Chapter 277 - The story of a Mṛgī and Mṛgādhipati

bhūtapūrvaṃ bhikṣavaḥ aniyatarāśyavasthito bodhisatvaḥ anyatamasmin pradeśe paṃcānāṃ mṛgaśatānāṃ mṛgādhipatirbabhūva; yāvadanyatamena lubdhakena mṛgāṇāṃ vadhāya prabhūtāḥ kūṭapāśāḥ lepāśca vyavasthāpitāḥ; sa ca mṛgādhipatiḥ visrabdhavihāratayā paṃcaśataparivāro mṛgadāve paribhramati; sa mṛgayūthasyāgrato gacchan pāśena baddhaḥ; taṃ baddhaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarve mṛgā niṣpalāyitāḥ; ekā mṛgī yūthapateḥ pārśve avasthitā; sa mṛgādhipatirvyāyacchati pāśaṃ chettuṃ; sa śaknoti; taṃ tathā calantaṃ dṛṣṭvā sā mṛgī gāthāṃ bhāṣate
vyāyamasva mahābhāga vyāyamasva mṛgottama |
āgamiṣyati lubdho'sau pāśo yenaiṣa āhṛtaḥ || (a 496 )
so'pi gāthāṃ bhāṣate
kiṃ karomi na śaknomi bhinadmyāśu mahīmimām |
dṛḍhāni carmapāśāni pādau karṣanti me bhṛśam || iti
tato'sau lubdhakaḥ dhanurbāṇapāṇiḥ kāṣāyavastravasitaḥ taṃ pradeśamupasaṃkrāmati; adrākṣītsā mṛgī taṃ lubdhakaṃ vadhāyodyataṃ mṛgādhipatimupasaṃkrāntaṃ; dṛṣṭvā ca punastvaritatvaritā gāthāṃ bhāṣate
vyāyamasva mahābhāga vyāyamasva mṛgottama |
āgato hyeṣa lubdho'sau pāśo yenaiṣa āhṛtaḥ ||िti
so'pi gāthāṃ bhāṣate
kiṃ karomi na śaknomi bhinadmyāśu mahīmimām |
dṛḍhāni carmapāśāni pādau karṣanti me bhṛśam || iti (i 198)
tataḥ sā mṛgī śūnyahṛdayā taṃ mṛgalubdhakamimāṃ gāthāṃ tatsamīpe bhāṣate
lubdhāvatāraya dhanurasiṃ gṛhṇīṣva lubdhaka |
pūrvaṃ ghātaya māṃ tāvattataḥ paścānmṛgādhipatam || iti
tataḥ sa mṛgalubdhakaḥ vismayāvarjitamatiḥ kathayati: kastavaiṣa bhavati? iti; sā kathayati: svāmi iti; sa taṃ gāthayā pratyabhāṣata
nāhaṃ tvā ghatāyiṣyāmi na haniṣye mṛgādhipam |
saṃgamaṃ te kariṣyāmi priyeṇa patinā saha || iti
sāpi gāthāṃ bhāṣate
yathāhaṃ ludha modāmi priyeṇa patinā saha |
evaṃ tvaṃ lubdha modasva saha sarvaiḥ svabāndhavaiḥ || iti
tatastena lubdhena bhūyasyā mātrayā vismayajātena mṛgo muktaḥ
kiṃ manyadhve bhikṣavo yo'sau mṛgādhipatirahameva saḥ tena kālena tena samayena; yā sā mṛgī ānandaḥ saḥ tena kālena tena samayena; yāni tāni ekonāni paṃca mṛgaśatāni etānyeva ekonāni paṃca bhikṣuśatāni; tadāpyahamebhiḥ parityaktaḥ; ānandena na parityaktaḥ; etarhyapyahamebhiḥ parityaktaḥ; ānandena na parityaktaḥ
bhikṣavaḥ saṃśayajātāḥ sarvasaṃśayacchettāraṃ buddhaṃ bhagavantaṃ papracchuḥ: paśya bhadanta devadattaḥ pūtiḥ pūtinā lābhasatkāreṇa hataḥ iti; bhagavānāha: na bhikṣava etarhi; yathā atīte'pyadhvanyeṣa pūtinā pūtirlābhasatkāreṇa hataḥ; tacchrūyatām