Vishakanya! Did she and her ilk really exist in real life or was she just a concept in ancient India?
Vishakanyas are mentioned in ‘ArthaShastra’, that well known treatise by the equally famous, Chanakya. I was introduced to the Vishakanya when I read one Amar Chitra Katha comic titled ‘Chanakya’ in my childhood.
I was intrigued, so much so, I tried to find out more about them in my teens. My research told me that the Vishakanyas were raised from infancy, by exposing the girl child to small doses of snake poison, making them resistant to various toxins by the time they turned into nubile teens.
These Vishakanyas were then used as seductive assassins to eliminate unwanted enemies or allies, typically royal figures in the ancient political landscape. The bodily fluids of the Vishakanya, like saliva, sweat or even their touch was lethal and intimate contact was fatal. The unwanted King’s sexual appetite was enough to cause his untimely death.
Which brings us to today’s topic, the VishaKumar. I read about this man, Tim Friede, in today’s papers, who has injected himself with over 650 doses of venom to build his immunity against 16 deadly snake species.
While his killing abilities are not known, but scientists have identified antibodies in his blood which are capable of neutralising the venom of multiple snake species, which is expected to help create a universal antivenom.
Currently most antivenoms are effective against the venom of one or two snake species.
Whether the same concept can be developed to create a modern day Vishakanya or Vishakumar assassin is not yet known.
Ps- thanks to David Clode and unsplash.com for photo credits