Agnivesha, hear me carefully. Next I will explain about visha with the following aspects. Utpatti (origin), guna (properties), yoni (source), vegas (stages), lakshana (signs and symptoms) and chikitsa (therapeutic measures).
[History of origin of visha] While the ocean was being churned by devas and asuras for obtaining amrita (nectar of life), before the formation of amrita a ferocious looking person with fiery eyes, four fangs and greenish locks emerged.