Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a family of doctors skilled in the cure of snake bites, and when he grew up, he practiced for a livelihood.

Now that a countryman was bitten by a snake; and without delay his relatives quickly fetched the doctor. Said the Bodhisatta, “Shall I extract the venom with the usual antidotes, or have the snake caught and make it suck its own poison out of the wound?” They said,”Have the snake caught and make it suck the poison out.” So he had the snake caught, and asked the creature, saying “Did you bite this man?”

“Yes, I did,” was the answer. The Bodhisatta said,”Well then, suck your own poison out of the wound again.”

“What? Take back the poison I have once shed!” cried the snake; “I never did, and I never will.” Then the doctor made a fire with wood, and said to the snake, “Either you suck the poison out, or I will throw you into the fire.”

“Even though the flames cause my death, I will not take back the poison I have once shed,” said the snake.

With these words, the snake moved towards the fire! But the doctor stopped the snake, drew out the poison with simple charms. The man came to life. Then he unfolded the Commandments to the snake, and set it free, saying, “From now onwards do not harm anyone.”