經律異相 22.8

22.8

有國王。名曰旃陀越。奉事婆羅門道。領治國正亦任用之。王重小夫人。諸夫人憎嫉。以金賜婆羅門譖之於王。言其生子必為國患。王聞不樂。問婆羅門言。當如之何。答曰。唯并殺之耳。王言。人命之重云何可殺。報言。若不殺者必亡國喪身。王便枉殺兒。後於塚中生。其母半身不朽。兒飲其湩。湩即乳也。乃至三年。其塚崩陷。其兒得出。與鳥狩共戲。暮即還塚中。及年六歲。佛念其勤苦與鳥狩同群。即化為沙門。往呼問之。言汝是誰家子。居在何處。兒歡喜報言。我無家居。但栖宿此塚中耳。乞隨道人去。佛言。欲何為乎。兒報言。我今善惡終當隨道人。佛便將其到祇洹中。見諸比丘威儀法則。意甚樂之。便白佛言。我欲乞作比丘。佛即聽之。以手摩其頭。髮自墮袈裟著身。名為須陀。守戒精進心不懈怠。經涉七日得羅漢道。佛語須陀。宜度栴陀越王。須陀往到。其國王曰。我心大憂當如之何。道人言。何所憂也。王言。我年已長。過時無嗣為之愁憂。道人聞王語。初不應之獨笑而已。王便恚言。我與道人語。初不答我。而反獨笑。即欲殺之。須陀知其意。便輕舉飛翔上住空中。分身散體出入無間。王見神化即悔過言。我實愚癡不別真偽。唯願大神一還。令我得自歸命。須陀即從空中下住王前。謂王言。若能自歸甚善。當自歸於佛。佛是我師。三界之尊度脫眾生。須陀便如申臂頃。將王及人民。俱到佛所。歸命三尊乞受五戒為優婆塞。佛具說。須陀是王子。王聞佛言。更恐怖不能自勝。佛言。昔拘先尼佛世。有國王號名弗舍達。國中人民皆供養三尊。時有凡人居貧無業。常為國中富貴。賃牧養數百頭牛。見王及人民供養比丘僧。便即問言。卿等何所為乎。人民答言。吾等供養三尊。後常在處安樂尊貴無有勤苦。即自念言。我貧唯當煎牛湩為酪酥。淨心上比丘耳。比丘僧呪願言。令汝世世得福。自後展轉更歷生死。輒受其福。或上為諸天。或下為王侯。王侯時出遊獵。見好牸牛懷犢殺之。夫人語王。莫殺其子。時牛主破取子養。其主恚言。當令王如此牛也。自後魂神為王作子。時未出生。母為王所殺須陀是也。須陀母者是時王夫人也。婆羅門者牛主是也。須陀塚中生。其母半身不朽。得飲其湩。以自長大者。由其宿命以酪酥上比丘僧故。王聞意解。得須陀洹（出旃陀越國王經）。

There was a king named Candrāvata. He venerated the teachings of the brāhmaṇas and also employed them to govern the state. The king held his junior queen in high regard, and the other queens hated and envied her. Bestowing gold upon a brāhmaṇa, they slandered her to the king, saying that the child she bore would surely bring misfortune to the kingdom. Hearing this, the king was unhappy, and asked the brāhmaṇa, “What should be done?” He answered, “She and [the child] must both be killed.” The king said, “Human life is precious; how can she be killed?” He replied, “If she is not killed, you will surely lose your kingdom and lose your life.” The king then wrongfully killed the child[’s mother]. Later, the child was born in the tomb. Half of his mother’s body did not decay, and the child drank her milk—dong means milk. This continued for three years, until the tomb collapsed. The child was able to get out, and played with birds and beasts, returning to the tomb at dusk. When he reached six years of age, the Buddha took pity on his toil and hardship living among birds and beasts, and transformed himself into a śramaṇa. He went to call and ask him, saying, “Whose child are you? Where do you live?” The child joyfully answered, “I have no home, but only roost and sleep in this tomb. I beg to follow the man of the Way.” The Buddha said, “What do you wish to do?” The child replied, “In good or bad fortune, I will ultimately follow the man of the Way.” The Buddha then led him into the Jetavana. Seeing the dignified manners and rules of the bhikṣus, his mind was greatly delighted, and he said to the Buddha, “I wish to request to become a bhikṣu.” The Buddha then permitted it, stroked his head with his hand, and his hair fell off of itself, with kāṣāya robes covering his body. He was named Śrutadhara. Guarding the precepts with vigorous effort and an untiring mind, after passing seven days he attained the Way of arhatship. The Buddha said to Śrutadhara, “You should go deliver King Candrāvata.” Śrutadhara went to him. The king of that country said, “My mind is greatly troubled; what should I do?” The man of the Way said, “What are you troubled by?” The king said, “I am advanced in years, and past the time of having an heir, which causes me grief and anxiety.” Hearing the king’s words, the man of the Way did not respond at first, but merely smiled to himself. The king then grew angry, saying, “I spoke with the man of the Way, yet he does not answer me at all, but instead merely laughs to himself.” He then wished to kill him. Śrutadhara knew his intention, and lightly took flight into the air, dividing his form and scattering his body, entering and emerging without obstruction. Seeing these miraculous transformations, the king repented of his error, saying, “I am truly foolish and do not distinguish the genuine from the false. I only pray that the great spirit return at once, so that I may take refuge [in you].” Śrutadhara then descended from the air and stood before the king, saying to him, “If you can take refuge, it is very good. You should take refuge in the Buddha. The Buddha is my master, the Lord of the Three Realms, who liberates sentient beings.” In the time it takes to stretch out an arm, Śrutadhara brought the king and his people together to the Buddha’s presence, where they took refuge in the Three Honored Ones and begged to receive the five precepts as upāsakas. The Buddha fully explained that Śrutadhara was the king’s son. Hearing the Buddha’s words, the king was so overwhelmed with terror that he could not contain himself. The Buddha said: “Long ago, in the time of the Buddha Krakucchanda, there was a king named Puṣyadata. The people in the kingdom all made offerings to the Three Honored Ones. At that time, there was an ordinary person who lived in poverty without an occupation. He was constantly hired by the wealthy in the kingdom to herd and tend several hundred cattle. Seeing the king and people making offerings to the community of bhikṣus, he asked, ‘What are you all doing?’ The people answered, ‘We are making offerings to the Three Honored Ones. In future times, wherever we are, we will be at peace, joyful, honored, and wealthy, free from hardship and suffering.’ He then thought to himself, ‘Being poor, I should simply simmer cow’s milk into yogurt and ghee, and with a pure mind offer it to the bhikṣus.’ The community of bhikṣus made a vow of blessing for him, saying, ‘May you obtain blessings life after life.’ From then on, passing through cycle after cycle of birth-and-death, he always received these blessings, either being born above as devas or below as kings and lords. Once, as a king or lord, he went out hunting. Seeing a fine cow that was pregnant with a calf, he killed it. The queen said to the king, ‘Do not kill her offspring.’ At that time, the cow’s owner cut [the cow] open, took the calf, and raised it. The owner said angrily, ‘May the king become like this cow!’ Thereafter, his consciousness became the king’s child. Before he was born, his mother was killed by the king; this was Śrutadhara. Śrutadhara’s mother was the queen of that time. The brāhmaṇa was that cow owner. Śrutadhara was born in the tomb, and half of his mother’s body did not decay so that he could drink her milk and grow up by himself, because in a past life he had offered yogurt and ghee to the community of bhikṣus.” Hearing this, the king’s mind opened to understanding, and he attained srotāpanna. (Extracted from the King Candrāvata Sūtra).”