Takshaka, Kashyapa and the Serpent Guardians of Wealth - The Naga Who Paid More Than a King in Mahabharata
The incident of Takshaka meeting Sage Kashyapa is told in
Astika Parva of Adi Parva of the Mahabharata. It is found in couple of
chapters, mainly Chapter 39 and Chapter 46. The story is short, but it carry a
deep meaning about wealth, duty and the power of nagas.
Background of the Incident
King Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna,
was cursed by the son of a sage that he will die by the bite of the naga
Takshaka within seven days. The king took the curse seriously. He built a
protected palace on a single pillar and kept guards and physicians around him.
Still, the curse could not be avoided.
On the seventh day, Takshaka was going towards the king in
the form of a Brahmin. On the way, he met Sage Kashyapa, who was going in the
same direction.
Kashyapa Wants to Save the King
Kashyapa was a great master of poison-curing mantras. He had
learned about the curse and he decided to go and rescue the king. Takshaka
asked him where he was going in such a hurry. Kashyapa replied that Takshaka
will bite King Parikshit today and he will go to cure the king with his
mantras.
Takshaka then revealed his real identity and said that he
cannot allow it. To test the sage, Takshaka bit a fig tree and the tree burnt
to ashes. Kashyapa used his knowledge and brought the tree back to life, in
front of Takshaka. Takshaka was surprised by this power.
The Question of Riches
Takshaka then asked the sage why he was taking so much
trouble to save the king. Kashyapa answered honestly that he was going for
riches that the king will give him.
Takshaka made a proposal. He told the sage to take from him
more wealth than the king can give, and return. Kashyapa thought about it and
accepted. He took the riches from Takshaka and went back. Parikshit died as the
curse had said.
Meaning and Teaching of the Incident
This incident can be understood in many ways. One lesson is
that the curse and the time of death cannot be changed easily, even by great
mantras. Another lesson is about the motive of Kashyapa. He had power to give
life, but his purpose was wealth. The Mahabharata shows that even learned
people can be tempted by riches, and it gives this example without much
comment, so the reader can think for himself.
There is also a question of dharma. Some people feel that Kashyapa should have saved the king as a duty of a learned man. Others say that the curse was already decided and his effort would not change the result.
Takshaka as a Naga of Great Wealth
In the incident, Takshaka did not argue with Kashyapa or try
to stop him by force alone. He made an offer of riches, and the offer was more
than what King Parikshit could give. This is important. Parikshit was the
emperor of Hastinapura, ruler of a rich kingdom, and a descendant of the
Pandavas. If a naga could pay more than such a king, it means the wealth of
nagas was very large and was beyond what any earthly treasury could hold.
The Mahabharata does not list the items Takshaka gave. It
only says that Kashyapa took from him as much as he expected from the king, and
then went back. Because the text does not describe it, we can only think about
what kind of wealth it could be.
Patala and the Treasures Inside the Earth
In Hindu belief, the nagas live in Patala and other lower
worlds, which are described in the Puranas and also in the Mahabharata. These
worlds are not poor or dark places. They are described as full of gems, gold,
jewelled palaces and beautiful cities. Bhogavati, the city of the nagas, is
described as a place of great splendour. Naga kings like Vasuki, Shesha and
Takshaka are shown as rulers with large households and treasures.
So the wealth of Takshaka may be understood as the natural
wealth of the earth itself. Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other
precious stones are all found deep inside the earth. Modern people take these
through mining. It is reasonable to think that the old belief about nagas as
keepers of underworld treasure is connected with this fact. Whatever lies below
the ground was seen as the property of the beings who live below.
Knowledge of Hidden Wealth
A ruler of a place knows what is in his territory. If nagas
were rulers of the underworld, they would also know where the metals and stones
are, how deep they lie, and who should or should not take them. This knowledge
is a kind of wealth also. An earthly king has only what is on the surface and
what his people produce. A naga has access to what is hidden from everyone
else.
This idea is seen in many Indian traditions even today. In
villages, people say that snakes sit on buried treasure and guard it. Old
stories speak of hidden pots of gold with a serpent coiled near them. Many old
houses and temples keep a place for the serpent, and the naga is worshipped for
the safety and prosperity of the family. The belief is very old, and the
Takshaka incident is one early example of it.
Nagas, the Earth and Prosperity
The nagas are also connected with water, fertility and the
health of the land. Shesha holds the earth on his hood, according to the
Puranas. This tells us that the earth and its resources are in the care of the
nagas. Wealth from the earth, whether it is minerals or good harvest, is seen
as coming with their permission.
Because of this, worship of nagas, like Nagapanchami, has a
practical meaning also. People respect the serpent so that the earth gives them
what they need and does not harm them.
What the Idea Teaches
There are some lessons from this view. First, real wealth is
not only what the king has in his treasury, but also what is in the earth,
which belongs to a larger order. Second, taking from the earth needs respect
and limit. Third, even a person with great power like Kashyapa can be moved by
the offer of wealth, and so greed must be watched carefully.
The Takshaka and Kashyapa incident, when seen with these
beliefs, shows that nagas were not only dangerous creatures, but also holders
of the hidden riches of the world.