Prince Brahmadatta, son of the king of Benares, lived on the banks of the Yamuná, exiled from his father's kingdom. He wore the garb of an ascetic, but his heart was not in the ascetic life, and, when a Nága maiden tried to seduce him, he easily succumbed. Their children were Ságara Brahmadatta and Samuddajá. When the king of Benares died, Brahmadatta returned with his children to the kingdom and his Nága wife returned to the Nága world. While playing about in a lake specially prepared for them, the children of Brahmadatta discovered a tortoise, Cittacúla, and were much frightened. Cittacúla was brought before the king and was ordered to be cast into the Yamuná, that being the direst penalty the king could envisage. Caught in a whirlpool, Cittacúla was carried to the realm of the Nágaking Dhatarattha, and, when questioned, had the presence of mind to say that he had been sent from Benares to propose a marriage between Dhatarattha and Samuddajá. Nága messengers were sent to the Benares court to make arrangements, and they laid their proposal before the king. Cittacúla had meanwhile spirited himself away. Brahmadatta was horrified at the proposals of the messengers, and did not fail to say so, whereupon Dhatarattha was so incensed at the insult offered to him that he laid siege to Benares with his Nága hosts. To avert the total destruction of the city, Samuddajá was given to Dhatarattha, with whom she dwelt for a long time without discovering that she was in the Nága world, everyone, at the king's orders, having assumed human form. Samuddajá had four children Sudassana, Datta, Subhaga and Arittha (Kánárittha) - and one step daughter, Accimukhí. Datta, who was the Bodhisatta, used to visit Virúpakkha, the ruler of the Nága hosts, and one day went with him to pay homage to Sakka. In the assembly a question arose which only Datta could answer, and Sakka was so pleased with him that he gave him the name of Bhúridatta (wise Datta). Anxious to be born in Sakka's company, Bhúridatta took the vows and observed the fast, lying on the top of an ant hill. At the end of the fast, Nága maidens would come and take him back.
One day a brahmin villager and his son, Somadatta, went hunting in the forest and spent the night on a banyan tree near where Bhúridatta lay. At dawn, these two saw the Nága maidens come for Bhúridatta and witnessed their song and dance, which Bhúridatta, having laid aside his snake form, much enjoyed. Discovering the presence of the villagers, Bhúridatta entered into conversation with them, and invited them to the Nága world, where they passed a whole year, enjoying great luxury. Owing to lack of merit, the villagers grew discontented and wished to return to the world of men on the pretext that they wished to become ascetics. Bhúridatta offered them a wish conferring jewel, but this they refused, saying that they had no use for it. Once in the world of men, Somadatta and his father took off their ornaments to bathe, but these divine ornaments disappeared to the Nága world.
Some time later, while father and son were wandering about in the forest, having returned from stalking deer, they met a brahmin called Alambáyana, who possessed a Nága jewel. He was a poor man of Benares who had fled into the forest to escape his creditors. There he had met an ascetic, Kosiya, to whom a Garuda king had taught the Álambáyana spell which was potent to tame Nágas. The Garuda had torn up a banyan tree, which shaded the ascetic's walk. A Nága, which the Garuda had seized, coiled itself round the tree, but the Garuda carried the tree with the Nága on it. When he discovered that he had done the ascetic an injury in pulling up the tree, he felt repentant and taught the ascetic the Álambáyana spell by way of atonement. The ascetic, in turn, taught it to the poor brahmin, hoping it would help him. The brahmin, now called Álambáyana, left the ascetic and, while wandering about, came across some Nágas, carrying Bhúridatta's jewel. They heard him recite the spell and fled in terror, leaving behind them the jewel, which he picked up.
When Somadatta and his father met the brahmin, they saw the jewel, and the father schemed to steal it. He told Álambáyana of the difficulties connected with guarding the jewel and of how dangerous it might prove, if not duly honoured. If Álambáyana would give him the jewel, he would show him the abode of Bhúridatta, whom the brahmin might then capture, making money with his help. When Somadatta realized his father's treachery, he rebuked him and fled from him. Álambáyana went with the villager and captured Bhúridatta and crushed his bones. Having thus rendered the Nága helpless. Álambáyana put him in a basket and travelled about making him dance before large audiences The jewel, which Álambáyana gave to the treacherous villager, slipped from the later's hand and returned to the Nága world.
On the day of the capture of Bhúridatta, his mother had a terrifying dream, and later, when Bhúridatta had been absent for a month, she grew very anxious and lamented piteously. A search was instituted - Kánárittha was sent to the deva world, Subhaga to Himavá, Sudassana and Accimukhí to the world of men. Sudassana went disguised as an ascetic, and Accimukhí, assuming the form of a frog, hid in his matted hair. They found Álambáyana making ready to give an exhibition of Bhúridatta's dancing before the king of Benares. Sudassana took up his stand at the edge of the crowd, and Bhúridatta, seeing him, went up to him. The crowd retreated in fear. When Bhúridatta was back in his basket, Sudassana challenged Álambáyana to prove that his magic powers were greater than those of Sudassana. This challenge was accepted, and Sudassana called out to Accimukhí who, uttering the frog's cry, stood on his shoulder, and having spat drops of poison on to his palm, went back into his hair. Saying that the country would be destroyed if the poison fell on the earth, Sudassana had three holes dug, and filled the first with drugs, the second with cow dung, and the third with heavenly medicines. He poured the poison into the first hole; a flame instantly burst out, spread to the second, and, having travelled on to the third, consumed all the medicines and was extinguished. Álambáyana was standing near the last hole: the heat of the poison smote him, the colour of his skin changed, and he became a leper. Filled with terror, he set the Nága free. Bhúridatta assumed a radiant form decked with all ornaments; so did Sudassana and Accimukhí. The king, on discovering that they were the children of Samuddajá, rejoiced greatly and entertained them. Bhúridatta returned to the Nága world, the king accompanying him. The king stayed there for some days and then returned to his kingdom.
Subhaga, in the course of his wanderings, came across Somadatta's father, and, on discovering that it was he who had betrayed Bhúridatta, snatched him away into the Nága world, after first nearly drowning him in the whirlpools of the Yamuná. Kánárittha, who was guarding the entrance to the room where Bhúridatta lay ill and tired after his experiences, protested against Subhaga's ill treatment of a brahmin, and described the greatness of the brahmins and the importance of holding sacrifices and of learning the Vedas. The Nágas, who were listening, were greatly impressed, and Bhúridatta, seeing them in danger of accepting false doctrine, sent for Kánárittha, confuted his arguments, and converted the Nágas to the right view. Some time after, Bhúridatta, with his retinue, and followed by Dhatarattha, Samuddajá, and their other children, visited his grandfather Brahmadatta, who had become an ascetic. There they met Ságara Brahmadatta, now king of Benares, and great was the rejoicing over their reunion. Samuddajá then returned with her family to the Nága world, where they lived happily to the end of their days.
The story was related in reference to some laymen of Sávatthi who kept the fast diligently.
Devadatta is identified with Álambáyana, Ananda with Somadatta, Uppalavanná with Accimukhí, Sáriputta with Sudassana, Moggallána with Subhaga, and Sunakkhatta with Kánárittha (J.vi.157 219).
The story of Bhúridatta is found also in the Cariyápitaka (Cyp.ii.2) as the Bhúridatta cariyá, to illustrate Sílapáramitá. In the fifteenth century Ratthasára, a monk of Ava, wrote a metrical version of the Bhúridatta Játaka. Sás.99.