Sages & Others
Astika
आस्तीक
Savior of the Serpents
Who was Astika?
Astika (आस्तीक): Savior of the Serpents, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. Son of the sage Jaratkaru and the serpent-maiden Jaratkaru, born to save the nagas.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | आस्तीक |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Savior of the Serpents |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | eloquent, compassionate, destined |
| Featured in | 11 stories |
About Astika
Son of the sage Jaratkaru and the serpent-maiden Jaratkaru, born to save the nagas. His praise so pleased Janamejaya that the king granted him a boon, and he asked that the snake sacrifice cease.
In Their Words
Let the sacrifice end - this is the only boon I ask.
Astika
Traits
- eloquent
- compassionate
- destined
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Astika
9 further tales on this site name Astika, in canonical reading order.
- Half a Life for LoveRuru, Pramadvara, and the Snake
- The Hanging FathersJaratkaru's debt to the dead
- The Snake Who Was a SageA widower's war on an entire species
- The Council of the SerpentsA doomed people debating how to survive
- Nagaloka, the Serpent Realm BelowThe jeweled underworld of the nagas
- Takshashila, City of the Serpent SacrificeWhere the epic was first heard
- Vyasa Brings Back ParikshitA Son Bathes His Dead Father at the Snake Sacrifice
- Balarama Returns to the SeaThe Serpent Leaves by the Mouth It Came From
- The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have been
Places in Astika's Story
Drawn from the stories Astika appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.