- Vasuki
Vasuki is a Sanskrit name for a naga, one of the serpents of
Buddhist andHindu mythology. He is a great King of the nagas and has a gem ("Nagamani") on his head.Manasa , another naga is his sister. Vasuki is known in Chinese and Japanese mythology as being one of the "eight Great Naga Kings" (八龍王 Hachi Ryuu-ou), amongst Nanda (Nagaraja), Upananda, Sagara (Shakara), Takshaka, Balavan, Anavatapta and Utpala.Vasuki was also the name of the devout wife of the Tamil poet
Thiruvalluvar .Legends of Vasuki
The most famous legend in
Hinduism that Vasuki takes part in the incident ofSamudra manthan , the churning theocean of milk . He agreed to allow the devas (gods) and theasura s (demons) use him as the churning rope, bound withMount Mandara when they churned the ocean of milk for the ambrosia of immortality. While Vasuki was being used as a rope, the strain caused him to exhaleHalahala , the most potent venom in the universe. There was the danger that the Halahala could destroy all living beings and perhaps the universe itself. ThenShiva , in order to prevent the destruction of the cosmos, decided to swallow the poison himself. The venom turned his throat blue, and thus earned him the title "Nilakanta" (blue-throated).Vasuki is also mentioned and used as a tightening rope in other
Hindu scripture s, such as in each of theItihasa s (Ramayana andMahabharata ).In the
Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 28), in the middle of the battlefied "Kurukshetra", Krishna explaining his omnipresence, says - "Of seperants(sarpa), I am Vasuki" indicating the importance of Vasuki.In Buddhist mythology, Vasuki and the other Naga Kings were amongst the audiences of many of the Buddha's sermons. Their duties as Naga Kings included leading the protection, worship and honoring of the Buddha (amongst the Naga) and also to see that other enlightened beings are protected when in danger.
ee also
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Snake worship
*Naga
*Nagaraja
*kuzuryu
*Dragon King
*Hindu mythology
*Buddhist mythology References
*
Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna L. Dallapiccola
* [http://members.cox.net/apamnapat/entities/Vasuki.html Indian Mythology, by ApamNapat]
* [http://www.khandro.net/mysterious_naga.htm Nagas]
* [http://www.indiadivine.org/ramayana-kumbhakarna-ravana1.htm Stories from the Ramayana]
* [http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/hachi-bushu.shtml Hachi Bushu - The Eight Legions, Buddhist Protectors]
*Dragon in China and Japan (ISBN 0-7661-5839-X) by M.W. De Visser
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