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TAKSAKA I 783 Taksaslla TAKSAKA I 783 TAKSASlLA At that time Kasyapa [There is a version that it was From that day onwards Uttanka waited for an oppor- Dhanvantari who was thus sent back by Taksaka. 9th tunity to take vengeance on Taksaka. It was at that the Skandha, Devi Bhagavata] was the greatest of all time that Janamejaya, son of Parlksit, became king. physicians and mantrikas and, greedy that he was, he Janamejaya was only eleven years old when he became started to the palace of Parlksit thinking that it would king and he was not then aware of the details of the be the best opportunity to obtain some money from the death of his father. Uttanka went to him and told King. Taksaka also was going to the palace in the guise him how Taksaka killed his father. Janamejaya became of a brahmin. On the way Taksaka met Kasyapa and furious and asked him how to wreak vengeance on him. knowing well that the presence of the celebrated Uttanka suggested the performance of a Sarpasatra to Kasyapa at the palace would be an obstacle to the which all the serpents should be attracted by mantras achievement of his mission, he approached Kasyapa. and burnt to death there. The young king agreed and They talked on the way and Kasyapa said he was going Uttanka with other rsis commenced the Sarpasatra. to the palace to save the King from the bite of Taksaka. One by one all the serpents came and fell into the sacri- Then Taksaka, revealing his identity, said that it was ficial fire but Taksaka was not to be found. Where is impossible to save anybody from the result of his bite. Taksaka? This question was heard from many lips. Both then decided to test their skill then and there. A Taksaka was specially invoked by Uttanka. Taksaka huge banyan tree with many branches spreading wide could not bear the power of Uttanka and he ran and was standing nearby and Taksaka gave it a bite. prostrated before Indra. Indra not only did give refuge Within seconds the huge tree was charred to destruct- but gave him half of his seat in the throne and Taksaka ion; Kasyapa then took some water and reciting a sat on it fully confident of security. Uttanka was mantra poured the water over the ashes of the tree and enraged, when after repeated calls by mantra, Taksaka then to the surprise of Taksaka, the tree rose up and did not appear and so he sat in meditation for some stood in its original form. On seeing that Taksaka time to know the cause. He then saw Taksaka sitting confessed that Kasyapa was superior fo him. Taksaka on the throne of Indra and the sight threw him into then coaxed him to his side and giving him a huge fury and he invoked Taksaka, Indra and the throne amount as bribe bade him return home. and all. Lo ! in an instant Indra, Taksaka, the throne and all started moving towards the sacrificial fire ! Six days went by and on the seventh day Taksaka Within seconds all would have been burnt to death reached the palace of Parlksit. He found the palace but for the timely intervention of a brahmin boy named well-guarded and watched. There was no way to go in. son of the under Astika, Taksaka then called all his relatives and had them Astika, sage Jaratkaru. (See Taksaka escaped death that time). disguised as brahmins. He sent them in with fruits and Taksaka by instructions from Indra was living in the roots, like people who had come to pay homage to the forest of Khandava and when that was burnt by Agni, King. Taksaka crept into one of the most attractive of it was Indra who saved Taksaka from the fire. (See the fruits as a tiny worm. The guards at the gate stop- under Khandavadaha). ped them. The fake brahmins then said that they had 4) Other details. come a long way from a far off tapovana and should be A called Candrangada lived in the house of allowed to see the King. The information was carried (i) king Taksaka for some time. under . The said he would seethe brahmins (See Candrangada) to the King. King named (ii) Taksaka in the guise of a brahmin Ksapa- the next day but ordered their gifts to be brought to naka went to the Uttanka and stole the ornaments him. When the fruits and roots were brought to him, sage from him. (See under Uttanka) . he gave a fruit each to the ministers, himself taking Once the Earth was made into a cow and every- the most beautiful fruit of the lot. When he cut the (iii) body milked Irom her what each wanted. The serpents fruit open he saw a worm with two black eyes and a milked poison from her and they then used Taksaka as red body sitting inside it and was a bit surprised. Then the calf. (See under Prthu). he addressed his ministers thus : "Oh, best of ministers, the forest of (iv) During the burning of Khandava, by your earnest and sincere endeavour nothing has Arjuna slew the wife of Taksaka. (See under Khanda- happened to me till now. The Sun is going to set and . the term of the curse is going to end. There is no need vadaha) When the soul of Balabhadrarama, after his death, to be afraid of any poison now. But let not a curse of (v) reached Patala, Taksaka received it with respect. (Sloka a sage go futile. Let this worm bite me and fulfill the 4, Mausala Parva). curse." So the took the worm and 15, Chapter saying King placed of (vi) Taksaka lives in the court Varuna worshipping it on his neck. The worm changed itself into the fierce him. Chapter9, Sabha Parva). Taksaka and bit the King and the King fell down (SlokaS, II. The elder of the two sons of Laksmana dead. (12th Skandha, Devi Bhagavata) . TAKSAKA of his wife Urmila. The other was Chatraketu. Follow- How Taksaka became Indra's jtiend. Once the son of 3) the instructions of Sri Rama, Laksmana went to the a of divine named Uttanka was ing sage great splendour tribe there. He then edu- east sea coast, defeated the forest studying under a Guru named Veda. When his constructed a city there named Agati and made Taksaka cation was complete, the Guru asked him to bring the there. He then went to the west sea-coast as daksina the ear-rings worn by the Ksatriya king (fees) and the barbarous tribe there constructed a wife of Pausya. Indra made Taksaka steal the destroying King there called Candramati and made Chatraketu ornament and created many obstacles on the way. city candraketu) the king. (Uttara Ramayana) . incident made (? (For details see under Uttanka) That of Puranic situated in the them mutual friends and gradually Taksaka became an TAKSASlLA. A place celebrity Even from ancient times this intimate friend of Indra. north-west of Bharala..
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