經律異相 35.17

35.17

There was a king named Dharmavṛddhi who practiced giving, kept the precepts, had loving-kindness and compassion, and did not harm the lives of creatures. He governed the state according to the righteous law for a full twenty years. Once, while playing a board game with someone, a man committed murder. The ministers reported it to the king, who answered: "Deal with him according to the law of the state." They immediately executed him according to the statutes. When the king finished his game, he asked: "Where is the criminal?" The ministers replied: "He has already been executed." Hearing this, the king wept, saying: "The seven treasures will all remain behind, while I alone must enter hell!" He at once abandoned his kingship, entered the mountains, and kept himself secluded. When his life ended, he became a makara fish seven hundred yojanas long. The king's ministers, relying on their power to falsely oppress the common people, upon death also became great makara fish. When worms on its body caused it to itch, it rubbed against a crystal mountain, crushing and killing the worms so that the blood flowed for a hundred li, turning everything red; for this it ought to fall into the great hells. At that time, after the fish slept for a hundred years, it woke up, extremely hungry and thirsty. It immediately opened its mouth, and the seawater poured in like a great river. Five hundred merchants entering the sea to gather jewels encountered it, and their ship headed for the fish's mouth. The merchants called out: "Homage to the Buddha!" Hearing this, the fish closed its mouth, and the merchants were saved. The fish died of hunger and was reborn in Rājagṛha. A yakṣa took its corpse and placed it on this seashore. The king of that time was yourself; because of the killing, you became the fish.' Śrīvṛddhi realized impermanence and grew weary of the world; exhausting all fetters, he attained the fruit of arhatship. (Extracted from the Xianyu jing, Fascicle 7).