[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121) › 21.19 # 經律異相 21.19 經律異相 21.19 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [21.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.21.19) 乃往古昔。有一摩納（梁言仙人）在山窟中誦剎利書。有一野狐往其左右。專聽誦書心有所解。作是念。如我解此書語。足作諸獸中王。便起遊行。逢一羸瘦野狐。便欲殺之。彼言何故殺我。答言。我是獸王。汝不伏我。彼言。願莫見殺。我當隨從。於是二狐便共遊行。復逢一狐。問答如上。如是展轉伏一切狐。便以群狐伏一切象。復以眾象伏一切虎。復以眾虎伏一切師子。遂便權得作獸中王。復作是念。我為獸王。不應以獸為婦。便乘白象。使諸群獸圍迦夷國。數百千匝。王遣使問。何故如是。野狐答曰。我是獸王。應娶汝女。若不與我當滅汝國。使還白王。王集臣議。唯除一臣。皆云應與。國之所恃唯賴象馬。我有象馬彼有師子。象馬聞氣惶怖伏地。戰必不如。何惜一女而喪一國。時一大臣聰銳遠略。白王言。臣觀古今未曾聞見人王之女與下賤獸。臣雖弱昧。要殺此狐群獸散走。王即問焉。大臣答言。王但遣使剋期戰日。從求一願。令師子先戰後吼。彼謂吾畏必令師子先吼後戰。王至戰日。當勅城內皆令塞耳。王用其語然後出軍。軍陣欲交。野狐果令師子先吼。野狐聞之心破七分。便於象上墜落于地。群獸散走。佛說偈言。 > Long ago in the past, there was a young brāhmaṇa (māṇava; in the Liang language, a 'hermit-sage') in a mountain cave reciting kṣatriya texts. There was a wild fox that went to his side, listened intently to his recitation, and understood something in its mind. It had this thought: 'Since I understand the words of this book, I am fit to be the king among beasts.' It then arose and roamed about. Meeting an emaciated wild fox, it wished to kill it. The other said, 'Why kill me?' It replied, 'I am the king of beasts. You do not submit to me.' The other said, 'Please do not kill me; I will follow you.' Thereupon the two foxes roamed together. Meeting another fox, the exchange went as above. In this manner it progressively subdued all the foxes, then used the pack of foxes to subdue all the elephants, used the herd of elephants to subdue all the tigers, and used the pack of tigers to subdue all the lions. Thus it opportunistically became the king among beasts. It then had this thought: 'As I am the king of beasts, I should not take a beast for my wife.' It then mounted a white elephant and made the beasts surround the kingdom of Kāśī hundreds of thousands of times. The king sent an envoy to inquire, 'Why do you do this?' The wild fox replied, 'I am the king of beasts. I should marry your daughter. If you do not give her to me, I will destroy your kingdom.' The envoy returned and reported to the king. The king assembled his ministers to deliberate; except for one minister, all said she should be given: 'What the kingdom relies on is only elephants and horses. We have elephants and horses, while they have lions. When our elephants and horses catch their scent, they fall to the ground in terror. In battle we will certainly be no match. Why begrudge one girl and lose an entire kingdom?' At that time, a minister of keen intellect and farsighted strategy addressed the king, saying, 'In reviewing past and present, I have never heard of or seen a human king's daughter given to a lowly beast. Though I am weak and unenlightened, I will surely kill this fox and cause the beasts to scatter and flee.' The king then questioned him, and the minister replied, 'Your Majesty need only send an envoy to fix a date for battle, and ask one request of him: make the lions fight first and roar later. Thinking we are afraid, he will certainly make the lions roar first and fight later. When the day of battle arrives, Your Majesty should order all within the city to plug their ears.' The king followed his words and then marched the army out. When the battle formations were about to engage, the wild fox indeed ordered the lions to roar first. Hearing it, the wild fox's heart split into seven pieces, and it fell from the elephant to the ground. The beasts scattered and fled. The Buddha spoke a verse: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 21.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.21.18) - [Next: 21.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.21.20) - [Up: 21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.21) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.21.19) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [彌沙塞部和醯五分律](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.vinaya.other-vinayas.mahisasaka*zh-buddhajiva.3.54) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.21.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.21.19) · Pramāṇa