Takshaka


Takshaka is a Nagaraja in Hinduism and Buddhism. He is mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. He lived in a city named Takshasila, which was the new territory of Takshaka after his race was banished by Pandavas led by Arjuna from the Khandava Forest and Kurukshetra, where they built their new kingdom.
Takshaka is known in Chinese and Japanese mythology as being one of the "eight Great Dragon Kings", they are the only snakes which can fly and also mentioned as the most venomous snakes,amongst Nanda, Upananda, Sagara, Vasuki, Balavan, Anavatapta and Utpala...

Hinduism

The King of Nagas

Takshaka is mentioned as a King of the Nagas at. Takshaka is mentioned as the friend of Indra the Deva king, at. Takshaka, formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava . Takshaka and Aswasena were constant companions who lived in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati. Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, resided at the holy place called Mahadyumna with a view to obtaining the chiefship of the serpents. He was 4th king of Kamyaka. Takshaka is also known as a great nemesis enemy of Shesha naag.

Story

According to Shrimad Bhagavatam, Takshaka belonged to the Ikshvaku dynasty. He was a descendant of Shri Rama. The name of Takshaka's son was Brihadbala, who was killed in battle by Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
Takshaka lived in the Khandav forest. Nagas lived there with other tribes like the Pisacha, Rakshasas and Daityas and Danavas . Arjuna burned that forest at the behest of Agni. At that time the Naga chief Takshaka was not there, having gone to Kurukshetra. But Aswasena, the mighty son of Takshaka, was there. Arjuna slew Takshaka's wife, the mother of Aswasena. But Aswasena escaped . To revenge upon the slaughter of his mother, Aswasena attacked Arjuna during Kurukshetra War , while he was battling with Karna. Aswasena is mentioned here as born in the race of Airavata. An Asura named Mayasura who was a great architect is mentioned as escaping from the abode of Takshaka when Khandava Forest was burned.

Revenge on Pandavas

After King Parikshit was cursed by a sage's son to die by a snake bite for insulting his father, Takshaka came to fulfil the curse. Takshaka did the deed by approaching in disguise and biting Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna and thus slaying him, while he was meditating on Lord Vishnu. He also prevented the possibility of getting any medical aid to the king, by bribing a priest in the Kasyapa clan, who was an expert in curing people from snake-poisoning.
Later King Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, fought a war at Takshasila and expelled the Nagas headed by Takshaka from there too.
Utanka soon became another victim while he was passing through the domain of Takshaka. By visiting Janamejaya, Utanka invoked the ire of that Kuru king, which was directed at its full force, towards Takshaka and the Naga race. Janamejaya started a campaign at Takshasila where he massacred the Nagas, with the intent of exterminating the Naga race. Takshaka left his territory and escaped to the Deva territory where he sought protection from Deva king Indra. But Janamejaya's men traced him and brought him as a prisoner in order to execute him along with the other Naga chiefs. At that time, a learned sage named Astika, a boy in age, came and interfered. His mother Manasa was a Naga and father was a Brahmin. Janamejaya had to listen to the words of the learned Astika and set Takshaka free. He also stopped the massacre of the Nagas and ended all the enmity with them. From then on, the Nagas and Kurus lived in peace. Janamejaya became a peace-loving king as well.

Other references

Takshaka, disguising as a beggar, stole the ear-rings of Paushya king's queen, which she gave as a gift to a Brahmin named Uttanka. Uttanka managed to get it back with the help of others. He wished to revenge on Takshaka and proceeded towards Hastinapura, the capital of Kuru king Janamejaya, the great-grandson of Arjuna. Uttanka then waited upon King Janamejaya who had some time before returned victorious from Takshashila. Uttanka reminded the king of his father Parikshit's death, at the hands of Takshaka.
In the chapters Uttanka's history is repeated where the ear-rings were mentioned to be of queen Madayanti, the wife of king Saudasa . A Naga in the race of Airavata is said to steal away the ear-rings.