Takshaśilā is a city of the north-west of ancient Bhārata. Bharata, the second son of Daśaratha and an aṃśa (part) of Saṃkarshaṇa, founded it for his son Taksha after his great victory over the gandharva king Śailūsha. He placed it, together with Pushkarāvatī, under the care of Yudhājit of Kekaya. Takshaśilā later became one of the best-known centres of learning in Bhārata.

Founding after the gandharva campaign

Bharata fought Śailūsha in a battle that lasted seven days. The sons of Śailūsha, the gandharvas, had killed the local human kings and set up asura rule along the Sindhu and to its west. When they were defeated, the conquered north-western lands needed righteous government. Indra gave Bharata a vara (a boon) of two cities for his sons.

Bharata had two sons, Pushkara and Taksha. He founded Pushkarāvatī for Pushkara and Takshaśilā for Taksha. He crowned each of them with full royal honours.

The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa tells this in Pūrvārdha, Chapter 266.

Guardianship and later fame

Both new kingdoms, Pushkarāvatī and Takshaśilā, were placed under the care of Yudhājit, the king of Kekaya and Bharata’s maternal uncle. Yudhājit stayed in the north-west to keep these frontier kingdoms safe. He had served as Bharata’s charioteer through the seven-day battle, and Bharata trusted him most for this duty.

Takshaśilā went on to become one of the most famous centres of learning in all of ancient Bhārata. It was a university town from the earliest times. Students came there to study the Vedas, medicine (Āyurveda), political science (Arthaśāstra) and other subjects. Its founding by Bharata, son of Daśaratha, turned conquered land into a centre of dharma and civilisation.

The Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa tells this in Pūrvārdha, Chapter 269.

The farewell

Bharata crowned both sons and formally placed the kingdoms in the care of Yudhājit. Then he went with them to the riverbank near Rājagṛha for a very moving parting. He embraced his sons and Yudhājit with tears and blessed them, and then turned for home. Both parties looked back at each other again and again until they were out of each other’s sight. Bharata then returned to Ayodhyā to be reunited with Rāma.

This too is told in Pūrvārdha, Chapter 269.

Sources

Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 266–269