The King of the Nagas Takshaka is mentioned as a King of the
Nagas at (1,3). Takshaka is mentioned as the friend of Indra, the king of gods, at (1-225,227,230). Takshaka, formerly dwelt in
Kurukshetra and the forest of
Khandava (modern-day
Delhi) (1,3). Takshaka and Ashvasena were constant companions who lived in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati (1,3). Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, resided at the holy place called Mahadyumna with a view to obtaining the chiefship of the serpents (1,3). He was 4th king of
Kamyaka.
Legend According to the
Shrimad Bhagavatam, Takshaka belonged to the
Ikshvaku dynasty. He was a descendant of
Rama. The name of Takshaka's son was
Brihadbala, who was killed in battle by
Abhimanyu, the son of
Arjuna. Takshaka lived in the Khandava forest (1,225). Nagas lived there with other tribes like the
Pisachas,
Rakshasas and
Daityas and
Danavas (clans of
Asuras) (1,227).
Arjuna burned that forest at the behest of Agni. At that time the Naga chief Takshaka was not there, having gone to
Kurukshetra. But Ashvasena, the mighty son of Takshaka, was there. Arjuna slew Takshaka's wife, the mother of Ashvasena. But Ashvasena escaped (1-229,230) (4,2). To revenge upon the slaughter of his mother, Ashvasena attacked Arjuna during
Kurukshetra War (8,90) (9,61), while he was battling with
Karna. Ashvasena is mentioned here as born in the race of
Airavata (8,90). The asura architect
Mayasura who came there after Shiva warned him of the fall of
Tripura is mentioned as escaping from the abode of Takshaka when
Khandava Forest was burned (1,230) though some stories portray him as coming out to bow before Krishna and then guiding the Pandavas to a cave where an ancient treasure horde that also had the
gandiva bow in it.
Revenge on Pandavas as Astika tries to stop it When 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 (1,50) 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 (1,43). Later King
Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, fought a war at
Takshasila (1,3) 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 (1,52). Takshaka left his territory and escaped to the Deva territory where he sought protection from Deva king Indra (1,53). But Janamejaya's men traced him and brought him as a prisoner in order to execute him along with the other Naga chiefs (1,56). 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 (1,56). From then on, the Nagas and Kurus lived in peace. Janamejaya became a peace-loving king as well. == Other references ==