Divine Beings
Vasuki
वासुकि
King of the Nagas
Who was Vasuki?
Vasuki (वासुकि): King of the Nagas, one of the divine beings in the Mahabharata. The serpent king who served as the churning-rope of Mount Mandara and later gave his sister to the sage Jaratkaru so that Astika might one day save the nagas from Janamejaya's fire.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | वासुकि |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | King of the Nagas |
| Faction | Divine Beings |
| Key traits | enduring, wise, kingly |
| Featured in | 20 stories |
About Vasuki
The serpent king who served as the churning-rope of Mount Mandara and later gave his sister to the sage Jaratkaru so that Astika might one day save the nagas from Janamejaya's fire.
In Their Words
My body burned as the rope of the churning - yet the nectar was not for us.
Vasuki
Traits
- enduring
- wise
- kingly
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Vasuki
18 further tales on this site name Vasuki, in canonical reading order.
- Garuda and the AmritaThe Great Bird's Quest
- A Royal Childhood at HastinapuraPandavas, Kauravas, and the Lessons of Drona
- The Lineages of Gods and DemonsVaishampayana recites the descent of every creature from Brahma and the daughters of Daksha
- The Hanging FathersJaratkaru's debt to the dead
- The Wager Over the Horse's TailHow the serpents and the birds became enemies
- The Council of the SerpentsA doomed people debating how to survive
- Nagaloka, the Serpent Realm BelowThe jeweled underworld of the nagas
- The Poisoned PrinceBhima at Pramanakoti and the naga realm
- The Cow at the Bottom of the WorldSurabhi, the four cows of the quarters, and the cities beneath Patala
- Garuda's Map of the WorldThe four directions described from a bird's back
- The One Who Walked Ahead of the ChariotArjuna finally asks who has been winning his battles
- The One Who Walked Before the CarVyasa tells Arjuna whose lance was breaking the ranks in front of him
- The Vows Before the Final DuelKarna, Shalya, Krishna and Arjuna each say what they will do when the other man dies
- The River With Seven NamesWherever she was called, she came
- The Anointing of the War GodEvery god brings a gift to a six-day-old commander
- The Savitri Mantra of SalutationsBhishma gives Yudhishthira the roll of names to be said at dawn
- The Earrings of MadayantiA pupil grown old, and a bargain with a man-eating king
- Balarama Returns to the SeaThe Serpent Leaves by the Mouth It Came From
Places in Vasuki's Story
Drawn from the stories Vasuki appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Divine Beings.