Indra and Takshaka

To repay his debt to his preceptor, Utanka is sent to fetch a queen's earrings. He succeeds, but on the journey home they are stolen by Takshaka, the king of the nagas. Utanka pursues the serpent into the underworld, using divine power to threaten his realm until the earrings are returned.

Hearing the sacrifice has begun, the snake-king Takshaka flees in terror to Indra's palace, confessing his evil deeds and seeking protection. Indra reassures him, having already secured a boon from Brahma for Takshaka's sake.

The priests' mantras succeed too well: they draw not only the snake Takshaka from hiding, but the god Indra himself, who arrives with the snake concealed in his robes. A furious Janamejaya orders both god and snake hurled into the fire.