And so Jīvaka was for the second time installed as king of the physicians.
At the time when Ajātaśatru, impelled by Devadatta, the friend of vice, deprived of his life his father, the lawful king, he fell ill with an internal tumour. He called upon the physicians to cure him. They replied, “O king, as your elder brother is here, Jīvaka, the king of the physicians, wherefore should we cure you?” So the king told his ministers to call in Jīvaka. This was done, and [[108]]the king charged him to remove the tumour, which he undertook to do.
Jīvaka reflected that the tumour might yield to one of two influences, either that of excessive joy or that of excessive wrath. And that as it would be impossible to arouse excessive joy within so sinful a man, it would be necessary at all risks to excite in him excessive wrath. So he told the king that he could heal him, provided that the king would feed on Prince Udajibhadra’s flesh.
When the king heard this he became furious, and cried, “Very good! I have killed my father, and you want to put Udajibhadra to death. Then if I die of this complaint you will be king.”
Jīvaka replied, “Such are the means of effecting a cure; in no other way can I restore you to health.”
When the king had given his consent, Jīvaka brought Prince Udajibhadra before the king, robed in all stately array, and said, “O king, take pains to look well at Prince Udajibhadra, for after this you will not be able to see him again.” Having thus exhibited him, he took him to his own house and there hid him away.
He then went to the cemetery of Śitavana in search of human flesh. There was no lack of corpses there, and from one of these corpses he took some flesh and carried it away with him. This he prepared with the most excellent materials, and then he served it up to the king at dinner-time. When King Ajātaśatru had received the bowl of flesh-broth, and was preparing to partake of it, Jīvaka seized it, hit him over the head with it, and said to him, “O evil-doer, you have taken the life of your own father, and now you want to feed on the flesh of your own son.”
The king cried in his wrath, “If this be so, why have you put him to death?”
As he thus broke out in anger, his tumour gave way, and discharged upwards and downwards, its contents coming to light mixed with blood from the wound. [[109]]When the king saw that, he fell fainting to the ground. But after he had been sprinkled with water he came to himself, and then, when he had bathed and partaken of strengthening nourishment, he recovered his health.
After that, Jīvaka brought before the king Prince Udajibhadra arrayed in all state, and touched the king’s feet and said, “O king, here stands Prince Udajibhadra. I would not deprive an ant of its life, not to speak of the prince. But as it was only by this contrivance that the king’s life could be saved, therefore did I contrive it.” The king marvelled greatly, and gave orders to his ministers to install Jīvaka for the third time as the king of the physicians. The ministers set him upon an elephant and with great pomp installed him for the third time as king of the physicians. [[110]]