Dhammapada 4.3.p22

4.3.p22

Licchavino taṃ ṭhānaṃ disvāpi na nivattiṃsu. Itaro thokaṃ gantvā jiyaṃ pothesi, asanisaddo viya ahosi. Te tatopi na nivattiṃsu, anubandhantā gacchanteva. Bandhulo rathe ṭhitakova ekasaraṃ khipi, so pañcannaṃ rathasatānaṃ rathasīse chiddaṃ katvā pañca rājasatāni parikarabandhanaṭṭhāne vinivijjhitvā pathaviṃ pāvisi. Te attano paviddhabhāvaṃ ajānitvā, ‘‘tiṭṭha, re, tiṭṭha, re’’ti vadantā anubandhiṃsu eva. Bandhulo rathaṃ ṭhapetvā ‘‘tumhe matakā, matakehi saddhiṃ mayhaṃ yuddhaṃ nāma natthī’’ti āha. ‘‘Matakā nāma amhādisā na hontī’’ti. ‘‘Tena hi sabbapacchimassa parikaraṃ mocethā’’ti. Te mocayiṃsu. So muttamatte eva maritvā patito. Atha te sabbepi ‘‘tumhe evarūpā, attano gharāni gantvā saṃvidhātabbaṃ saṃvidahitvā puttadāraṃ anusāsitvā sannāhaṃ mocethā’’ti āha. Te tathā katvā sabbepi jīvitakkhayaṃ pattā. Bandhulopi mallikaṃ sāvatthiṃ ānesi. Sā soḷasakkhattuṃ yamake yamake putte vijāyi. Sabbepi sūrā thāmasampannā ahesuṃ, sabbasippānaṃ nipphattiṃ pāpuṇiṃsu. Ekekassa purisasahassaṃ parivāro ahosi. Pitarā saddhiṃ rājanivesanaṃ gacchantehi teheva rājaṅgaṇaṃ paripūri.

But the Licchavi princes, unaware that they were pierced through and through, cried out, “Halt where you are! Halt where you are!” So saying, they continued their pursuit. Bandhula stopped his chariot and said, “You are all dead men! I will not fight with the dead.” “Do we look like dead men?” they asked. “Well then,” replied Bandhula, "loosen the girdle of the foremost of your band." They loosened his girdle. The instant it was loosened he fell down dead. Then said Bandhula, "You are all in the same plight as your leader. Go to your own homes, settle such of your concerns as need to be settled, give final instructions to your sons and your wives, and then take off your armor." They did so, whereupon all of them fell down dead. Then Bandhula conducted Mallikā to Sāvatthi.

Sixteen times Mallikā bore twin sons to Bandhula, and all of them were valiant men, endowed with great strength. All of them attained perfection in the several arts. Each of them had a retinue of a thousand men; and when they accompanied their father to the royal residence, the palace court was filled with their numerous company. One day some men who had been defeated in a false suit in court saw Bandhula approaching, and with loud cries of protest told him of the unjust actions of the judges. Bandhula thereupon went to the court and decided the case in such wise as to make the rightful owner the actual owner. The populace applauded him with loud shouts of approval. The king asked, "What is this commotion about?" When he heard the explanation, he was pleased, and removing all those judges, he turned over the administration of justice to Bandhula alone, who thereafter rendered just judgments.