Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c6.t2.53

c6.t2.53

The very interesting thing in this connection is that the cure is not only all-comprehensive and radical but also vindictive, the agent of the mischief, the snake, being compelled by virtue of the remedy to take the poison of its own bite—thus the devil being hoisted with its own petard. This process might be regarded as an ancient anticipation of the modern process of auto-vaccination both being based on precisely the same principle of *vishasya vishamuushadham*—poison is the antidote against poison. This wonderfully useful but academically unrecognised Science of Cure against snake-bite is successfully practised by illiterate but skilful exorcists in obscure corners of this country. The germ of snake worship as represented by the modern *Vāstu* and *Manasā Pūjā* may be traced in one of the verses.