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Legend of Vasuki Nag: Serpent King of The Hindu Mythology
Last Updated:March 4, 2025
Vasuki Nag is one of the prominent followers of Lord Shiva, as he always sits on his neck. In Hindu mythology, snakes are represented as powerful and divine creatures with great spiritual effectiveness.
One of the most sacred snake lords in the Hindu religion is Vasuki, a powerful cobra and the king of serpents.
Vasuki is the son of Sage Kashyap and his wife Kadru. And do you know that Sheshnag is Vasuki’s elder brother? The eternal snake on which lord Vishnu rests.
According to the Hindu epic Mahabharat, Vasuki resides in the palace of Varuna, the god of the sea. The blog posts describe Vasuki’s origin and history in detail.
Introduction to Vasuki Nag
The king of snakes, Vasuki Nag, is connected with the Hindu lord Shiva. He is represented around Lord Shiva’s neck, and his lineage can be traced back to Kadru and sage Kashyap.
The Hindu scriptures say that Vasuki became Lord Shiva’s chord, and he eradicated the three Tripurdahana towns. He is significantly considered a deity in every naga ritual.
In the epic Hindu Mahabharat, Lord Bhima, the son of Pandu, met Vasuki when they were in an underwater kingdom.
After helping Bhima drink nectar, Vasuki made him more powerful. He is considered to be the second king of Naga in Hinduism. He also has a naga mani, the most precious ornament of a serpent, on his head.
According to Hindu mythology, he is indicated as the wrapped neck around lord Shiva. This is thought to mean he was blessed and made an ornament.
Physical Traits
Vasuki, the king of naga, has many heads. He is known as the king of snakes, with a large body that can be seen in multiple forms.
One of these is residing in Patala Lok to rule over the snakes in the underworld. Another form lives in the palace of a water god called Varuna.
The third form lives on Mount Kailash with five heads. He is connected to the neck of lord Shiva and adorned with nagamani, a magical gemstone.
Family
Vasuki is the grandson of the universe’s creator, Brahma, and the son of Kashyapa and Kadru. Kadru and her sister Vinata requested boys from their husband, the sage Kashyapa:
Vinata requested two sons of Kadru that were greater than a thousand, while Kadru requested a thousand wonderful sons.
One of Kadru’s thousand sons, the second after the serpent Shesha Naag, was the future serpent king Vasuki.
Vinata gave birth to Aruna, who later became the charioteer of Surya, the Sun, and Garuda, who later became the mount of Vishnu.
Vasuki’s older brother, the serpent Shesha, went out to engage in his austere pursuits.
Despite his refusal to communicate with his brothers, Vasuki remained because he was more protective of them.
He was loyal and dedicated to achieving spiritual enlightenment. Manasa Devi is the king of the serpent, revered as a serpent goddess who cures diseases and bites.
Other Names
Vasuki Nag is regarded as having multiple names, like Upananda, Nanda, Sgara, Takshaka, Anavatapta, Utpala, and Balavan.
Modern Day Influence
There are many temples located in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh dedicated to Vasuki. The temple is located near Haripad, at Mannarasala Illoma in Kerala.
As per the local legend, the Kukke Subramanya temple in Karnataka is considered to safeguard Vasuki from Garuda, who was riding on Vishnu’s mount.
Temple of Vasuki Nag in Varanasi
A temple in the holy city of Varanasi, dedicated to Nag Vasuki on the banks of the Ganga river.
This is a sacred temple, mainly during the festival of Nag Panchami, when followers seek blessings and perform rituals to revere Vasuki Nag for their protection and prosperity.
Lord Shiva’s Sacrifice
Seeing the perilous situation, the gods and Asuras seek lord shiva to help. Without thinking, Shiva, the embodiment of compassion and sacrifice, agreed.
He carried the deadly poison into his hands and drank it to rescue the universe. When the poison reached his throat, it changed to a blue neck. That makes him known as Neelkanth – the blue-throated lord.
Engraved by lord shiva’s selflessness and driven by his pain, Vasuki decided to serve the lord for eternity.
As a symbol of pledge, he coiled around the lord’s neck, providing him strength and protection. Vasuki had saved the cosmos from collapse.
Story of Lord Shiva and Vasuki Nag
Vaskuki Nag is closely connected to Lord Shiva. He can be seen three times around his neck as an ornament.
The three coils signify the past, present, and future. Vasuki plays a significant role in multiple Hindu legends.
Multiple symbols of spiritual reverence and divine power worship him. The primal energy lies at the base of the spine, represented by Vasuki, and is said to be a source of religious awakening.
Furthermore, the snake is associated with worshipping Pashupatinath (the lord of creatures) and is seen as an essential Hindu deity.
According to the legend, once, the snake species was in peril and revered the Lord Shiva for help, who offered them space in his abode, Mount Kailash.
Yet, the snakes required warmth close to Shiva’s body due to Kailash’s very low temperature.
The Puranas contain numerous stories linked with Vasuki, yet the most well-known are Samundra Manthan and Tripura Dahana.
Likewise, in the Hindu epic Mahabharat, a tale states how Vasuki brought Bhima, one of the Pandavas, back to life.
Samundra Manthan (Churning of Milky Ocean)
Samudra Manthan, also called ocean churning, is an important event in Hindu mythology. At this event, Vasuki played an essential role.
Sri Hari Vishnu asked the Manthan between Asura and Devas to help achieve Amrita. Getting a rope sufficient to wrap around Mount Mandarachal is not easy.
They sought help from Vasuki to become a churning rope. With his help, the two entities were capable of pushing the ocean.
This is considered during Samudra Manthan. Garuda, the enemy of snakes, asks Vasuki to help with ocean churning.
Yet, rather than treating him kindly, Garuda asks for his assistance. As Garuda was also disrespectful, Vasuki was ready to help.
The serpent’s head and tail are dragged along the ground as it grabs him. While it folds in half, the massive bird cannot carry him. Hence, Lord Shiva then brings Vasuki as a bracelet.
Tripura Dahan (Destruction of Tripura)
According to Hindu scriptures, Vasuki made an excellent contribution to Tripura Dahan. Tripura was a fortress of the Asuras.
Three Asura brothers, Tarakasha, Vidyunmali, and Kamalaksha, had a boon from Lord Brahma. They asked to create three forts in heaven, in the sky, and on the earth.
The first fort was made of gold in heaven, the second was made of silver in the sky, and the third one was made of iron on the earth.
The forts will align and combine into one every 1000 years. Such a combined fort known as Tripura can be destroyed only with a single arrow that will spike its walls.
After Lord Brahma’s boon was granted, the demons became evil and started to act against the Veda religion.
Later, God sought help from Lord Shiva to destroy Tripura; hence, he mounted his chariot, took his bow, and proceeded to Tripura.
However, he discovered that his bow’s string was gone when he got there. At that point, the strong snake Vasuki volunteered to serve as his bowstring.
Lord Shiva graciously accepted Vasuki’s offer. Shiva used his arrow, the heavenly Pashupatastra, to slaughter the demons and burn Tripura to ashes just as the three cities were about to unite into one.
This story emphasises the value of sacrifice and devotion in Hindu mythology and is frequently seen as a sign of the strong tie between Lord Shiva and Vasuki.
Vasuki’s deed of becoming the string for Shiva’s bow further reinforces the idea that all living creatures, whatever their form, have a purpose in the greater scheme of things.
Vasuki Nag Blessed Bhima
Mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharat, the war between Pandavas and Kauravas, especially between Bhima and Duryodhan, is the most well-known.
One of the most dramatic situations is how Bheem gets poisoned by Duryodhan. As per the tale, Duryodhan set up a games camp alongside the Ganga River.
Yet, in every task, Bheem was undefeated, which made Duryodhan create a scheme to remove Bheema by poisoning his food.
He died after eating the food, and Duryodhan dumped his body by throwing it into the river.
As per the story, the snakes found the body of Bheem and took it to Nag Lok, their place in the underworld.
Vasuki brought life back to Bheem and blessed him with the strength of 1000 elephants.
Vasuki as a Sign of Spiritual Refinement
The snake depicted kundalini, the religious energy in Hinduism that resides dormant in every individual’s Muladhara chakra.
With religious practices like yoga, kundalini revives and starts climbing upwards via the Chakras, enabling the religious centers and driving them to enlightenment.
The coils of Vasuki across lord shiva’s neck indicate control over the Kundalini’s strength.
Therefore, Vasuki is seen as a sign of spiritual processing and the way to enlightenment.
Symbolism and Legacy of Vasuki Nag
Vasuki Nag has been seen as one of many aspects of Hindu belief, including strength, sacrifice, and safety.
As the serpent king, he is both feared and honored and represents the serpent’s dual nature as both savior and destroyer.
His involvement in the Samudra Manthan describes his willingness to bear the pain for the greater good, a quality that makes him a sign of selflessness and duty.
Serpents like Vasuki are connected with water, fertility, and the underworld mentioned in Hindu mythology.
They are thought to be the guardians of treasures and secret knowledge, and Vasuki, as their captain, illustrates these qualities.
His legacy remains honored in multiple traditions and religious practices around India, where he is regarded as a lord who ensured balance and harmony in the universe.
He is also a powerful figure revered for his strength, wisdom, and dedication. His participation in Samudra Manthan and close connection with lord shiva show his importance in the cosmic order.
As a sign of protection and sacrifice, Nag Vasuki remains pleased and respected, mesmerising followers with the profound abilities he manifests.
Worship of Vasuki Nag
There are many practices of worshipping Vasuki in Hinduism, with the Naga Panchami festival being one of the most significant celebrations.
The festival, which is organized on the 5th day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Shravana (July- August), is dedicated to Vasuki and is believed to bring prosperity and good luck to those who honor him.
At the time of the festival, devotees offer milk and flowers to snakes, including live ones, to please the snake king and invoke his divine blessings.
In a few places in India, mainly in south India, there are temples dedicated to Vasuki, where detailed rituals and customs are performed to revere the king.
In Kerala, the Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja temple is devoted to Vasuki and offers homage to thousands of snakes.
Conclusion
The serpent king Vasuki Nag, a powerful aspect in Hindu mythology and spirituality, shows the intensity of kundalini strength.
His story reminds him of the significance of devotion and spiritual practice in getting enlightenment and liberation, and his worship is an integral part of Hindu spirituality.
Vasuki is essentially a symbol of our capacity for heavenly knowledge. By acknowledging and igniting this inner energy, we can access the deepest levels of spiritual consciousness, enlighten our inner Vasuki, and feel more connected to the cosmos.
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