Sages & Others
Taraka
तारक
The Asura Who Broke Heaven
Who was Taraka?
Taraka (तारक): The Asura Who Broke Heaven, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The asura who took boons from Brahma and used them to drive the Adityas, Vasus and Rudras out of their stations, so that the gods came in a body asking for a general who could kill him.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | तारक |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Asura Who Broke Heaven |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | Boon-armed, Oppressive, Cunning, Overthrown |
| Notable relationships | Slayer: Skanda, Granter of his boons: Brahma, Dispossessed by him: Indra |
| Featured in | 1 story |
About Taraka
The asura who took boons from Brahma and used them to drive the Adityas, Vasus and Rudras out of their stations, so that the gods came in a body asking for a general who could kill him. He hunted the growing child of Agni by every means he could find, and it was for his destruction that Skanda was born and made generalissimo of the celestial host. Guha killed him at last with the irresistible dart, and the battle fought over him at Samantapanchaka carries his name.
In Their Words
Your grandsire gave me this. Take it back from me if any of you can.
Taraka
Traits
- Boon-armed
- Oppressive
- Cunning
- Overthrown
Story Appearances
Character Arc
- The BoonsWins from Brahma what turns the gods out of heaven
- The HuntTries by every means to destroy Agni's son before he grows
- The DartFalls to Skanda's spear on the field that keeps his name
Key Relationships
Places in Taraka's Story
Drawn from the story Taraka appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.