大唐西域記 8.8

8.8

初，無憂王嗣位之後，舉措苛暴，乃立地獄，作害生靈。周垣峻峙，隅樓特起，猛焰洪鑪，銛鋒利刃，備諸苦具，擬像幽塗，招募凶人，立為獄主。初以國中犯法罪人，無挍輕重，總入塗炭。後以行經獄次，擒以誅戮，至者皆死，遂滅口焉。時有沙門，初入法眾，巡里乞食，遇至獄門，獄吏凶人擒欲殘害。沙門惶怖，請得禮懺。俄見一人，縛來入獄，斬截手足，磔裂形骸，俯仰之間，支體糜散。沙門見已，深增悲悼，成無常觀，證無學果。獄卒曰：「可以死矣。」沙門既證聖果，心夷生死，雖入鑊湯，若在清池，有大蓮花而為之座。獄主驚駭，馳使白王，王遂躬觀，深讚靈祐。獄主曰：「大王當死。」王曰：「何。」對曰：「王先垂命，令監刑獄，凡至獄垣皆從殺害，不云王入而獨免死。」王曰：「法已一定，理無再變。我先垂令，豈除汝身？汝久濫生，我之咎也。」即命獄卒，投之洪鑪。獄主既死，王乃得出，於是頹牆堙塹，廢獄寬刑。

At this time a Śramana, just entered the religious order, was passing through the suburbs begging food, when he came to hell-gate. The impious keeper of the place laid hold upon him to destroy him. The Śramana, filled with fear, asked for a respite to perform an act of worship and confession. Just then he saw a man bound with cords enter the prison. In a moment they cut off his hands and feet, and pounded his body in a mortar, till all the members of his body were mashed up together in confusion. The Śramana having witnessed this, deeply moved with pity, arrived at the conviction of the impermanence (anitya) of all earthly things, and reached the fruit of "exemption from learning" (Arhatship). Then the infernal lictor said, "Now you must die." The Sramana having become an Arhat, was freed in heart from the power of birth and death, and so, though cast into a boiling caldron, it was to him as a cool lake, and on its surface there appeared a lotus flower, whereon he took his seat. The infernal lictor, terrified thereat, hastened to send a messenger to the king to tell him of the circumstance. The king having himself come and beheld the sight, raised his voice in loud praise of the miracle. The keeper, addressing the king, said, "Maharaja, you too must die." "And why so?" said the king. "Because of your former decree with respect to the infliction of death, that all who came to the walls of the hell should be killed; it was not said that the king might enter and escape death."

To the north of the old palace of the king is a stone pillar several tens of feet high; this is the place where Asôka (Wu-yau) râja made "a hell." In the hundredth year after the Nirvâna of Tathâgata, there was a king called Asôka ('O-shu-kia), who was the great-grandson of Bimbisâra-râja. He changed his capital from Râjagriha to Pâtali (pura), and built an outside rampart to surround the old city. Since then many generations have passed, and now there only remain the old foundation walls (of the city). The sanghārāmas, Deva temples, and stūpas which lie in ruins may be counted by hundreds. There are only two or three remaining (entire). To the north of the old palace, and bordering on the Ganges river, there is a little town which contains about 1000 houses. At first when Aśōka (Wu-yau) rāja ascended the throne, he exercised a most cruel tyranny; he constituted a hell for the purpose of torturing living creatures. He surrounded it with high walls with lofty towers. He placed there specially vast furnaces of molten metal, sharp scythes, and every kind of instrument of torture like those in the infernal regions. He selected an impious man whom he appointed lord of the hell. At first every criminal in the empire, whatever his fault, was consigned to this place of calamity and outrage; afterwards all those who passed by the place were seized and destroyed. All who came to the place were killed without any chance of self-defence.

The king said, "The decree was indeed established, and cannot be altered. But when the law was made, were you excepted? You have long destroyed life. I will put an end to it." Then ordering the attendants, they seized the lictor and cast him into a boiling caldron. After his death the king departed, and levelled the walls, filled up the ditches, and put an end to the infliction of such horrible punishments. To the south of the earth-prison (the hell), and not far off, is a stûpa. Its foundation walls are sunk, and it is in a leaning, ruinous condition. There remains, however, the crowning jewel of the cupola. This is made of carved stone, and has a surrounding balustrade. This was the first (or, one) of the 84,000 (stûpas). Asôka-râja erected it by the power (merit) of man in the middle of his royal precinct (or palace). It contains a ching (measure) of relics of Tathâgata. Spiritual indications constantly manifest themselves, and a divine light is shed round it from time to time.