經律異相 28.20

28.20

At that time, in the city of Śrāvastī, there was a brāhmaṇa of great lineage named Yajñadatta, who possessed abundant wealth and treasures. He had a female slave named Huāngtóu (Yellow Head), who always guarded the Mallikā grove. At that time, this female slave was constantly sorrowful, saying, 'When shall I be free from being a slave?' In the early morning, having eaten her share of dry rice, she took the remainder and went to the grove. At that time, the Bhagavat entered the city to beg for food. Yellow Head saw the Tathāgata from afar and thought to herself, 'Now, I had better offer this rice to that śramaṇa; perhaps I may thereby escape this enslavement.' She immediately presented the rice and offered it to the Buddha. Out of compassion, the Bhagavat accepted it and returned to the vihāra. At that time, Yellow Head proceeded forward into the Mallikā grove. King Prasenajit, having arrayed his fourfold army, went out on a hunt. His attendants dispersed, galloping in pursuit of herds of deer. The weather was extremely hot, and seeing the Mallikā grove in the distance, the king turned his carriage and went on foot into the grove. Yellow Head saw Prasenajit coming from afar, his bearing and movements unlike those of ordinary men. She immediately came forward to receive him, saying, 'Welcome, Great Man! You may sit here.' She then removed one of her garments and spread it out for the king to sit upon. Yellow Head asked, 'I wonder if you need water to wash your feet?' The king said, 'Yes.' She immediately fetched water, gave it to the king, and wiped the king's feet. She asked the king again, 'Do you wish to wash your face?' She then gave the king more water to wash his face. She asked the king again, 'Do you wish to drink?' She immediately went to a pond, washed her hands again, took a fine lotus leaf filled with water, and gave it to the king. She asked the king again, 'I wonder if you wish to lie down and rest?' She then removed another garment and spread it out for the king. Seeing the king lie down, she knelt on both knees before him, massaging his feet and other limbs to relieve the king's fatigue. Yellow Head's body was like a heavenly body, delicate, soft, and wondrously fine. The king, delighting in its smoothness, thought to himself, 'Never before has there been a woman so clever as this, performing everything without my having to instruct her.' The king then asked, 'Whose daughter are you?' She answered, 'I am a female slave of the Yajñadatta household; they dispatched me to guard this grove.' While they were speaking, the king's ministers, tracking the chariot's ruts, arrived at the grove. They knelt and bowed at the king's feet, then stood to one side. The king ordered one person, 'Call the brāhmaṇa Yajñadatta to come.' The brāhmaṇa came to the king's location. The king asked, 'Is this girl your slave?' He replied, 'She is.' The king said, 'I now wish to take her as my wife; what do you think?' He answered, 'She is a slave; how could she become your wife?' The king said, 'No matter; simply name her price.' The brāhmaṇa said, 'If we are to speak of her price, it is a hundred thousand ounces of gold. Yet how could I take a price from the king? I present her now to the king.' The king said, 'Not so. I am taking her as my wife; how could I not pay the price?' He immediately produced a hundred thousand ounces of gold and gave it to the brāhmaṇa. He then welcomed her into his carriage and entered the palace, escorted by his ministers. Because she had been brought from the Mallikā grove, she was accordingly styled Queen Mallikā. The king loved and respected her greatly. At another time, from among five hundred women, the king appointed her as his chief consort. Standing on a high pavilion, she thought to herself, 'Through what karmic causes and conditions was I freed from being a slave and now enjoy such bliss?' She further thought, 'Could it be that previously, I gave a portion of honey-mixed dry rice to that śramaṇa? It must be solely through this cause and condition that I have now escaped being a slave and enjoy such bliss.' (From the thirteenth roll of the first part of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya.)