大唐西域記 11.4

11.4

僧伽羅國，周七千餘里。國大都城周四十餘里。土地沃壤，氣序溫暑，稼穡時播，花果具繁。人戶殷盛，家產富饒。其形卑黑，其性獷烈。好學尚德，崇善勤福。此國本寶渚也，多有珍寶，棲止鬼神。其後南印度有一國王，女娉隣國，吉日送歸，路逢師子，侍衛之徒棄女逃難，女居輿中，心甘喪命。時師子王負女而去，入深山，處幽谷，捕鹿採菓，以時資給，既積歲月，遂孕男女，形貌同人，性種畜也。男漸長大，力格猛獸。年方弱冠，人智斯發，謂其母曰：「我何謂乎？父則野獸，母乃是人，既非族類，如何配偶？」母乃述昔事以告其子，曰：「人畜殊途，宜速逃逝。」母曰：「我先已逃，不能自濟。」其子於後逐師子父，登山踰嶺，察其遊止，可以逃難。伺父去已，遂擔負母妹，下趨人里。母曰：「宜各慎密，勿說事源，人或知聞，輕鄙我等。」於是至父本國，國非家族，宗祀已滅。投寄邑人，人謂之曰：「爾曹何國人也？」曰：「我本此國，流離異域，子母相携，來歸故里。」人皆哀愍，更共資給。其師子王還無所見，追戀男女，憤恚既發，便出山谷，往來村邑，咆哮震吼，暴害人物，殘毒生類，邑人輒出，遂取而殺。擊鼓吹貝，負弩持矛，群從成旅，然後免害。其王懼仁化之不洽也，乃縱獵者，期於擒獲。王躬率四兵，眾以萬計，掩薄林藪，彌跨山谷。師子震吼，人畜僻易。既不擒獲，尋復招募，其有擒執師子除國患者，當酬重賞，式旌茂績。其子聞王之令，乃謂母曰：「飢寒已甚，宜可應募，或有所得，以相撫育。」母曰：「言不可若是！彼雖畜也，猶謂父焉，豈以艱辛，而興逆害？」子曰：「人畜異類，禮義安在？既以違阻，此心何冀？」乃袖小刀，出應招募。是時千眾萬騎，雲屯霧合，師子踞在林中，人莫敢近。子即其前，父遂馴伏，於是乎親愛忘怒，乃剚刃於腹中，尚懷慈愛，猶無忿毒，乃至刳腹，含苦而死。王曰：「斯何人哉，若此之異也？」誘之以福利，震之以威禍，然後具陳始末，備述情事。王曰：「逆哉！父而尚害，況非親乎？畜種難馴，兇情易動。除民之害，其功大矣；斷父之命，其心逆矣。重賞以酬其功，遠放以誅其逆。則國典不虧，王言不二。」於是裝二大船，多儲糧糗。母留在國，周給賞功，子女各從一舟，隨波飄蕩。其男船泛海至此寶渚，見豐珍玉，便於中止。其後商人採寶，復至渚中，乃殺其商主，留其子女。如是繁息，子孫眾多，遂立君臣，以位上下，建都築邑，據有疆域，以其先祖擒執師子，因舉元功，而為國號。其女船者，泛至波剌斯西，神鬼所魅，產育群女，故今西大女國是也。故師子國人形貌卑黑，方頤大顙，情性獷烈，安忍鴆毒，斯亦猛獸遺種，故其人多勇健。斯一說也。

THE kingdom of Simhala is about 7000 li in circuit; the capital is about 40 li round. The soil is rich and fertile; the climate is hot; the ground is regularly cultivated; flowers and fruits are produced in abundance. The population is numerous; their family possessions are rich in revenues. The stature of the men is small. They are black complexioned and fierce by nature. They love learning and esteem virtue. They greatly honour religious excellence, and labour in the acquisition of religious merit. This country was originally (called) Pao-chu (Ratnadvipa), because of the precious gems found there. It was occupied by evil spirits. After this there was a king of a country of Southern India, whose daughter was affianced in a neighbouring country. On a fortunate day, having paid a complimentary visit, she was returning when a lion met her on the way. The servants of the guard left her and fled from the danger. Resting alone in her car, her heart was resigned to death. At this time the lion king, taking the woman on his back, went away and entered a lone valley in the deep mountains. He caught the deer and gathered the fruits according to their season, with which to nourish her. In the course of time she brought into the world a boy and a girl. In form and features they resembled human beings, but in disposition they were like the beast tribes.

The youth gradually grew up, and was possessed of great bodily strength, so that he could subdue the wildest beasts. When he came to man's estate, the wisdom of his manhood also came, and he asked his mother, saying, "What am I to be called? My father is a savage beast, and my mother is a human creature. But as you differ in kind, how can you have lived together?" Then the mother related the old story, and told it to her son. Her son, replying, said, "Men and beasts are of different kinds. We ought to hasten away from this." The mother replied, "I should have fled long ago, but I cannot help myself." Then the son from that time forth stopped at home whenever his father, the lion, roamed forth through the mountain passes, with a view to escape the difficult (position in which they were placed). And now on a certain occasion, his father having gone forth, he proceeded to carry away his mother and sister to a village inhabited by men. The mother then said, "You ought, both of you, to keep this matter secret, and say nothing about the first transaction, for if people were to come to hear of it, they would lightly esteem us."

On this she returned to her father's country, but it no longer belonged to her family, and the sacrifices of her ancestors had all died out. Having taken refuge in the town, all the men addressed her, saying, "From what kingdom do you come?" She said, "I belong to this country. Having wandered through strange places, we have come back, mother and son together (to our home)." Then the village people were moved with pity, and provided them with necessary food. And now the lion king returning to his place, saw no one there. Thinking with affection of his son and daughter, he was moved with rage, and went away through the mountains and valleys, and roamed through the towns and villages, roaring frightfully and destroying the people, slaughtering and mangling every living thing. The town-folk went forth, therefore, to pursue and capture him, in order to kill him. They beat the drums, sounded the conch, and with their bows and spears formed a large company ; but yet they lagged behind (delayed) in order to escape danger. Then the king, fearing that their courage was little, organised a band of hunters to capture the lion. He himself went with an army consisting of the four kinds of troops, amounting to tens of thousands, and beat through the woods and jungle, and traversed the mountains and valleys (in search of their prey). The lion raising his terrible roar, men and beasts flee in consternation.

Not being captured in the hunt, the king again made a proclamation, and promised that whoever captured the lion and freed the country from the affliction should be largely rewarded and his reputation widely published. The son, hearing the royal decree, spake to his mother and said, "We have suffered much from hunger and cold. I certainly will answer to the appeal. Perhaps we may thus get enough to support us." The mother said, "You ought not to think of it ; for though he is a beast, yet he is still your father. What though we be wretched through want ? this is no reason why you should encourage a wicked and murderous thought." The son said, "Men and beasts are of a different kind. What room is there for the question of propriety in such a matter as this ? Why should such a thought interfere with my plan ?" So seizing a knife and concealing it in his sleeve, he went forth to answer to the appeal. On this a thousand people and ten thousand horsemen assembled in crowds (like the clouds and vapour). The lion lay hid in the forest, and no one dared to approach him. On this the son forthwith advanced to him, and the father, tame and crouching, forgot in his sense of loving affection all his previous hate. Then he (the son) plunged the knife into the middle of his bowels, but he still exhibited the same love and tenderness, and was free from all anger or revengeful feeling even when his belly was ripped up, and he died in agony.

The king then said, "Who is this man who has done such a wonderful deed?" Allured by promises of reward on the one hand, and alarmed by fear of punishment on the other, if he kept back anything, he at last revealed the whole from beginning to end, and told the touching story without reserve. The king said, "Thou wretch! if thou wouldest kill thy father, how much more those not related to thee! Your deserts indeed are great for delivering my people from the savage cruelty of a beast whose (passions) it is difficult to assuage, and whose hateful tempers are easily aroused; but to kill your own father, this is a rebellious (unnatural) disposition. I will reward your good deed largely, but you shall be banished from the country as the punishment of your crime. Thus the laws will not be infringed and the king's words not violated." On this he prepared two large ships (boats) in which he stored much provision (cured rice or other grain). The mother he detained in the kingdom, and provided her with all necessary things as the reward of the service done. The son and daughter each were placed in a separate boat, and abandoned to the chance of the waves and the wind. The boat in which the son was embarked, driven over the sea, came to this Ratnadvīpa. Seeing it abounded in precious gems, he took up his abode here.

Afterwards merchants seeking for gems frequently came to the island. He then killed the merchant chief and detained his children. Thus he extended his race. His sons and grandsons becoming numerous, they proceeded to elect a king and ministers and to divide the people into classes. They then built a city and erected towns, and seized on the territory by force ; and because their original founder got his name by catching a lion, they called the country (after his name) Simhala. The boat in which the girl was embarked was driven over the sea till it reached Persia (Po-la-sse), the abode of the western demons, who by intercourse with her engendered a clan of women-children, and therefore the country is now called the Country of the Western Women ; — this is the reason. The men of the Simha kingdom are small in stature and black-complexioned ; they have square chins and high foreheads ; they are naturally fierce and impetuous, and cruelly savage without hesitation. This is from their inherited disposition as descended from a beast ; but another version of the story is that they are very brave and courageous.