釋迦譜 2.18.1

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.