| Vasuki | |
|---|---|
King of the Serpents[1] | |
 Vasuki depicted around the neck of Shiva in Karnataka. | |
| Venerated in | Shaivism |
| Affiliation | Naga |
| Abode | Kailasha |
| Symbols | Nagamani |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Kadru (mother), Kashyapa (father) |
| Siblings | Manasa, Shesha |
| Consort | Shatashirsha[2] |
Vasuki (Sanskrit: वासुकि, romanized: Vāsuki) is the king of the nagas in Hinduism. He is described as having a gem called Nagamani (serpent's ornament) on his head. Shesha, another king of the nagas and the bed on which Vishnu rests, is his elder brother,[3] and Manasa, another naga, is his sister. In Hindu iconography, he is generally depicted coiling around the neck of Shiva, who is believed to have blessed and worn him as an ornament.
He is known in Chinese and Japanese mythology as being one of the "eight Great Dragon Kings" (八大龍王 pinyin: Bādà lóngwáng; Japanese: Hachidai Ryūō),[4] amongst Nanda (Nāgarāja), Upananda, Sāgara (Shakara), Takshaka, Balavan, Anavatapta, and Utpala.
- ^ Handa 2004, p. 91.
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 5: Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section CXVII".
- ^ Jones, Constance; Ryan, James D. (2006). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8160-7564-5.
- ^ "Eight great dragon kings - Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia".