法苑珠林 56.51

56.51

天女說已俱還天上。帝釋心念。女施米汁乃致此福。迦葉大哀但化福劣家不往大姓。當作良策。即與天后持百味食。盛小瓶中詣王舍城衖邊作小陋屋。變其形狀似于老翁。身體痟瘦僂行而步。公妻二人而共織席。貧窮之狀不儲飲食迦葉後行分衛。見此貧人而往乞食。翁言。至貧無有如何。迦葉祝願良久不去。翁言。我等夫妻甚老織席不暇向乞。唯有少飯適欲食之。聞仁慈德但從貧乞。欲以福之。今雖窮困意自割捐以施賢者。審如所云令吾得福。天食之香非世所聞。若預開瓶苾芬之香。迦葉覺之全不肯取。即言。道人弊食不多將鉢來取。迦葉即以鉢取受祝願施家。其香普薰王舍大城及其國界。迦葉即嫌其香。翁母釋身疾飛空中彈指歡喜。迦葉思惟即知帝釋化作老翁而為福祚。吾今已受不宜復還。迦葉讚歎。帝釋種福無厭。忍此醜類來下殖福。必獲影報。帝釋及后倍復欣踊。是時天上伎樂來迎。帝釋到宮倍益歡喜。

When the heavenly maiden had finished speaking, they returned together to heaven. Śakra thought to himself: "A woman offered rice gruel and attained this blessing. Kāśyapa has great compassion, yet he transforms only those of humble merit and does not go to great clans. I must devise a clever plan." Thereupon, together with his heavenly queen, he took food of a hundred flavours, contained it in a small bottle, and went to a lane in Rājagṛha, where he made a small, wretched hut. He transformed his appearance to resemble an old man, his body emaciated and walking with a stoop. Husband and wife wove mats together, their impoverished state showing no stored food or drink. Later, Kāśyapa was going on his almsround; seeing this poor man, he went to beg food of him. The old man said: "We are utterly destitute and have nothing; what can be done?" Kāśyapa gave blessings and did not leave for a long time. The old man said: "My wife and I are very old; weaving mats leaves us no time to go begging. We have only a little rice, which we were just about to eat. Hearing of your kind virtue in begging only from the poor to grant them blessings, although we are now in dire straits, I will gladly give it up to offer it to the worthy one. May it truly be as you say, and bring me blessings." The fragrance of heavenly food is not something smelled in the world. If he had opened the bottle beforehand, the aromatic perfume would have been perceived by Kāśyapa, who would have utterly refused to accept it. So he said: "Man of the Way, our coarse food is not much; bring your bowl to take it." Kāśyapa then took it in his bowl, received it, and blessed the donor's household. Its fragrance pervaded the great city of Rājagṛha and its domains. Kāśyapa immediately suspected the fragrance. The old man and his wife shed their forms, flew swiftly into the air, snapped their fingers, and rejoiced. Kāśyapa reflected and immediately knew that Śakra had transformed into an old man to plant blessings: "I have already received it, so it would be improper to return it." Kāśyapa praised him: "Śakra plants blessings insatiably; enduring this ugly guise, he came down to plant merit. He will certainly obtain the corresponding retribution." Śakra and his queen rejoiced all the more. At that time, heavenly music came to welcome them, and when Śakra arrived at his palace, his joy was redoubled.