Vasuki is one of the sons of the sage
Kashyapa and
Kadru. He is accorded a significant role in the legend of
Samudra Manthana. He is described to have allowed both the
devas and the
asuras to bind him to
Mount Mandara, so that they could use him as their churning rope to extract the
amrita from the
Ocean of Milk.In the
Mahabharata, Vasuki is stated to have been cursed by Kadru. He refused to aid her in her scheme of hanging to the tail of the divine horse
Ucchaishshravas with his other siblings to cause it to appear black, so that she could cheat in her wager against her sister
Vinata. Condemned to burn with numerous brothers in King
Janamejaya's
snake sacrifice, he sought refuge with the devas, participating in the churning of the ocean. Having retreated to the
netherworld, but wishing to save his brothers from the snake sacrifice, Vasuki sought the counsel of his siblings. One of them, Elapatra, stated that he had overheard
Brahma informing the other deities that the son born to their sister named
Jaratkaru and a
sage who shared the same name would be their saviour. Vasuki made the arrangements to marry his sister to the sage. The son born to them,
Astika, was able to successfully put an end to Janamejaya's persecution of the nagas. == Buddhism ==