經律異相 7.4

7.4

In the past there was a king named King Uma (also called Yima; the *Dīrgha-āgama* says Guma; these are merely different regional pronunciations). He had four sons by concubines: the first was named Zhaomu, the second Congmu, the third Tiaofuxiang, and the fourth Nilou (the *Dīrgha-āgama* gives different names: the first is named Mianguang, the second Xiangshen, the third Lushan, and the fourth Zhuangyan). All of them were intelligent, divinely martial, and possessed of great authority and virtue. The principal queen had a son named Changsheng, who was obstinate, shallow, ugly, and despised by everyone. The queen said to the king: "The four sons are divinely talented, while my son is dull and inferior. If he succeeds to the throne, they will certainly contend to usurp it. If Your Majesty banishes the four sons, my mind will be at peace." The king said: "The four sons are humane and filial, and have committed no fault. Why should they be banished?" The queen further said: "My anxiety is truly for the sake of the state. The four sons are brave and martial, and the people look to them with devotion. If their faction is established, once rivalry begins, they will surely destroy one another. The fortune of our great realm would instead fall into the hands of others. I pray Your Majesty consider this." The king said: "Your words are correct." He then summoned the four sons and ordered them, saying: "You have committed an offense against me. Yet I cannot bear your death. Each of you must depart the kingdom swiftly, strive for self-reliance, and make a living. Do not linger, lest you bring regrets upon yourselves." The four sons received the order and immediately prepared their provisions. Their mothers, brothers, and sisters all begged to go with them. At that time, many warriors and people also wished to follow them, and the king permitted them all. They went to the edge of the Himālaya Mountains and dwelt in a grove of straight trees (śāka trees). Their mothers took wives for them, and they settled themselves. Within several years, those who turned to their virtue assembled like a marketplace; the settlement flourished greatly and suddenly became a powerful state. Several years later, their father longed to see them and sent messengers to summon them back. All declined due to their past offense and would not return. The king then sighed three times: "My sons are capable; they can sustain and establish themselves!" For this reason, he named the clan Śākya (the *Dīrgha-āgama* states that it was named after the straight tree forest, also called the Śāka forest, taking their surname from the forest; it also says that the king heard the four sons had handsome children and remarked, "These are true Śākyas!"; the *Ruiying jing* states that it was named because they were capable of declining; these are similar reasons for the name). Hence there arose the Śākya clan. Their ancestor King Nilou begot Utula.