大唐西域記 4.8

4.8

大族王弟還國自立，大族失位，藏竄山野，北投迦濕彌羅國。迦濕彌羅王深加禮命，愍以失國，封以土邑。歲月既淹，率其邑人，矯殺迦濕彌羅王而自尊立。乘其戰勝之威，西討健馱邏國，潛兵伏甲，遂殺其王，國族大臣，誅鋤殄滅。毀窣堵波，廢僧伽藍，凡一千六百所。兵殺之外，餘有九億人，皆欲誅戮，無遺噍類。時諸輔佐咸進諫曰：「大王威懾強敵，兵不交鋒，誅其首惡。黎庶何咎？願以微躬，代所應死。」王曰：「汝信佛法，崇重冥福，擬成佛果，廣說本生，欲傳我惡於未來世乎？汝宜復位，勿有再辭。」於是以三億上族，臨信度河流殺之；三億中族，下沈信度河流殺之；三億下族，分賜兵士，於是持其亡國之貨，振旅而歸。曾未改歲，尋即徂落。于時，雲霧冥晦，大地震動，暴風奮發。時證果人愍而歎曰：「枉殺無辜，毀滅佛法，墮無間獄，流轉未已。」

Mahirakula-rāja's brother having gone back, established himself in the kingdom. Mahirakula having lost his royal estate, concealed himself in the isles and deserts, and going northwards to Kaśmīr, he sought there an asylum. The king of Kaśmīr received him with honour, and moved with pity for his loss, gave him a small territory and a town to govern. After some years he stirred up the people of the town to rebellion, and killed the king of Kaśmīr and placed himself on the throne. Profiting by this victory and the renown it got him, he went to the west, plotting against the kingdom of Gandhāra. He set some soldiers in ambush and took and killed the king. He exterminated the royal family and the chief minister, overthrew the stūpas, destroyed the saṅghārāmas, altogether one thousand six hundred foundations. Besides those whom his soldiers had killed there were nine hundred thousand whom he was about to destroy without leaving one. At this time all the ministers addressed him and said, "Great king! your prowess has gained a great victory, and our soldiers are no longer engaged in conflict. Now that you have punished the chief, why would you charge the poor people with fault? Let us, insignificant as we are, die in their stead."

The king said, "You believe in the law of Buddha and greatly reverence the mysterious law of merit. Your aim is to arrive at the condition of Buddha, and then you will declare fully, under the form of Jātakas, my evil deeds." deeds, for the good of future generations. Now go back to your estates, and say no more on the subject." Then he slew three ten myriads of people of the first rank by the side of the Sin-tu river; the same number of the middle rank he drowned in the river, and the same number of the third rank he divided among his soldiers (as slaves). Then he took the wealth of the country he had destroyed, assembled his troops, and returned. But before the year was out he died. At the time of his death there was thunder and hail and a thick darkness; the earth shook and a mighty tempest raged. Then the holy saints said in pity, "For having killed countless victims and overthrown the law of Buddha, he has now fallen into the lowest hell, where he shall pass endless ages of revolution." In the old town of Śâkala (She-ki-lo) is a sanghârâma with about 100 priests, who study the Little Vehicle. In old days Vasubandhu (Shi-t'sin) Bodhisattva composed in this place the treatise called Shing-i-tai (Paramârthasatya Śâstra). By the side of the convent is a stûpa about 200 feet high; on this spot the four former Buddhas preached the law, and here again are the traces of their walking to and fro (king-king).