. At that time, the youth Śama killed many people, so that they scattered in all directions, saying, "Who is this person? Is he a deva? Is he a ghost or spirit? Viewed from afar, he looks like a small child!" King Virūḍhaka was terrified, and immediately went into a hole in the ground to avoid him.

2.18.2

At that time, when the Śākyas heard that the army of King Virūḍhaka had been routed, the Śākyas immediately summoned the youth Śama and said to him: "Young boy, why have you brought disgrace upon our clan? Do you not know that the Śākyas practice the good Dharma? We cannot even kill insects, how much less human lives! We too could rout this army, for one man could stand against ten thousand. Yet we also reflect: killing human lives leads to falling into hell after death, and if born among humans, one's lifespan is extremely short. Leave! You must not remain here." Thereupon the youth Śama departed the country. At that time, King Virūḍhaka arrived at the gate again, [demanding]: "Open the city gates quickly, without delay!" At that time, the Śākyas said among themselves: "Should we open the gates for him, or should we not?" Then the wicked Māra Pāpīmān transformed into the shape of a Śākya and said to the Śākyas: "Open the city gates quickly, and do not all suffer hardship together!" Thereupon the Śākyas opened the city gates. King Virūḍhaka then said to his ministers: "The people of this Śākya host are exceedingly numerous, not such that can all be slain by knives and swords. Take them all and bury their feet in the ground, and then have fierce elephants trample them to death." At that time, the ministers received the king's order and had elephants trample them to death. Then King Virūḍhaka ordered his ministers: "Quickly select five hundred Śākya women with fine faces and hands." At that time, the ministers received the king's order, selected five hundred shapely women, and brought them before the king. At that time, Mahānāma the Śākya went to King Virūḍhaka and spoke thus: "You must grant my wish." King Virūḍhaka asked: "What wish do you desire?" Mahānāma said: "I shall now sink beneath the water; during the time, long or short, that I remain submerged, let all the Śākyas flee. If I emerge from the water, you may kill them at will." King Virūḍhaka said: "This is very fine." Thereupon Mahānāma the Śākya plunged to the bottom of the water, tied his hair to a tree root, and ended his life. At that time, the Śākyas in the city fled out the east gate and re-entered through the west gate; they fled out the south gate and returned through the north gate. Then King Virūḍhaka said to his ministers: "Why has my grandfather Mahānāma remained concealed in the water and not yet come out?" At that time, the ministers heard the king's command, went into the water, and brought him out; Mahānāma had already ended his life. When King Virūḍhaka saw that Mahānāma had ended his life, he felt remorse: "My grandfather has now ended his life, all because he loved his kinsmen. Had I known this, I would never have come to attack these Śākyas." Then King Virūḍhaka slaughtered ninety-nine million nine hundred thousand people, such that blood flowed into a river. He burned the city of Kapilavastu and went to the Nyagrodha grove. King Virūḍhaka then said to the five hundred Śākya women: "Do not grieve or worry! I am your husband and you are my wives; we shall surely unite." King Virūḍhaka then seized one Śākya woman, intending to molest her. The woman said: "Great King, what do you wish to do?" The king replied: "I wish to unite intimately with you." The woman said: "Why should I unite intimately with the offspring of a slave?" At this, King Virūḍhaka was greatly enraged and ordered his ministers: "Take this woman at once, cut off her hands and feet, and throw her into a deep pit!" The ministers received the order, cut off her hands and feet, and cast her into the pit. All five hundred women likewise cursed the king, saying: "Who would give this body to have sexual union with the offspring of a slave?" In his wrath, the king took all five hundred Śākya women, cut off their hands and feet, and threw them into a deep pit. Having destroyed Kapilavastu, King Virūḍhaka returned to Śrāvastī. At that time, Prince Jeta was deep within the palace, making merry with singing-girls. The king heard the sounds of music and ordered his driver: "Turn this elephant and proceed to the prince's quarters." At that time, the gatekeeper saw the king coming from afar and said to the king: "Walk slowly, O King! Prince Jeta is now amusing himself in the palace; do not disturb him." Thereupon King Virūḍhaka drew his sword immediately, seized the gatekeeper, and killed him. Prince Jeta, hearing that King Virūḍhaka was outside the gate, came out to meet the king: "Welcome, Great King!" [The king] said: "Did you not know that I was fighting with the Śākyas?" Jeta replied: "I heard of it." King Virūḍhaka said: "Why did you make merry with singing-girls and not assist me?" Jeta replied: "I cannot bear to kill sentient beings." At this, King Virūḍhaka was exceedingly enraged; he again drew his sword and struck Jeta dead. At that time, the World-Honoured One, viewing Prince Jeta with the divine eye, saw that he had ended his life and was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. Meanwhile, the five hundred Śākya women took refuge and called upon the name of the Tathāgata: "The Tathāgata went forth and practiced the path here, and subsequently attained Buddhahood. Now that we suffer this bitter agony, why does the World-Honoured One not remember us?" At that time, the World-Honoured One, hearing with the clear purity of the divine ear the Śākya women crying out their grievances to the Buddha, led the bhikṣus and proceeded to Kapilavastu. When the five hundred Śākya women saw the World-Honoured One leading the bhikṣus coming from afar, they all felt shame. At that time, Śakra Devānām Indra and King Vaiśravaṇa were behind the World-Honoured One. Turning, he said to Śakra Devānām Indra: "These Śākya women all feel shame." Śakra Devānām Indra immediately covered these women with heavenly garments. Then the World-Honoured One said to King Vaiśravaṇa: "These women have been hungry and thirsty for a long time." King Vaiśravaṇa at once provided spontaneous heavenly food, fully satisfying all the Śākya women. The World-Honoured One gradually expounded the subtle and wondrous Dharma to the women, explaining suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path. Thereupon, with all defilements exhausted, the women attained the pure Dharma-eye; each ended her life right where she was and all were reborn in heaven. Then the World-Honoured One went to the east gate of the city and saw that smoke and fire blazed fiercely within the city. The World-Honoured One then went and sat in the Nyagrodha grove, and said to the bhikṣus: "Formerly, I expounded the Dharma to the bhikṣus here; now it is an empty ruin without people. From now on, the Tathāgata will never come here again." Rising from his seat, he went to the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada's park in Śrāvastī, and said to the bhikṣus: "Seven days from now, King Virūḍhaka and this army of his will all be destroyed." When King Virūḍhaka heard the World-Honoured One's prediction, he was terrified and said to his ministers: "The Tathāgata has now predicted that seven days from now, I and my army will all perish. Look outside our borders to see if there are any bandits, floods, fires, or disasters coming to invade the kingdom."

2.18.3

Why is this? The words of the Buddha, the Tathāgata, are never dual.' At that time, the māṇava Hāku said to the king: 'Great King, do not be afraid. At present there is neither adversity nor disaster beyond our borders. Today, Great King, make merry and enjoy yourself!' King Virūḍhaka said: 'Māṇava, you should know that the words of the Buddha are unerring.' At that time, King Virūḍhaka had people count the days. When the seventh day arrived, the king was overjoyed, leaping with irrepressible delight. Taking his troops and court maidens, he went to the bank of the Aciravatī River to make merry. Right at that place, there was a sudden great crash of thunder, unseasonable clouds arose, and a violent wind and torrential rain fell. Then King Virūḍhaka and his troops were all swept away by the water and destroyed. When their bodies broke up and their lives ended, they fell into the Avīci Hell. Furthermore, a heavenly fire burned down the palace within the city. At that time, the World-Honoured One, viewing with his divine eye, saw that King Virūḍhaka and his fourfold army had all ended their lives and fallen into hell. At that time, the bhikṣus said to the World-Honoured One: 'King Virūḍhaka and his fourfold army have now ended their lives; where have they been reborn?' The World-Honoured One told them: 'King Virūḍhaka has now entered into the Avīci Hell.' The bhikṣus said: 'What cause and condition did these Śākyas create in the past that they have now been slain by King Virūḍhaka?' At that time, the World-Honoured One told the bhikṣus: 'In the past, there was a fishing village in this city of Rājagṛha. At that time, there was a famine in the world, and people ate grass roots; one dou of gold traded for one dou of rice. In that village there was a large pond, which also abounded with fish. At that time, the people of the city of Rājagṛha went to the pond to catch fish and eat them. At that very time, there were two kinds of fish in the water: one was named Gou-suo ('Hook-Chain') and the other was named Duo-she ('Many-Tongues'). Then the two fish said to each other: "We have never committed any offense against these people. We are water-dwelling creatures and do not live on dry land, yet these people have all come to eat us. If in a future life we have a little merit, we shall take revenge!" At that time, there was a young boy in the village, nearly eight years old, who did not catch fish nor harm life; yet seeing the fish caught and placed on the bank, the boy looked at them and felt great delight. Bhikṣus, you should know: were the people of the city of Rājagṛha at that time different people? They are the present Śākyas. The fish named Gou-suo at that time was King Virūḍhaka today. The fish named Liang-she ('Double-Tongued') was the māṇava Hāku today. The young boy who saw the fish and laughed was myself today. At that time, because the Śākyas took the fish and ate them, they suffered the torments of hell for countless kalpas, and now they have received this retribution. Because I looked on and laughed at the time, I now suffer a headache as if pressed by a stone, like carrying Mount Sumeru upon my head. Why is this so? The Tathāgata receives bodily form no more, having already abandoned all conditioned actions and crossed beyond all perils. Thus, bhikṣus, it was due to these causes and conditions that they have now received this retribution.' (The Sūtra on the Śākyas Expiating Their Guilt is broadly similar with slight differences. It says: King Virūḍhaka destroyed the Śākyas, turned his army around, and disbanded his troops. He sent an envoy to pay respects to the Buddha. The Buddha looked at the envoy and answered: 'The king shall receive it himself.' Ānanda adjusted his robes, bowed his head, and said: 'The Buddha does not look without reason; there must surely be a cause.' The One of All Blessings said: 'The Śākyas' guilt has ended. Henceforth retribution shall arise; after seven days, the ghosts and spirits of Mount Tai will press upon the king and his subjects with fire. The king's guilt will be hard to remedy, just as the Śākyas' calamity was hard to avert.' The king walked along the lakeside and his troops entered the water to bathe. Spirits transformed into poisonous insects and stung his troops; the poison coursed through their bodies, and some died in the water, while others died within a hundred paces or a li, nearly half of them. Entering the country, ominous spirits gathered in clouds within the palace. At night, creatures cried out and congregated in the palace, lying in wait for one another. The sun and moon suffered eclipses, and the constellations lost their regular courses; strange portents occurred from beginning to end. Hearing the Buddha's admonition and seeing the strange disasters, the king felt as if scalded by boiling water inside; he assembled his ministers to deliberate. Some said to flee to the mountains, while others said to take to the rivers. The king then boarded a boat and entered the sea. The strong and wealthy were able to follow, while the poor and weak remained in the country. The women of the king's inner palace took off their clothes and removed a burning lens, placing it on the boat. On that day, clouds arose, the ropes snapped, and the boat drifted. The ministers and people all said: 'The wicked king's cruel deeds have brought about this calamity!' Toward midday, the sun came out and scorched the burning lens, which produced fire and began to burn the king's boat. Falling into the water, he immediately sank; thunder crashed and lightning struck, and he straightway entered the Hell of Mount Tai. Those who remained on the shore were slightly frightened but safe. The Dharmapada Avadāna Sūtra says: The Buddha's disciple named Maudgalyāyana, seeing King Virūḍhaka invade the Śākya kingdom to repay a past grudge and that he was to kill the four groups of disciples, took pity on them. He went to where the Buddha was and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'Now King Virūḍhaka is attacking the Śākya kingdom. I wish by three expedient means to save the Śākya kingdom: first, by raising the Śākya kingdom and placing it in empty space; second, by raising the people of the Śākya kingdom and placing them between the two Iron Enclosing Mountains; third, by raising the people of the Śākya kingdom and placing them in the center of a great country in another realm, so that King Virūḍhaka will not know where they are.' The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'Although I know you have wisdom and virtue and can settle the people of the Śākya kingdom in peace, sentient beings have seven things they cannot avoid. What are the seven? First is birth; second is old age; third is sickness; fourth is death; fifth is demerit; sixth is merit; seventh is cause and condition. Even if the mind wishes to avoid these seven things, one cannot do so at will. Although with your spiritual power you could do this, the debt of past retribution cannot be avoided.' Thereupon Maudgalyāyana paid homage and departed. Still unable to resign himself, he took four thousand five hundred acquaintances and dānapatis of the Śākya kingdom, placed them in his alms-bowl, and raised it into empty space amidst the stars. King Virūḍhaka invaded the Śākya kingdom, and after killing three hundred million people, he led his army back to his country. Thereupon Maudgalyāyana went to where the Buddha was, paid homage to the Buddha, and proudly said: 'Virūḍhaka invaded the Śākya kingdom; relying on the Buddha's spiritual power, your disciple saved four or five thousand people of the Śākya kingdom. Now they are in empty space, and all have completely escaped.' The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'Have you gone to look at the people in the bowl or not?' He answered: 'I have not yet gone to look at them.' The Buddha said: 'You go first to look at the people in the bowl and come back.' Maudgalyāyana lowered the bowl with his spiritual power, and saw that the people in the bowl were all dead. Thereupon Maudgalyāyana was despondent and wept sorrowfully. Returning, he said to the Buddha: 'The people in the bowl are now all completely dead.' The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'When karma ripens, the retribution must be endured; it cannot be avoided.' Countless people in the assembly, hearing the Buddha preach the teaching of impermanence, joyfully attained the Path and realized the fruit of the srotaāpanna.)

Linked texts (1)

釋迦譜 — 僧祐, Classical Chinese