大宋僧史略 3.43

3.43

凡城門置天王者。為護世也。唐天寶元年壬子歲。西蕃大石康居五國來𡨥安西。其年二月十一日。奏請兵解援。玄宗詔發師。計一萬餘里。累月方到。時近臣言。且可詔問不空三藏。帝依奏詔入內。持念請天王。為救帝秉香罏。不空誦仁王護國經陀羅尼二七遍。帝忽見神人可五百員帶甲荷戈在殿前。帝驚疑問不空。對曰。此毘沙門第二子獨健領兵。是必副陛下意。往救安西。故來辭耳。請設食發遣。其年四月。安西奏云。去二月十一日已後。城東北三十里。雲霧晦冥。中有人眾。可長丈餘。皆被金甲。至酉時。鼓角大鳴。聲振三百里。地動山傾。經二日。大石康居等五國。當時奔潰。諸帳幕間有金毛鼠。齧斷弓弩弦及器仗。悉不堪用。斯須城樓上有光明。天王現形。無不見者。謹圖天王樣。隨表進呈。帝因勅諸道節度。所在州府於城西北隅。各置天王形像部從供養。至於佛寺。亦勅別院安置。迄今朔日州府上香華食饌動歌舞。謂之樂天王也。所號毘沙門者。由此天王與于闐國最有因緣。偏多應現于闐國。是毘沙部故號毘沙門天王。如言于闐國天王也。亦猶觀音菩薩所在現形而偏曰寶陀落山觀音同也。

Whenever Heavenly Kings are placed on city gates, it is to protect the world. In the renzi year, the first year of the Tianbao reign era of the Tang (742 CE), five countries—the Western Tibetans, the Arabs, and Kangju—invaded Anxi. On the eleventh day of the second month of that year, a memorial was submitted requesting troops for relief. Emperor Xuanzong ordered the dispatch of an army, but calculating the distance of over ten thousand leagues, it would take months to arrive. At that time, an intimate courtier said that an imperial inquiry might first be directed to Tripiṭaka Master Amoghavajra. The emperor acted on the proposal and summoned him into the palace to perform recitations and pray to the Heavenly King for rescue. The emperor held an incense burner, and Amoghavajra chanted the *Benevolent Kings Protecting the State Scripture* dhāraṇī fourteen times. The emperor suddenly saw approximately five hundred divine warriors clad in armor and carrying halberds in front of the palace hall. Surprised and suspicious, the emperor asked Amoghavajra, who replied: 'This is Dokken, the second son of Vaiśravaṇa, leading troops. He will surely fulfill Your Majesty's wish and go to rescue Anxi; he has just come to take leave. Please arrange food offerings to dispatch him.' In the fourth month of that year, Anxi sent a memorial stating: 'Since the eleventh day of the past second month, thirty leagues northeast of the city, there were dark clouds and dense fog, amidst which was a multitude of people about ten feet tall, all clad in golden armor. At the hour of you (5–7 p.m.), drums and horns sounded loudly, their roar shaking three hundred leagues around, making the earth tremble and mountains topple. After two days, the five countries including the Arabs and Kangju broke and fled in disarray. Among the tents were golden-haired rats that gnawed through the strings of bows and crossbows and destroyed all weapons, rendering them useless. In a short while, there was radiant light atop the city watchtower, and the Heavenly King manifested his form, which everyone saw.' They respectfully drew a likeness of the Heavenly King and submitted it with a memorial. Thereupon, the emperor ordered the military commissioners of all circuits, and the prefectures and commanderies where they were stationed, each to install and make offerings to the image and retinue of the Heavenly King in the northwest corner of their city walls. As for Buddhist temples, they were also ordered to house them in separate cloisters. To this day, on the first day of the month, prefectures and commanderies offer incense, flowers, food, and drink, and perform singing and dancing, calling it 'pleasing the Heavenly King'. The reason he is called Vaiśravaṇa is that this Heavenly King has the closest affinity with the Kingdom of Khotan and manifests there particularly often. Khotan is the division of Vaiśravaṇa, and so he is called the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa, just as one might say the Heavenly King of the Kingdom of Khotan. This is just like Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva manifesting everywhere, yet being specifically called Avalokiteśvara of Mount Potalaka.