大唐西域記 7.40

7.40

告涅槃期側不遠有窣堵波，千子見父母處也。昔有仙人，隱居巖谷，仲春之月，鼓濯清流，麀鹿隨飲，感生女子，姿貌過人，唯脚似鹿，仙人見已，收而養焉。其後命令求火，至餘仙廬，足所履地，迹有蓮華。彼仙見已，深以奇之，令其繞廬，方乃得火。鹿女依命，得火而還。時梵豫王畋遊見華，尋迹以求，悅其奇怪，同載而返。相師占言，當生千子。餘婦聞之，莫不圖計。日月既滿，生一蓮花，花有千葉，葉坐一子。餘婦誣罔，咸稱不祥，投殑伽河，隨波泛濫。烏耆延王下流遊觀，見黃雲蓋乘波而來，取以開視，乃有千子，乳養成立，有大力焉。恃有千子，拓境四方，兵威乘勝，將次此國。時梵豫王聞之，甚懷震懼，兵力不敵，計無所出矣。是時鹿女心知其子，乃謂王曰：「今寇戎臨境，上下離心，賤妾愚忠，能敗強敵。」王未之信也，憂懼良深。鹿女乃昇城樓，以待寇至。千子將兵，圍城已匝，鹿女告曰：「莫為逆事！我是汝母，汝是我子。」千子謂曰：「何言之謬？」鹿女手按兩乳，流注千岐，天性所感，咸入其口。於是解甲歸宗，釋兵返族，兩國交歡，百姓安樂。

The other Rishi having seen this, was very much surprised, and bade her walk round his hut and he would give her some fire. Having done so and got the fire, she returned. At this time Fan-yu-wang (Brahmadatta-raja) going out on a short excursion, saw the lotus-flower traces, and followed them to seek (the cause). Admiring her strange and wonderful appearance, he took her back in his carriage. The soothsayers casting her fortune said, "She will bear a thousand sons." Hearing this, the other women did nothing but scheme against her. Her time having been accomplished, she brought forth a lotus-flower of a thousand leaves, and on each leaf was seated a boy. The other women slandered her on its account, and saying it was "an unlucky omen," threw (the lotus) into the Ganges, and it was carried away by the current. The king of Ujjayana (U-shi-yen), down the stream going out for an excursion, observed a yellow-cloud-covered box floating on the water and coming towards him. He took it and opened it, and there saw a thousand boys; being well nourished, when they came to perfect stature, they were of great strength. Relying on these, he extended his kingdom in every direction, and encouraged by the victories of his troops, he was on the point of extending his conquests to this country (i.e., Vaisali). Brahmadatta-raja hearing of it, was much alarmed; fearing his army was not able to contend successfully with the invaders, he was at a loss what to do.

Meantime Ananda in the wood suddenly had a strange dream, and coming to Buddha he told it to him, saying, "I was in the wood, when I beheld in my dream a large tree, whose branches and leaves in their luxuriance cast a grateful shade beneath, when suddenly a mighty wind arose which destroyed and scattered the tree and its branches without leaving a mark behind. Oh, forbid it that the lord is going to die! My heart is sad and worn, therefore I have come to ask you if it be so or not?" Buddha answered Ananda, "I asked you before, and Mara so fascinated you that you did not then ask me to remain in the world. Mara-raja has urged me to die soon, and I have covenanted to do so, and fixed the time. This is the meaning of your dream." Not far from this spot is a stupa. This is the spot where the thousand sons beheld their father and their mother. Formerly there was a Rishi who lived a secret life amid the crags and valleys. In the second month of spring he had been bathing himself in a pure stream of water. A roe-deer which came to drink there just after, conceived and brought forth a female child, very beautiful beyond human measure, but she had the feet of a deer. The Rishi having seen it, adopted and cherished it (as his child). As time went on, on one occasion he ordered her to go and seek some fire. In so doing she came to the hut of another Rishi; but wherever her feet trod there she left the impression of a lotus-flower on the ground.

At this time the deer-footed girl, knowing in her heart that these were her sons, addressed the king thus: "Now that these youthful warriors are approaching the frontier, from the highest to the lowest there is an absence of courage (heart). Your feeble wife by her thought is able to conquer those redoubtable champions." The king not yet believing her, remained overwhelmed with fear. Then the deer-girl, mounting the city wall, waited the arrival of the warriors. The thousand youths having surrounded the city with their soldiers, the deer-girl said to them, "Do not be rebellious! I am your mother; you are my sons." The thousand youths replied, "What extravagant words are these!" The deer-girl then pressing both her breasts, a thousand jets of milk flowed out therefrom, and by divine direction fell into their mouths. Then they laid aside their armour, broke their ranks, and returned to their tribe and family. The two countries mutually rejoiced, and the people rested in peace. Not far from this spot is a stupa. This is where Tathagata walked for exercise, and left the traces thereof. In teaching (or, pointing to the traces) he addressed the congregation thus: "In ancient days, in this place, I returned to my family on seeing my mother. If you would know then, those thousand youths are the same as the thousand Buddhas of this Bhadra-kalpa."