Taxaka

Taxakeshwar temple in Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh

Statue of Taxaka at Taxakeshwar temple along with his son and wife

Taxaka (तक्षक) was a Nagavanshi King of Mahabharata period.

Variants of name

• Taxaka
• Taxak
• Takshaka
• Takshak
• Takha
• Takhaji

Jat Gotras from Taxaka

• Taxak (तक्षक) Takshak (तक्षक) Tokas (तोकस) Gotras of Jats have descended from Nagavansh king named Taxaka (तक्षक).

• Takk (टक्क) Takk (तक्क) gotra of Jats originated from Nagavanshi Taxaks, the rulers of Tonk.

• Takha (ताखा) Takkha (ताक्खा) Takhu (ताखू) are Nagavanshi descended from Taxaka (तक्षक). Takha is the village of Takhars in Bharatpur district.

• Tak Takka Tank Tonk Tankur Takor Tagar Taggar are the descendants probably of Takshaka.

Taxak in Indian epics

Takshak or Taxak is a gotra of jats found in India, Pakistan and Central Asia. It is mentioned in the "Vishnu Purana' that before the Pandava. Takshaks belong to the Shavi dynasty. In the 29th generation of king Shavi, one of the six sons of king Sototi was Takshak. According to genealogical tables of the Yayati dynasty King Satoti is considered by the Tartars to be their ancestor. Takshak, Bachak etc. are also called the Nags. There are ample references to these people in local and foreign histories. According to Mahabharata 'Adi Parva', before the Pandavas, Khandoban (Indraprastha) was the capital of the Takshak rulers. They created obstacles in the way of construction of the capital by Pandavas. Finally, these people were defeated, rendered homeless and driven out.

They went and settled down in Taxila (Taksila). In the battle of Mahabharata they joined the Kauravas and killed king Parikshit. They founded Takshakkhad (Tashkand) and Takshaksthan (Turkistan).

The Mahabharata Book 2: SECTION IX Sabha Parva Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.1883-1896 mentions names of following naga kings who attended the Sabha of Yudhishthira:

Vasuki and Takshaka, and the Naga called Airavata; Krishna and Lohita; Padma and Chitra endued with great energy; the Nagas called Kamvala and Aswatara; and Dhritarashtra and Valahaka; Matimat and Kundadhara and Karkotaka and Dhananjaya; Panimat and the mighty Kundaka, O lord of the Earth; and Prahlada and Mushikada, and Janamejaya,--all having auspicious marks and mandalas and extended hoods;--these and many other snakes. These have been described from shloka 8 to 11 as under:

वासुकिस तक्षकश चैव नागश चैरावतस तदा

कृष्णश च लॊहितश चैव पद्मश चित्रश च वीर्यवान ।।8।।

कम्बलाश्वतरौ नागौ धृतराष्ट्र बलाहकौ

मणिमान कुण्डलधरः कर्कॊटक धनंजयौ ।।9।।

परह्लाथॊ मूषिकादश च तदैव जनमेजयः

पताकिनॊ मण्डलिनः फणवन्तश च सर्वशः ।।10।।

एते चान्ये च बहवः सर्पास तस्यां युधिष्ठिर

उपासते महात्मानं वरुणं विगतक्लमाः ।।11।।

Temples of Taxaka

Taxakeshawar temple

see main article at Taxakeshawar

Taxakeshawar (तक्षकेश्वर) or Takhaji (ताखाजी) is a place of religious and historical importance with temple of Taxaka in Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh. It is situated at a distance of 22 km from Bhanpura town on Hinglajgarh road. This is the site of serpent king taxak , where he is worshiped as Taxakeshawar but the local people call him Takhaji. Curiously enough he shares the worship of the country folk with Dhanvantri, the Indian Aesculapius. The shrine in question stands on a most romantic spot from village Navali situated on the table land at the foot of which Bhanpura lies.

Temple of Taxaka at Nandaprayag

There is a Temple of Taxaka at Nandaprayag in in Chamoli district in Uttarakhand. Nandaprayag is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alaknanda River, and lies at the confluence of Alaknanda River and Nandakini River.

References

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