Chapter 172 - The story of Maitrabala

bhūtapūrvaṃ bhikṣavo vārāṇasyāṃ nagaryāṃ maitrabalo nāma rājā rājyaṃ kārayati ṛddhaṃ ca yāvadbahujanamanuṣyaṃ ca; maitryātmakaḥ kāruṇiko mahātmā sarvasatveṣu dayāvān; (a 432 ) yāvadapareṇa samayena vaiśravaṇena rājñā aḍakavattāyāṃ rājadhānyāṃ paṃca ojohārā yakṣāḥ kasmiṇcideva aparādhe pravāsitāḥ; te taṃ janapadamanvāhiṇḍya vārāṇasīmanuprāptāḥ; teṣāṃ na kaścidbalimālyopahāraṃ kurute; taiḥ prakopamāpannairītirutsṛṣṭā; vārāṇasyāṃ janakāyo mriyate; amātyai rājñe maitrabalāya niveditam: deva vārāṇasyāmatīva janakāyo mṛta iti; rājñā teṣāmājñā dattā: gacchata vārāṇasyāmevaṃ ghaṇṭāvaghoṣaṇaṃ kārayata: bhadanto rājā maitrabalaḥ samājñāpayati, ahaṃ sarvasatvahitādhyāśayatatpareṇa manasā rātrindivamatinamayāmi; tadyuṣmābhirapi sarvasatvānugatā maitrī manasi kartavyā; evaṃ vaḥ śāntirbhaviṣyatīti; te sarvasatvānugatāṃ maitrīṃ manasi kartumārabdhā; ojohārā yakṣā vārāṇasīsāmantakena paribhramitumārabdhāḥ; praveśaṃ na labhante; te praveśamalabhamānā gopālakāṃ paśupālakān tṛṇahārakāṃ kāṣṭhahārakāṃ pathājīvānutpathājīvāṃśca manuṣyān dṛṣṭvā kathayanti: bhavanto na yūyamasmadbibhīta? iti; te kathayanti: na bibhīmaḥ; kiṃ kāraṇaṃ? vayaṃ hi yadrājā maitrabalaścintayati taccintayāmaḥ; kiṃ maitrabalo rājā cintayati? sarvasatvānugatāṃ maitrīṃ; te saṃlakṣayanti: idamatra kāraṇaṃ yena vayamidānīmavatāraṃ na labhāmaha iti; te vārāṇasyāṃ dvāreṇa (i 21) dvāraṃ paribhramanti: kadācidrājānaṃ maitrabalaṃ drakṣyāmaḥ iti; yāvadapareṇa samayena maitrabalo rājā bahirudyānāya saṃprasthitaḥ; tataste brāhmaṇaveṣamātmānamabhinirmāya śānteryāpathena rājānamupasaṃkramya jayenāyuṣā ca vardhayitvocuḥ: deva bubhukṣitā sma; āhāreṇānugrahaṃ kuruṣva iti; rājñā amātyā āhūyoktāḥ: bhavanta etān brāhmaṇān praṇītenāhāreṇa saṃtarpayata; te kathayanti: deva māṃsarudhirabhakṣā vayamiti; rājñā amātyā abhihitāḥ: bhavanta yadi māṃsasya <na> saṃbhavo'sti rudhirasya vā vithyā dharmanyāyalabdhaṃ māṃsaṃ rudhiraṃ ca prayacchata iti; deva sadyohatarudhiramāṃsabhakṣā vayaṃ sadyohatena māṃsenānugrahaṃ kuruṣva iti; rājā saṃlakṣayati: kutassadyohatasya māṃsarudhirasya saṃbhavaḥ parasyapīḍāmakṛtvā; yanvahamebhyaḥ svarudhiramanuprayaccheyamiti; tato vaidyānāhūya kathayati: bhavanto mama sarvāṅgikaṃ śirāvedhaṃ kuruta iti yācanakajanaṃ saṃtarpayiṣyāmi iti; vaidyāḥ kathayanti: deva na vayaṃ prākṛtapuruṣāṇāmarthāya devasya śarīre śastraṃ nipātayāmaḥ; kuśalā bhavanti bodhisatvāsteṣu teṣu śilpasthānakarmasthāneṣu; tena svayameva paṃcasu gātreṣu śāstranipātaḥ kṛtaḥ; tataḥ svarudhireṇa saṃtarpya teṣāṃ tādṛśī dharmadeśanā kṛtā yāṃ śrutvā te yakṣā paṃcasu vratapadeṣu pratiṣṭhāpitāḥ.
kiṃ manyadhve bhikṣavaḥ? yo'sau maitrabalo nāma rājā'bhūdahameva sa tena kālena tena samayena; ye te paṃca ojohārāsyakṣā (a 433 ) ete eva te paṃcakā bhikṣavaḥ; tadāpyete mayā svarudhireṇa saṃtarpya paṃcasu vratapadeṣu pratiṣṭhāpitāḥ; etarhyapyete mayā saddharmarasena saṃtarpitāḥ saṃsārakāntārāduttāryātyantaniṣṭhe yogakṣeme nirvāṇe pratiṣṭhāpitā.
yadā bhagavatā ṣaḍvarṣāṇi duṣkaraṃ caritam; anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhirabhisaṃbuddhā, vārāṇasyāṃ gatvā dharmacakraṃ pravartitaṃ, paṃcakā vinīta upapaṃcakāḥ ṣaṣṭibhadravargīyāḥ pūgāḥ, bhikṣubahutvaṃ jātam, tadā bhikṣavaḥ saṃśayajātāḥ sarvasaṃśayacchettāraṃ buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ papracchuḥ: paśya bhadanta bhagavatā karma kṛtaṃ yasya karmaṇo vipākena ṣaḍvarṣāṇi duṣkaraṃ caritam; bhagavānāha: tathāgatenaivaitāni bhikṣavaḥ pūrvamanyāsu jātiṣu karmāṇi kṛtānyupacitāni labdhasaṃbhārāni pūrvavadyāvatphalanti khalu dehinām. (i 22)