Now on that occasion King Pajjota of Ujjenī was sick with jaundice.

Many great doctors, the foremost in all directions, having come to treat him, couldn’t cure him of his illness. Taking a great deal of money, they left.

So King Pajjota sent a messenger to the presence of King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, (saying,) “We, your majesty, are sick with this sort of illness. It would be good if your majesty would command doctor Jīvaka. He will treat me.”

So King Seniya Bimbisāra commanded Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Go, I say, Jīvaka. Having gone to Ujjenī, treat King Pajjota.”

Responding, “As you say, your majesty,” to King Seniya Bimbisāra, and having gone to Ujjenī, Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to King Pajjota and, on arrival, having observed his symptoms, said to him,

“Your majesty, I will concoct some ghee, so that your majesty may drink it.”

“Enough, I say, Jīvaka. Whatever you can do to cure (me) without ghee, do that. Ghee is disgusting to me. Loathsome.”

The thought occurred to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “The disease of this king is of a sort that I cannot cure it without ghee. What if I were to concoct ghee with an astringent color, astringent smell, astringent taste?”

So, with various medicines, he concocted ghee with an astringent color, astringent smell, astringent taste.

Then the thought occurred to him, “This ghee, when drunk & digested by the king, will make him belch. The king is vicious. He could have me killed. What if I were to take leave as a precaution?”

So Jīvaka Komārabhacca went to King Pajjota and, on arrival, said to him,

“Your majesty, we doctors, you know, have to dig up roots and gather medicines at just the right moment. It would be good if your majesty were to command (the men) at the stables & city gates, ‘Let Jīvaka go by whatever mount he wants, go through any gate he wants, go at any time he wants, and to enter at any time he wants.’”

So King Pajjota commanded (the men) at the stables and city gates: “Let Jīvaka go by whatever mount he wants, go through any gate he wants, go at any time he wants, and to enter at any time he wants.”

Now at that time King Pajjota had a little she-elephant named Bhaddavatikā who was a fifty-leaguer [could travel fifty leagues in a day].

Then Jīvaka Komārabhacca offered the ghee to King Pajjota, (saying,) “May your majesty drink the astringent.”

Then, having gotten King Pajjota to drink the ghee and having gone to the elephant stable, he fled the city on the little she-elephant Bhaddavatikā.

Then, when the ghee was drunk and digested by King Pajjota, he belched.

He said to his people, “That vile Jīvaka got me to drink ghee! Very well then, I say, go find doctor Jīvaka!”

“He has fled the city on the little she-elephant Bhaddavatikā, your majesty.”

Now at that time King Pajjota had a slave named Kāka [Crow], a sixty-leaguer sired by a non-human being.

So King Pajjota commanded him, “I say, Kāka, go turn doctor Jīvaka back, (saying,) ‘Teacher, the king has ordered you to be turned back.’ And you know, Kāka, these doctors have many tricks. Don’t accept anything from him.”

Then Kāka the slave caught up with Jīvaka Komārabhacca while he was on the road at Kosambī having breakfast.

He said to him, “Teacher, the king orders you to be turned back.”

“Wait, I say, Kāka, while I eat. And come, now. You eat, too.”

“No, teacher. I was commanded by the king: ‘And you know, Kāka, these doctors have many tricks. Don’t accept anything from him.’”

Now, on that occasion Jīvaka Komārabhacca was eating an emblic myrobalan while inserting medicine in it with his fingernail and drinking water. [Note: Apparently Jīvaka was inserting medicine to counteract the strong purgative properties of the emblic myrobalan, of which the Indian variety is larger and evidently more potent than the Southeast Asian variety.]

So he said to Kāka the slave, “Come now, I say, Kāka. Eat some emblic myrobalan and drink some water, too.”

Then Kāka the slave, (thinking,) “This doctor is eating emblic myrobalan and drinking water; it shouldn’t do anything bad,” ate half an emblic myrobalan and drank water.

And when he had eaten it, the half of the emblic myrobalan purged him right then & there.

So he said to Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Teacher, will I live?”

“I say, Kāka, don’t be afraid. You will soon be cured, as will the king. The king is vicious. He could even have me killed, so I won’t turn back.” Handing the little she-elephant Bhaddavatikā over to Kāka, Jīvaka Komārabhacca set out for Rājagaha. Traveling by stages, he reached Rājagaha and King Seniya Bimbisāra, and on arrival told the king what had happened.

“You did well, I say, Jīvaka, in not turning back. The king is vicious. He could even have had you killed.”

Then King Pajjota, having been cured of his illness, sent a messenger to the presence of Jīvaka Komārabhacca, “Let Jīvaka come. I will give him a boon.”

“Enough, your majesty. May your majesty simply remember my service.”