大唐西域記 3.12

3.12

代鴿西北二百餘里，入珊尼羅闍川，至薩裒殺地（唐言蛇藥）僧伽藍。有窣堵波，高八十餘尺。是如來昔為帝釋，時遭饑歲，疾疫流行，醫療無功道，死相屬。帝釋悲愍，思所救濟，乃變其形為大蟒身，僵屍川谷，空中遍告；聞者感慶，相率奔赴，隨割隨生，療飢療疾。其側不遠，有蘇摩大窣堵波。是如來昔為帝釋，時世疾疫，愍諸含識，自變其身為蘇摩蛇，凡有噉食，莫不康豫。

Going west 60 or 70 li from the Mo-su sanghârâma is a stûpa which was built by Asôka-râja. It was here Tathâgata in old time, practising the life of a Bodhisattva, was called Sivika (or Sibika) Râja. Seeking the fruit of Buddhaship, he cut his body to pieces in this place to redeem a dove from the power of a hawk. Going north-west from the place where he redeemed the dove, 200 li or so, we enter the valley of Shan-ni-lo-shi, where is the convent of Sa-pao-sha-ti. Here is a stûpa in height 80 feet or so. In old time, when Buddha was Lord Sakra, famine and disease were prevalent everywhere in this country. Medicine was of no use, and the roads were filled with dead. Lord Sakra was moved with pity and meditated how he might rescue and save the people. Then changing his form, he appeared as a great serpent, and extended his dead body all along the void of the great valley, and called from the void to those on every side (to look). Those who heard were filled with joy, and running together hastened to the spot, and the more they cut the body of the serpent the more they revived, and were delivered both from famine and disease. By the side of this stûpa and not far off is the great stûpa of Sûma. Here in old time when Tathâgata was Lord Sakra, filled with concern for the world, afflicted with every kind of disease and pestilence, with his perfect knowledge of the case, he changed himself into the serpent Suma; none of those who tasted his flesh failed to recover from their disease.