翻譯名義集 3.148

3.148

[Āmra]: Properly called *āmra*, or *āmrapālī*. Sengzhao's commentary states: 'Translated here as crabapple.' The *Sūtra of the Mango Maiden* says: 'In the country of Vaiśālī, in the garden of a brāhmaṇa, this crabapple tree was planted. The tree gave birth to this maiden, whom the brāhmaṇa took in and raised. When she reached the age of fifteen, her appearance was upright and beautiful, and her renown was heard in distant lands; seven kings competed to marry her. The brāhmaṇa was greatly terrified; thereupon he placed the maiden in a high tower and spoke to the seven kings, saying: "She is not my daughter, but born of a tree. If I give her to one king, six kings will surely be enraged. Now she is atop the tower; I ask the kings to confer fairly: let whoever deserves her take her; it is not up to my decision." That night, King Bimbisāra entered through an underground conduit, ascended the tower and stayed with her overnight, saying to the woman: "If you give birth to a boy, you must return him to me." He then took off the seal of the gold ring from his hand and handed it to the woman as a token of trust. He then went out and spoke to his ministers, saying: "I have already attained the maiden." Bimbisāra's army all shouted "Long live the king!", and the six kings withdrew. Later, the woman gave birth to Jīvaka. When he reached eight years of age, holding the ring and seal, he saw King Bimbisāra, and the king made him crown prince. In the second year, when Ajātaśatru was born, Jīvaka yielded, saying: "Now the king's legitimate son has been born; he should succeed the honorable lineage." He then stepped down from his position.' Master Zhao's commentary says: 'Its fruit resembles a peach, yet is not a peach.' The *Brief Commentary* states: 'The *nài* tree is definitely not a Chinese crabapple. It is also translated as "difficult to distinguish"; its fruit resembles a peach, yet is not a peach, resembles a crabapple, yet is not a crabapple.' This accords with the intent of the *Great Sūtra*. The sūtra says: 'Just like the mango fruit whose ripeness is difficult to distinguish, there are four propositions explaining why it is difficult to distinguish: 1. Both raw outside and inside; 2. Ripe outside and raw inside; 3. Raw outside and ripe inside; 4. Both ripe outside and inside.' The *Zuanyao* says: 'The old translation as *nài* [crabapple] is mistaken. This fruit has many flowers and very few seeds; its leaves resemble willows, a foot long and three fingers broad. The shape of the fruit resembles a pear, but the bottom is hooked and curved. Its ripeness is hard to tell, and it can cure illness. In that country it is called the king-tree, meaning it is planted in the royal city.'