The greatly powerful king of the Nagas Takshaka, was not there. When the forest was on fire, he was absent in Kurukshetra where he had gone.
तक्षकस्तु न तत्रासीन्नागराजो महाबलः। दह्यमाने वने तस्मिन् कुरुक्षेत्रं गतो हि सः॥