The reason behind Nagraj being known as ‘Kaljayi’ or Dev Kaljayi’ is because the powers he possesses are attributed to Kaljayi, the ancestral deity of the Nagraj lineage. Nagraj’s father, Takshakraj, and their ancestors had been worshiping serpents for centuries, and it was through the grace of the serpent deity Kaljayi that they obtained an unimaginable treasure. The protector of this treasure and the ancestral deity was the serpent goddess Kaljayi.
While Takshakraj had everything, he lacked an heir. However, his queen Lalita remained steadfast in her devotion to Dev Kaljayi. Pleased with her continuous worship over twenty years, Dev Kaljayi blessed her with a son. The news brought joy to Takshakraj and Queen Lalita, but it disturbed Takshakraj’s younger brother, Nagapaasha. He desired to become the ruler of Nagara and, learning of the birth through deceit, placed a dead serpent in the worship plate. When Dev Kaljayi uncovered the plate, seeing the dead serpent, he became enraged. A rain of poison befell Lalita, endangering her life. However, upon Takshakraj’s pleading, Lalita’s life was spared, but their son was born lifeless and was cast away into the river.
Later, Takshakraj discovered the conspiracy of Nagapaasha and instructed a Vedic sage to create a talisman to protect the treasure. The entire treasure was placed within this talisman, and Dev Kaljayiwas convinced to safeguard it, with the condition that only his son could break the talisman.
In the subsequent years, Nagraj, the son of Takshakraj, not only broke the talisman but also acquired the treasure. His first encounter with Dev Kaljayi was during the breaking of the talisman, revealing that Dev Kaljayi’s venom resides within him.
Dev Kaljayi is considered the deity of all serpents, and his venom is the most potent in the entire universe. His arch-enemy is Garalghant, who aids wicked serpents like Nagina and Vishandhar, intending to bring about the destruction of both the earthly world and Nagraj.
Nagraj enjoys a special blessing from Dev Kaljayi, possibly because he was born through his divine grace, with Dev Kaljayi’s venom flowing within him. Consequently, Dev Kaljayi intervenes from time to time to assist Nagraj, as seen in Soorma comics, where he comes to Earth to heal Nagraj in a near-death state. However, at times, he also punishes Nagraj for the misdeeds of others, as depicted in the Vishheen Nagraj comics, where a blameless life was taken. Witnessing this, Dev Kaljayi withdrew his venom but returned it when he discovered the conspiracy behind the murder.
