經律異相 3.34

3.34

There is a divine medicinal tree named Madhūka [?], which governs the suppression of poisons. The myriad poisons under heaven cannot run rampant. There was a great divine serpent whose body was one hundred and twenty zhang long. As the serpent crawled searching for food, there was a black-headed insect whose body was five zhang long. Crawling along the path, the insect met with the serpent. Just as the serpent was about to raise its head to snap the great insect in two, it smelled the medicinal fragrance and curled its head, wishing to flee. The serpent's body wrapped around the medicinal tree, and its body immediately broke in two, splitting into two segments. The head half remained alive and fled; the tail then rotted with a foul stench. When all poisons smelled the foul stench of this serpent, their evil and poisonous vapors were all extinguished (from the lower fascicle of the *Sūtra on Wholesome Faith*).