Vasuki : The Naga King

Vasuki

Introduction

The Naga king, known as Vasuki, is closely associated with Shiva, the Hindu deity. He is depicted around Shiva’s neck, and his lineage can be traced back to Kadru and Kashyapa. According to Hindu scriptures, Vasuki became Shiva’s bowstring, and he destroyed the three Tripuradahana towns. He is a highly regarded figure in all Naga festivals.

According to Mahabharata, Bhima, who was Pandu’s son, met with Vasuki while they were in an underwater kingdom. After helping him drink nectar, Vasuki made him even more powerful. Naga king Vasuki is considered to be the second king of the Nagas in Hinduism. He is known to have a Nagamani, which is a serpent’s ornament, on his head. In Hindu iconography, he is often depicted with his neck wrapped around Shiva. It is believed that he was blessed and made an ornament.

Physical Traits

The Naga king, Vasuki, is depicted with several heads. He is regarded as the king of snakes with a large body, and he can be seen in various forms. One of these is in Patala Loka, where he rules over the snakes in the underworld.

Vasuki lived in a palace of a water god known as Varuna. In his third form, he lives on Mount Kailash, and he is a five-headed snake that’s connected to the neck of Mahadev. He is also adorned with Nagamani, a magical gemstone.

Family

Vasuki is the child of Kashyapa, Kadru, and grandson of Brahma, who is the creator of the universe. Kadru and her sister Vinata asked their husband, the sage Kashyapa, for sons: Kadru asked for a thousand great sons, and Vinata asked for two, but greater than a thousand sons of Kadru. The future serpent king Vasuki was born among the thousand sons of Kadru, the second after the serpent Shesha Naag. From Vinata were born Garuda, who became the mount of Vishnu, and Aruna, who became the charioteer of Surya the Sun.

The serpent Shesha, who was Vasuki’s elder brother, left to perform his own ascetic activities. He refused to connect with his brothers, but being more protective of his brothers, Vasuki continued to stay with his family. He was also honest and dedicated to attaining spiritual enlightenment. The serpent king’s sister, known as Manasa Devi, is a serpent goddess who can cure diseases and bites.

Other names

In Japanese and Chinese mythology, he is regarded as one of the Great Dragon Kings, along with the likes of Upananda, Nanda, Sgara, Takshaka, Anavatapta, Utpala, and Balavan.

Powers and Abilities

The Samudra Manthan, which is also referred to as the ocean churning, is a significant event in Hindu mythology. During this time, Vasuki played a vital role in this event. Asuras and Devas were asked by Sri Hari Vishnu to help obtain Amrita. When it came to finding a rope that big enough to wrap around Mount Mandarachal, it was not easy. The asuras and devas then asked Vasuki for assistance. He agreed to become a churning rope, and the two entities were able to plow the ocean with his help.

It’s believed that during this time, Garuda, who was an enemy of snakes, invited Vasuki to help with the ocean churning. However, instead of treating him kindly, Garuda demanded his assistance. Even though Garuda was disrespectful, Vasuki was still willing to help. The serpent’s head and tail were dragged along the ground as it grabbed him. When it folded in half, the massive bird could not carry him. Lord Shiva then carried Vasuki as a bracelet.

Modern Day Influence

Located in various locations such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, the Vasuka or Vasuca temple is known to be located near Haripad,at Mannarasala Illoma in the state of Kerala. According to a local legend of the Kukke Subramanya temple in Karnataka, Kartikeya offered to protect Vasuki from Garuda, who was riding on Vishnu’s mount.