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((Short description|Indian mythological serpent))
((refimprove|date=February 2024))
((Infobox deity<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Hindu mythology-->
| type         = Hindu
| image        = Taxaka Statue.jpg
| caption      = [[Cult image|Idol]] of Takshaka at Taxakeshwar temple
| name         = Takshaka
| Devanagari   = तक्षक
| Sanskrit_transliteration = Takṣaka
| Tamil_script = 
| script_name  = <!--Enter name of local script used-->
| script       = <!--Enter the name of the deity in the local script used -->
| affiliation  = [[Nāga]]
| god_of       = 
| abode        = Indrapuri
| mantra       = 
| weapon       = 
| consort      = 
| mount        = 
))

'''Takshaka''' (((lang-sa|तक्षक)), ((IAST|Takṣaka))) is a [[Nagaraja]] in [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]]. He is mentioned in the [[Hindu]] epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''. He is described to be a king of the [[Nāga|Nagas]] and one of the sons of [[Kadru]]. 

Takshaka are also known in Chinese and Japanese mythology as being one of the "eight Great Dragon Kings" (八大龍王 Hachi-dai Ryuu-ou),<ref>((Cite web|url=http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Eight_great_dragon_kings|title=Eight great dragon kings - Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia))</ref>  they are the only snakes which can fly and also mentioned as the most venomous snakes, amongst Nanda (Nagaraja), Upananda, Sagara (Shakara), Vasuki, Balavan, Anavatapta and Utpala.

==Hinduism==

=== The King of the Nagas ===
Takshaka is mentioned as a King of the [[Nāga|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 Forest|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 [[Pisacha|Pisachas]], [[Rakshasa Kingdom|Rakshasas]] and [[Daitya]]s and [[Danava (Hinduism)|Danava]]s (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 [[Tripurasura|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 ===
[[File:Snakesacrifice.jpg|thumb|The snake sacrifice of [[Janamejaya II|Janamejaya]] as Astika tries to stop it]]
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 (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).
[[File:Kashyapa alive tree what is burnt by Takshak ( near Pond ) and parikshit bitten by Takshak.jpg|thumb|Kashyapa alive tree what is burnt by Takshak (near Pond) and parikshit bitten by Takshak, folio from Birla razmnama]]
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 (kingdom)|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 (mythology)|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 ==
Takshaka, disguised as a beggar, stole the earrings of [[Kalmashapada|Paushya]] king's queen, which she had given 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 Kingdom|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 (1,3).

''In the chapters (14-53 to 58) Uttanka's history is repeated where the ear-rings were mentioned to be of queen Madayanti, the wife of king [[Saudasa]] (an Ikshwaku king) (14,57). A Naga in the race of Airavata is said to steal away the ear-rings (14,58).''

*A king named Riksha in the race of [[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Puru]] (a branch of [[Lunar Dynasty]]) is mentioned as marrying the daughter of a Naga in the race of Takshaka (1,95).
*[[Bhishma]] is compared in prowess to Naga Takshaka at (6,108).
*Takshaka snake means [[Chrysopelea|gliding snake]] in [[Hindi]] and [[Sanskrit]] languages.<ref>((cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvJZ-HWHX9c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/fvJZ-HWHX9c |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title= Takshak-the flying snake|website=[[YouTube]] |accessdate=17 August 2014))((cbignore))</ref>

==References==
((reflist))

[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Nāgas]]

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