大唐西域記 3.44

3.44

新城東南十餘里，故城北，大山陽，有僧伽藍，僧徒三百餘人。其窣堵波中有佛牙，長可寸半，其色黃白，或至齋日時放光明。昔訖利多種之滅佛法也，僧徒解散，各隨利居。有一沙門，遊諸印度，觀禮聖迹，申其至誠。後聞本國平定，即事歸途，遇諸群象，橫行草澤，奔馳震吼。沙門見已，昇樹以避。是時群象相趨奔赴，競吸池水，浸漬樹根，互共排掘，樹遂蹎仆。既得沙門，負載而行，至大林中，有病象瘡痛而臥，引此僧手，至所苦處，乃枯竹所刺也。沙門於是拔竹傅藥，裂其裳，裹其足。別有大象，持金函授與病象，象既得已，轉授沙門，沙門開函，乃佛牙也。諸象圍繞，僧出無由。明日齋時，各持異果，以為中饌。食已，載僧出林，數百里外，方乃下之，各跪拜而去。沙門至國西界，渡一駛河，濟乎中流，船將覆沒。同舟之人互相謂曰：「今此船覆，禍是沙門；必有如來舍利，諸龍利之。」船主檢驗，果得佛牙。時沙門舉佛牙俯謂龍曰：「吾今寄汝，不久來取。」遂不渡河，迴船而去，顧河歎曰：「吾無禁術，龍畜所欺！」重往印度，學禁龍法。三歲之後，復還本國，至河之濱，方設壇場，其龍於是捧佛牙函以授沙門。沙門持歸，於此伽藍，而修供養。

on religious days it emits a bright light. In old days the Kṛitiya race having destroyed the law of Buddha, the priests being dispersed, each one selected his own place of abode. On this occasion one Śramaṇa, wandering throughout the Indies to visit and worship the relics of Buddha (traces of the Holy One) and to exhibit his sincere faith, after a while came to hear that his native country was pacified and settled. Forthwith he set out on his return, and on his way he met with a herd of elephants rushing athwart his path through the jungle and raising a trumpeting tumult. The Śramaṇa having seen them, climbed up a tree to get out of their way; then the herd of elephants rushed down to drink at a pool and to cleanse themselves with the water; then surrounding the tree, they tore its roots, and by force dragged it to the ground. Having got the Śramaṇa, they put him on the back of one, and hurried off to the middle of a great forest, where was a sick elephant wounded (swollen with a sore), and lying on the ground at rest. Taking the hand of the priest, it directed it to the place of the hurt, where a rotten (broken) piece of bamboo had penetrated. The Sramana thereupon drew out the splinter and applied some medicinal herbs, and tore up his garment to bind the foot with it. Another elephant taking a gold casket, brought it to the sick elephant, who having received it gave it forthwith to the Sramana. The Sramana opening it, found in the inside Buddha's tooth.

Then all the elephants surrounding him, he knew not how to get away. On the morrow, being a fast-day, each elephant brought him some fruit for his mid-day meal. Having finished eating, they carried the priest out of the forest a long way (some hundred li), and then they set him down, and, after salutation paid, they each retired. The Sramana coming to the western borders of the country, crossed a rapid river ; whilst so doing the boat was nearly overwhelmed, when the men, consulting together, said, "The calamity that threatens the boat is owing to the Sramana ; he must be carrying some relics of Buddha, and the dragons have coveted them." The master of the ship having examined (his goods), found the tooth of Buddha. Then the Sramana, raising up the relic, bowed his head, and called to the Nagas and said, "I now intrust this to your care ; not long hence I will come again and take it." Then declining to cross the river, he returned to the bank and departed. Turning to the river he sighed and said, "Not knowing how to restrain these creatures has been the cause of my calamity." Then going back to India, he studied the rules of restraining dragons, and after three years he returned towards his native country, and having come to the river-side he built and appo;: Then the Nagas brought the casket of Buddha's tooth and gave it to the Sram the Sramana took it and 1 ; L to this sa« and henceforth worshipped it.

Then the king of Himatala, flinging off his cap, proceeded towards the throne; the king of the Kritiyas, terrified, was at a loss what to do. Having cut off the king's head, (the king of Himatala) said to the officers standing below, "I am the king of Himatala, belonging to Tukhara. I was grieved because this low-caste ruler practised such outrages; therefore I have to-day punished his crimes; but as for the people, there is no fault to be found with them." Having banished the ministers in charge of the government to other states and pacified this country, he commanded the priests to return, and built a sangharama, and there settled them as in old time. Then he left the kingdom by the western gate (pass), and when outside he bowed down with his face to the east, and gave in charity to the priesthood (the kingdom). As for the Kritiyas, as they had more than once been put down by the priests and their religion overturned, in lapse of time their enmity had increased so that they hated the law of Buddha. After some they came again into power. This is the reason why at the present time this kingdom is not much given to the faith and the temples of the heretics are their sole thought. About 10 li to the south-east of the new city and to the north of the old city, and on the south of a great mountain, is a sanghārāma with about 300 priests in it. In the stūpa (attached to the convent) is a tooth of Buddha in length about an inch and a half, of a yellowish-white colour;