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witnessed the epis ide, the people came back, and discussed it with others in the same village, and with people in the neighbouring villages. It became widely known that the snake Canda kausika had become perfectly peaceful and had given up the administration of his venom to others. People became immensely happy. The snake had changed into a god in their eyes. So they came to worship him everyday with milk and sugar. They placed these before him and went away. The smell of these things attracted many pests and ants round the snake at all hours, and these made his life extremely miserable; but the snake had been inspired to the great ideal of Mahavira, and so he did not display anger or restlessness in any way. He held fast to the great ideal of forbearance. What to speak of hurting or disturbing any insect in any way, he did not change his place (to save his own life). Bearing pain with calm and equanimity, he died and was born in heaven as a god. (1)
The Buddha's victory over Canda-naga
The Buddha reached the cottage of Uruvela Kasyapa Jațila and said to him,
"If it causes you no inconvenience, then, I desire to take shelter in your sacrifical cottage (agni-śālā).
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On hearing these words of the stranger, Uruvela Kasyapa said,
"Great Śramaņa! You are perfectly welcome to stay at my cottage. It will be a pleasure for me, except for the fact that here lives a king-cobra who is extremely severe and who possesses great divine power too. I am afraid, he may cause you great harm".
The Buddha repeated the request for the second time, and then for the third time, and said,
"Kasyapa! That snake will do me no harm. You give me shelter in your cottage. "1
Uruvela permitted him to stay. The Buddha spread some hay in a corner, prepared his seat on it, sraightened his body, fixed his mind and sat on it, King-cobra saw him