Naga

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Sculpture India The nagas are an ancient race of semi divine serpent creatures beings first depicted in ancient Vedic Hindu mythology and oral folklore from at least 5000 B.C. Stories involving the Nagas are omnipresent in Hindu and Buddhist mythology and still very much a part of contemporary cultural traditions in predominantly Hindu (India, Nepal, and the island of Bali) and Buddhist (Sri-Lanka and South-East Asia) regions of Asia. Both regions have birthed numerous legends about the fabled race of Nagas and their sometimes benevolent, sometimes wrathful, interactions with the creatures of both heaven and earth.   Nature Etymology The word Naga comes from the Sanskrit (नाग) , and nag is still the word for snake, especially the cobra, in most of the languages of India. Female Nagas are called Nagis or Naginis. In the East Indian pantheon it is connected with the Serpent Spirit and the Dragon Spirit. When we come upon the word in Buddhist writings, it is not always clear whether the term refers to a cobra, an elephant (perhaps this usage relates to its snake-like trunk, or the pachyderm's association with forest-dwelling peoples of north-eastern India called Nagas,) or even a mysterious person of nobility. It is a term used for unseen beings associated with water and fluid energy, and also with persons having powerful animal-like qualities or conversely, an impressive animal with human qualities.   Description/Morphology Nagas are said to take various forms. Often described as giant serpents with multiple heads or creatures with the upper bodies of humans and lower bodies of vast snakes, they were extremely gifted shape-shifters, able to assume any appearance that suited their needs. (Burmese Nagas were even said to resemble crocodiles.)   Family According to legend, Nagas are children of Kadru, the granddaughter of the god Brahma, and her husband, Rishi or sage, Kasyapa, the son of Marichi. Kashyapa is said to have had by his twelve wives, other diverse progeny including reptiles, birds, and all sorts of living beings. They are denizens of the netherworld city called Bhogavati. It is believed that ant-hills mark its entrance. Ancient Hindu myths hold that four distinct kinds of nagas exist: namely The Heavenly, the Divine, the Earthly and the Hidden. The first vigilantly ward the palaces of heaven, the second bring fertility to the world by by summoning the life giving rains, and the third take it upon themselves to preserve the mineral riches found deep in the earth's bowels from the grasping hands of greedy pillagers.   Element Water   Powers/Weaknesses Like humans, Nagas show wisdom and concern for others but also cowardice and injustice. Nagas are immortal and potentially dangerous when they have been mistreated. They are susceptible to mankind's disrespectful actions in relation to the environment. The expression of the Nagas' discontent and agitation can be felt as skin diseases, various calamities and so forth. The nāgas also carry the elixir of life and immortality. One story mentions that when the gods were rationing out the elixir of immortality, the nāgas grabbed a cup. The gods were able to retrieve the cup, but in doing so, spilled a few drops on the ground. The nāgas quickly licked up the drops, but in doing so, cut their tongues on the grass, and since then their tongues have been forked. It was also believed by the Burmese that the precious gem-stones embedded in the throats or fore-heads of the Nagas, that contained their amazing powers, would be given freely to any human that the Naga had developed a great fondness for. Additionally, Nagas can bestow various types of wealth, assure fertility of crops and the environment as well as decline these blessings. Nagas also serve as protectors and guardians of treasure—both material riches and spiritual wealth.   Behavior Though the Nagas were often dangerous to men if attacked or insulted when their waters were polluted and in some less common cases, when forced to see their friends subject to great humiliation , they were peaceable enough, using their deadly venom to only slay those found guilty of grave sins as well as others pre-destined to die an untimely death, in keeping with the dictate imposed on them by Brahma. True danger lay in incurring their wrath by refusing to offer them the proper obeisances owed to these granters of the vital rain. A king that once declared an end to Naga worship in his kingdom, was quickly forced to rescind his decree when a great drought befell his land, an obvious sign of the wrath of the Nagas. More often than not, the Nagas were not portrayed as malevolent monsters. On the contrary, they were renown for their wisdom, with some of them imparting great wisdom to mankind. They were also devoted friends to men of exemplary virtue. When the Buddha entered a trance for several days, a great prince among the Nagas sheltered him from the ravages of the elements by raising his vast hood to raise a protective halo over the Boddhisvatta. Other great teachers that followed in the Buddha's footsteps, were given a similar honor.   Friends/Predator/Preys In Buddhism, the nāgas are the enemies of the Garuḍas, minor deities resembling gigantic eagles, who eat them. They learned how to keep from being devoured by the Garuḍas by eating large stones, which made them too heavy to be carried off by the Garuḍas. The Nagas were also known to develop feelings of great intensity for certain humans that inspired tender feelings. The beautiful females of their race, the Naginis, are known to seduce men into accompanying them to the watery depths of Patalas. Such liasons were not uncommon with the most famous example, being the seduction of the great Vedic hero Arjuna by the beguiling Nagini princess Uulopi. The ancient Cambodians for their part, claim a king among the Nagas as their primeavel patriach, for it was he who wedded the mother of their people.   Places Dwelling in the watery nether-region of Patalas, they resided there in great splendor and opulence, ruling from massive gem encrusted palaces and mansions. Relegated to that particular region by the creator god Brahma who had grown displeased with their alarming fecundity, they nevertheless led a comfortable existence in that submerged place, free from misery or poverty of any kind. Unfortunately, their good fortune often attracted great envy, especially from some of the other divine beings that craved to possess the ponderous riches of the Nagas. In one of their most bitter rivalries and feuds, the Nagas were temporarily driven from their city by an order of celestial immortals known as the Ghandavaras. Defeated and humbled , their chieftains were forced to flee to Vishnu who restored their seized riches back to them by routing the conquering Ghandavara host with his awesome might. Perhaps this explains why the Naga king, Adi Sesha, is content to rest on the surface of the endless cosmic ocean, his coils serving as a bed for the sleeping Vishu as the god dreams our very existence into creation.   History/Beliefs Culture To this day, the Naga cult remains powerful in Southern India and enclaves of S.E Asia, with numerous festivals and rituals conducted in their honor. As powerful symbols of fertility, they still retain a powerful hold on the minds of believers.   Nāgas in Hinduism Stories are given - e.g., in the Bhūridatta Jātaka - of Nāgas, both male and female, mating with humans; but the offspring of such unions are watery and delicate (J.vi.160). The Nāgas are easily angered and passionate, their breath is poisonous, and their glance can be deadly (J.vi.160, 164). They are carnivorous (J.iii.361), their diet consisting chiefly of frogs (J.vi.169), and they sleep, when in the world of men, on ant hills (ibid., 170). The enmity between the Nāgas and the Garudas is proverbial (D.ii.258). At first the Garudas did not know how to seize the Nāgas, because the latter swallowed large stones so as to be of great weight, but they learnt how in the Pandara Jātaka. The Nāgas dance when music is played, but it is said (J.vi.191) that they never dance if any Garuda is near (through fear) or in the presence of human dancers (through shame). The Nagas were the brood of the primordial sage Kaspya. Husband to two sisters, he promised both of them, prior to his departure to retire into seclusion as a true hermit should, that he would grant them anything that they desired. The first Kadru, appealed to him to grant her a progeny of a thousand and one that would make her proud of them. In this, he did not disappoint for it was Kadru's honour to become the mother of the Naga race. Her co-wife and rival Vinata, emboldened to outdo Kadru, only asked for two children that would be superior to their cousins in every way. The younger of Vinata's two offpsrings, would prove to be the formidable and terrifying eagle-god Garuda, hated foe of the Nagas. F or it was fated that his mother through a cruel turn of fortunes, would end up as the slave of the Naga matriach, earning the undying enmity of this ferocious being. Driven to steal the nectar of immortality from the the strong-hold of Indran ,king of the semi-gods himself, Garuda managed to buy the freedom of Vinata in exchange for giving the Nagas the opportunity to imbibe of eternal life. But it was not to be. Determined to reclaim that which was rightfuly his, Indran soon stole it back almost as quickly as it had been plundered from him, prompting a rush among the Nagas for the few drops of nectar that the god spilled during his flight from their lair. During this fracas, their skins developed the properties of regeneration as the spilled nectar soaked their scales, explaining why snakes shed their skins to this day. But their efforts to lap up and consume this priceless elixir proved to be less successful, with the Nagas splitting their tongues on the sharp-bladed grass, giving them a distinctive forked shape. But even this spectacular misfortune did not sate Garuda's thirst for vengeance, with his vendetta becoming a great bane and terror to their race.   Nāgas in Buddhism Traditions about nāgas are also very common in all the Buddhist countries of Asia. In many countries, the nāga concept has been merged with local traditions of large and intelligent serpents or dragons. In Tibet, the nāga was equated with the klu (pronounced lu), spirits that dwell in lakes or underground streams and guard treasure. In China, the nāga was equated with the lóng or Chinese dragon. The Buddhist nāga generally has the form of a large cobra-like snake, usually with a single head but sometimes with many. At least some of the nāgas are capable of using magic powers to transform themselves into a human semblance. In Buddhist painting, the nāga is sometimes portrayed as a human being with a snake or dragon extending over his head. Nāgas both live on Mount Sumeru, among the other minor deities, and in various parts of the human-inhabited earth. Some of them are water-dwellers, living in rivers or the ocean; others are earth-dwellers, living in underground caverns. Some of them sleep on top of anthills. Their food includes frogs. The nāgas are the servants of Virūpākṣa (Pāli: Virūpakkha), one of the Four Heavenly Kings who guards the western direction. They act as a guard upon Mount Sumeru, protecting the devas of Trāyastriṃśa from attack by the Asuras.   Nāgas in Cambodia In a Cambodian legend, the nāga were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The Nāga King's daughter married the king of Ancient Cambodia, and thus gave rise to the Cambodian people. This is why, still, today, Cambodians say that they are "Born from the Nāga". The Seven-Headed Nāga serpents depicted as statues on Cambodian temples, such as Angkor Wat, apparently represent the seven races within Nāga society, which has a mythological, or symbolic, association with "the seven colors of the rainbow". Furthermore, Cambodian Nāga possess numerological symbolism in the number of their heads. Odd-headed Nāga symbolize the Male Energy, Infinity, Timelessness, and Immortality. This is because, numerologically speaking, all odd numbers come from One (1). Even-headed Nāga are said to be "Female, representing Physicality, Mortality, Temporariness, and the Earth."   Nāgas in the Mekong The legend of the Nāga is a strong and sacred belief held by Lao and Thai people living along the Mekong River. Many pay their respects to the river because they believe the Nāga still rule in it, and locals hold an annual sacrifice for the Nāga. Each ceremony depends on how an individual village earns its living from the Mekong River - for instance, through fishing or transport. Local residents believe that the Nāga can protect them from danger, so they are likely to make a sacrifice to Nāga before taking a boat trip along the Mekong River. In some areas, two dead bodies are found in rivers or lakes ever year. The deaths are thought to be caused by Nāgas. Also, every year on the night of 15th day of 11th month in the Lao lunar calendar at the end of Buddhist Lent (in 2003 it fell on Oct. 10), an extraordinary phenomenon occurs in the area of the Mekong River stretching over 20 kilometres between Pak-Ngeum district, about 80 kilometres south of the Lao capital Vientiane, and Phonephisai district in Nong Khai province, Thailand. Fireballs spew up from the river. Everyone had doubts about this extraordinary occurrence, but later accepted what they knew as facts about the fireball: that it was not staged by humans, but happened naturally. So from then on, villagers on both sides of the river called this phenomenon the Nāga's Fireball. They believe that Nāga under Mekong River shoot the fireball into the air to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent, because Nāga also meditate during this time.   Prehistoric Nāgas Legends similar to the Cambodian legend exist amongst the tribal Hindus of Southern India (Adivasis) and the aboriginals of Australia. In this version of the legend, the Nāgas inhabited a massive continent that existed somewhere in the Pacific Ocean region. The continent sank and the remnants formed the Indonesian archipelago and Australia. These Nāgas are said to have developed a subterranean or underwater civilization technologically more advanced than ours and they are thought to possess superhuman powers.   Nagas in Nagaland The Naga people of Nagaland are said to have believed themselves to be descendants of the mythological "Nāgas", but to have lost this belief due to Christian missionary activity. For Malay sailors, nāgas are a type of dragon with many heads; in Thailand and Java, the nāga is a wealthy underworld deity. In Laos they are beaked water serpents.   Famous Nagas Mucalinda, protector of the Buddha Sesha - ("Eternal") the world serpent with a hundred heads Balarama - a nāga incarnation of Vishnu Karkotaka - controls weather Padmavati - the Nāgi queen & companion of Dharanendra Paravataksha - his sword cause earthquakes & his roar caused thunder Takshaka & Vasuki - the kings of the Nāgas Ulupi - the companion of Arjuna   Theories and analysis Theories about origin and existence A sacred animal to the pre-Vedic aboriginal cultures that inhabited India prior to the Aryan arrival, the Naga myth was inspired by the cobra that evoked great awe with its lethal venom. To this day, the deadly snakes are known as as nags, an extremely old Sanscript term for them. This myth would have also been reinforced by raiding pirates from the outside world that would strike the coasts, only to mysteriously vanish and hide in the ocean, lending credence to the old legends.   Art/Fiction Nāgas in popular culture In Harry Potter Voldemort's snake is named Nagini In the 50's, Bollywood cashed in on the mystique and power of the Nāgin myth to enthrall Indian audiences with the movie by the same name. However, it didn't succeed as well in capturing the popular imagination as the more well-known 70's flick, again called Nagin which had the erstwhile star, Jeetendra, (playing the Nāg that gets killed by a group of men). The film shot into stardom Reena Roy, the actress who, as the Nāgin, avenges the death of the Nāg by successively wooing and killing the murderers of her lover. Nagin, despite its success doesn't quite compare to the 1986 cult classic, Nagina, that went on to be a blockbuster hit and imprinted the the myth of the woman-snake with Sridevi's trademark "snake dance". The naga have been used a serpent-like humanoid race in several fantasy settings, such as the Warcraft universe, in which the naga is a race of evil serpent-like humanoids in the computer games series developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Marvel comics features a super villain known as Naga. This Naga is a sorcerer, a king and a snake man (with green scales covering his skin) who lived and died many centuries ago.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

• Nāgā

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1. Nāgā

Chief woman disciple of Sujāta Buddha. J.i.38; Bu.xiii.26.

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2. Nāgā

One of the chief women supporters of Phussa Buddha. Bu.xix.21.

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3. Nāgā

A former birth of Asokamālā, when she was the wife of Tissa (later Sāliya), an artisan of Mundagangā. MT.605.

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4. Nāgā Therī

An arahant of Bhātaragāma. During the pillage of Brāhmana Tissa, when all the villagers had fled, she went with her colleagues to a banyan tree, the presiding deity of which provided them with food. She had a brother, Nāga; when he visited her she gave him part of her food, but he refused to accept food from a bhikkhuni. MA.i.546; AA.ii.654.

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5. Nāga

An eminent Therī of Ceylon. Dpv.xviii.35.

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6. Nāgā

A woman who lived near the Rājāyatana-cetiya. Once, seeing sixty monks return from the village with empty bowls, she, although already pledged to work by day, borrowed some money on promise to work at night as well, and gave them food. The monks retired to Mucalindavana and developed arahantship before eating. The deity of the king's parasol shouted applause, and the king, having heard the story, gave Nāgā the whole island, which thus came to be called Nāgādipa. Ras.ii.16f. 

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7. Nāgā

A class of beings classed with Garulas and Supannas and playing a prominent part in Buddhist folk lore. They are gifted with miraculous powers and great strength. Generally speaking, they are confused with snakes, chiefly the hooded Cobra, and their bodies are described as being those of snakes, though they can assume human form at will. They are broadly divided into two classes: those that live on land (thalaja) and those that live on water (jalaja). The Jalaja-nāgā live in rivers as well as in the sea, while the Thalaja-nāgā are regarded as living beneath the surface of the earth. Several Nāga dwellings are mentioned in the books: e.g.,

• Mañjerika-bhavana under Sineru,
• Daddara-bhavana at the foot of Mount Daddara in the Himālaya,
• the Dhatarattha-nāgā under the river Yamunā,
• the Nābhāsā Nāgā in Lake Nabhasa,
• and also the Nāgas of Vesāli, Tacchaka, and Payāga (D.ii.258).

The Vinaya (ii.109) contains a list of four royal families of Nāgas (Ahirājakulāni): Virūpakkhā, Erāpathā, Chabyāputtā and Kanhagotamakā. Two other Nāga tribes are generally mentioned together: the Kambalas and the Assataras. It is said (SA.iii.120) that all Nāgas have their young in the Himālaya.

Stories are given - e.g., in the Bhūridatta Jātaka - of Nāgas, both male and female, mating with humans; but the offspring of such unions are watery and delicate (J.vi.160). The Nāgas are easily angered and passionate, their breath is poisonous, and their glance can be deadly (J.vi.160, 164). They are carnivorous (J.iii.361), their diet consisting chiefly of frogs (J.vi.169), and they sleep, when in the world of men, on ant hills (ibid., 170). The enmity between the Nāgas and the Garulas is proverbial (D.ii.258). At first the Garulas did not know how to seize the Nāgas, because the latter swallowed large stones so as to be of great weight, but they learnt how in the Pandara Jātaka. The Nāgas dance when music is played, but it is said (J.vi.191) that they never dance if any Garula is near (through fear) or in the presence of human dancers (through shame).

The best known of all Nāgas is Mahākāla, king of Mañjerika-bhavana. He lives for a whole kappa, and is a very pious follower of the Buddha. The Nāgas of his world had the custodianship of a part of the Buddha's relics till they were needed for the Māha Thūpa (Mhv.xxxi.27f.), and when the Bodhi tree was being brought to Ceylon they did it great honour during the voyage (Mbv. p.. 163f.). Other Nāga kings are also mentioned as ruling with great power and majesty and being converted to the Buddha's faith - e.g., Aravāla, Apalālā, Erapatta, Nandopananda, and Pannaka. (See also Ahicchatta and Ahināga.) In the Atānātiya Sutta (D.iii.198f.), speaking of dwellers of the Cātummahārajika world, the Nāgas are mentioned as occupying the Western Quarter, with Virūpokkha as their king.

The Nāgas had two chief settlements in Ceylon, in Nāgadīpa (q.v.) and at the mouth of the river Kalyānī. It was to settle a dispute between two Nāga chiefs of Nāgadīpa, Mahodara and Cūlodara, that the Buddha paid his second visit to Ceylon. During that visit he made a promise to another Nāga-king, Manjakkhika of Kalyānī, to pay him a visit, and the Buddha's third visit was in fulfilment of that undertaking (Mhv.i.48f.).

The Nāgas form one of the guards set up by Sakka in Sineru against the Asuras (J.i.204). The Nāgas were sometimes worshipped by human beings and were offered sacrifices of milk, rice, fish, meat and strong drink (J.i.497f.). The jewel of the Nāgas is famous for its beauty and its power of conferring wishes to its possessor (J.vi.179, 180).

The word Nāga is often used as an epithet of the Buddha and the Arahants, and in this connection the etymology given is āgum na karotī ti Nāgo (e.g., MNid.201). The Bodhisatta was born several times as king of the Nāgas: Atula, Campeyya, Bhūridatta, Mahādaddara, and Sankhapāla.

In the accounts given of the Nāgas, there is undoubtedly great confusion between the Nāgas as supernatural beings, as snakes, and as the name of certain non Aryan tribes, but the confusion is too difficult to unravel.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The word Naga comes from the Sanskrit, and nag is still the word for snake, especially the cobra, in most of the languages of India. When we come upon the word in Buddhist writings, it is not always clear whether the term refers to a cobra, an elephant (perhaps this usage relates to its snake-like trunk, or the pachyderm's association with forest-dwelling peoples of north-eastern India called Nagas,) or even a mysterious person of nobility.  It is a term used for unseen beings associated with water and fluid energy, and also with persons having powerful animal-like qualities or conversely, an impressive animal with human qualities. 

• In WW II, learn how inhabitants of Nagaland came to the world's attention.

Mythology

In myths, legends, scripture and folklore, the category naga comprises all kinds of serpentine beings.  Under this rubric are snakes, usually of the python kind (despite the fact that naga is usually taken literally to refer to a cobra,) deities of the primal ocean and of mountain springs; also spirits of earth and the realm beneath it, and finally, dragons. 

In Indian mythology, Nagas are primarily serpent-beings living under the sea.  However, Varuna, the Vedic god of storms, is viewed as the King of the Nagas, ie. Nagarajah. 

Here we see the king and queen of water nagas worshipping Parshva, the Jain Tirthankara of the era before this one. 

All nagas are considered the offspring of the Rishi or sage, Kasyapa, the son of Marichi.  Kashyapa is said to have had by his twelve wives, other diverse progeny including reptiles, birds, and all sorts of living beings. They are denizens of the netherworld city called Bhogavati.  It is believed that ant-hills mark its entrance. 

The naga-Varuna connection is retained in Tibetan Buddhism, where Varuna, lord of weather, is known as Apalala Nagarajah. 

As a category of nature spirit:

"Nagas [kLu] are a class of beings (often snake-like in form) that dwell in a variety of locations ranging from waterways and underground locations and also in unseen realms. These beings have their own perceptions and vary in their enlightened level as do humans and other beings. Nagas are susceptible to suffering created by mankind's carelessness and basic ignorance of proper conduct in nature and disrespectful actions in relation to our environment. Therefore Nagas often retaliate towards humans when they behave in such ignorant manners. The expression of the Nagas' discontent and agitation can be felt as skin diseases, various calamities and so forth. 

Additionally, Nagas can bestow various types of wealth, assure fertility of crops and the environment as well as decline these blessings. For this reason the practice of Lu Sang has been developed or arises as a natural method to increase prosperity, and assist the Nagas by preserving the positive qualities of their natural environment." ~ Tsewang Ngodrup Rinpoche

The bodhisattva Manjushri, in wrathful form, can appear as Nagaraksha (Tib: jam.pal lu'i drag.po).

Nagas and Water

Water symbolizes primordial Wisdom and in psychoanalysis, the storehouse that is the unconscious mind.  However, to paraphrase Sigmund Freud commenting on the interpretation of symbols in dreams, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."  That is, the water in naga lore is really wet. 

In the language of Kashmir, the word for "a spring" is naga and, in fact, nagas are considered the earliest inhabitants of that region.  In a sense this is borne out by geology since that valley was once

"a vast span of water, similar to a huge dam, walled in by high mountains. The Nilamatapurana records how the valley was elevated out of water and left under the care of the Nagas, of whom Nila, the son of Kashyapa, was the chief."  Kashmir is named after Kashyapa where "the term ‘naga’ stands for spring; 'chesmah,' and 'negin' for small spring.  Springs are the main source of water in Kashmir."  And "the auspicious and famous river of Kashmir, the Vitasta (Jhelum) originates from a spring near Verinag and is responsible for the water supply to most parts of the valley.  The religious significance of the river is established by the Nilamata Purana [Myth of the Indigo Goddess] when it records the entire land of Kashmir as the material manifestation of Uma and describes her as the divine form of the Vitasta."

"A large number of temples were built near springs and were dedicated to the worship of nagas."  and   "These places have become great centres of religious pilgrimage. The place names of certain areas, e.g. Verinag, Anantnag and Seshanag even today remind one of the intimate relations between the valley and the popularity of the Naga cult.  The Rajatarangini of Kalhana mentions Sushravas and Padma Nagas, who were tutelary deities connected with the Wular lake. The Dikpalas of Kashmir are believed to be four nagas, viz. Bindusara in the east, Srimadaka in the south, Elapatra in the west and Uttarmansa in the north."

Many Kashmiri festivals relate to Naga worship, "for example during the first snowfall, Nila, the Lord of Nagas, is worshipped.  The Nagas are also propitiated in April and are related to Iramanjari Puja and to Varuna Panchmi, which is organised in July-August."   And "in the darker half of the month of Jyeshtha, when a big festival is organised to propitiate the king Taksakyatra. The Nilamatapurana listed 527 Nagas that were worshipped in Kashmir. In the account of Abul Fazal, the court historian of Akbar, there are references to seven hundred places sacred to serpents."

The purana also points to the association of the cult of Nagas with that of Shiva.  In the Mahabharata and Harivamsa texts, Shesha was considered the son of Shiva.  A lesser relation was developed with regard to Vishnu as in his sheshashayi form which links the primal waters with the sleeping Vishnu.  Also, Balarama who is Krishna's elder brother is the personification of the snake, Ananta.  

Kashmiri names such as Vishnasar and Krishnasar are Vaishnavite ones where the suffix sar means 'reservoir.'  Even though Kashmir may be Muslim-dominated in contemporary times, a spring is  "understood as naga and enjoys the respect of every religion." 

"The prosperity goddess, Lakshmi, is said to have taken the form of the river Visoka (now known as the Vishov) to purify the people of Kashmir. Most probably, treating springs and rivers with great reverence wittingly or unwittingly resulted in the ecological balance necessary for a healthy and natural interaction between the environment and man."  

" . . . every naga has a snake as its guardian deity. Fishing is prohibited in these springs, though the fish which come out of the main garbha [den, lair] of a naga can be caught.  Restrictions on fishing have definitely helped to some extent to preserve water ecology."

"Hindus still propitiate these nagas. At Martanda Naga even srada is performed. Water is offered by Hindus to the Sun God and to their ancestors (purvaj).  Before having darshan of the snow linga at Amarnatha a holy dip is essential in the Seshanaga.  A person suffering from a skin disease is said to be cured after having a bath in Gandhakanaga (sulphur spring) at Naghbal, Anantnag."

"Muslims show their respect for these nagas in many ways. They offer sacrifices and organise fairs on many festivals such as Id, [e]ven they do not catch fish in these nagas. Their faith in nagas can further be established by an example from Anantnag district, where during days of water scarcity or extra rainfall, people offer sacrifices to the Vasuk[i] Naga (the water of which remains in the valley during summer only and disappears in winter.)  They have full faith that offerings to Vasuk will bring rain or stop it as desired." 

~ B. Malla,  Water Resources and Their Management in Kashmir

• In Thai symbolism, naga and makara are closely linked.
• Catalogue of nagas, their names and attributes, from the Nilamata Purana.
• Times Asia, "Secret of the Naga's fire"
• Glycon, [image is at foot of linked page] the white naga once worshiped at Tomis (now in Romania) on the Black Sea. 

Naga Mythology

Vasuki [also Basuki,] the naga king, has the gem, Nagamani, on/in his head.  It is a universal panacea [cure-all] and is a bestower of fortune.  

Manasa Devi, the serpent goddess, is Vasuki's sister.  She is mostly identified with the cobra, but she can cure any snakebite; indeed, any adversity.  A popular Indian film shows Manasa coming to visit a man in his prison cell.  She drinks his offering of milk, then leaves, opening the cell for him on her way out.

Now the maternal naga ancestor, Kadru, once enslaved Vinata, mother of birds.  To ransom her, the Garuda stole amrita, the elixir of immortality, from the gods. Before the serpents could even have a taste, Indra stole it back again, however, a few drops of amrita fell to earth.  The serpents slid through it which is why their skin now has the capacity of renewal.

The grass upon which the nectar fell explains why serpents have forked tongues.  Although they did not get to drink the amrita, the split in their tongues caused by the sharp-edged  dharba [or, durva] grass provided them a blessing in disguise.  According to Kurt Schwenk, ("Why snakes have forked tongues," Science vol. 263, 1994)  the evolutionary success of advanced snakes is partly due to their special tongues.  The forked tongue allows the snake to simultaneously sample two points along a chemical gradient, which is helpful in instantaneous assessment of trail location.  It may also play a role in mating. 

• See also,  All About Serpents. 

Naga and Fertility

Because of its shape and its association  with renewal, the serpent is a phallic symbol.  This powerful emblem of fertility is thought to bring plentiful harvests and many children -- images of nagas adorn houses and shrines and temples.  It is said that when a king once banned snake worship, his kingdom suffered a drought, but the rains returned once the king himself placated Vasuki.

Above is a naga stone erected in anticipation or in gratitude for blessings received.

Role of the Naga in Buddhism

Nagas are said to have raised their hoods to protect the Buddha, and other jinas [spiritual victors] like the Jain saint Parshva.  However, at least 1500 years before Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment when Ananta or Muchilinda with his many heads sheltered him, the mythic image of nagas doing homage to a great yogi was well-known.

font size="2">imprint of a seal found at site of archaic Indus Valley city

 

 

 

• Visit Himalayan Art web site to see a tangka with 8 great nagas around Vajrapani.

Many examples of the naga association with the Buddha appear on the walls and along an avenue leading to the temple of Ankhor Wat in Kampuchea (formerly, Cambodia) and also in Buddhist temples in Shri Lanka (formerly, Ceylon.)  

• See a Thai naga as conceived by S. Dhumphakdi & Sons Publisher, Bangkok, Thailand (10 Perfections series.)

Nag'arjuna

The Indian mahasiddha, Nagarjuna, received his illuminating insights and tantric empowerment with the help of the nagas in the lake beside which he meditated.  Nagarjuna is one of the main champions of Buddhist philosophy, and is traditionally portrayed with a sunshade or halo formed by a multi-headed serpent.  He is called the Second Buddha, partly in tribute to his having established the Madhyamaka [Middle-Way, ie. neither materialist nor nihilist nor idealist] school of philosophy.

• See the Buddha's protector-naga in the process of transforming into Nagarjuna unsheathing the sword of wisdom at the Asian Art web site.

As there are serpents in Tibet, and nagas known as kLu play a role in the symbolism of Himalayan Buddhism and in Tibetan mythology, so Nagarjuna is known as Lu-trub. 

The tradition of Sera Monastery holds that when Sakya Yeshe was on his way back from visiting China, it so happened that the set of Tengyur (Buddhist scriptures) donated by the emperor fell into the water while the party was fording a river. The travellers could see that the texts were hopelessly lost and so, distraught, they continued on their way back to Sera. 

When the caravan finally got back, the monks told them that just before their return, an old man with attendants had visited Sera and presented a set of scriptures to the monastery.  He said that he was delivering it for Sakya Yeshe.  It was believed that the old man was really a Naga king, for when the texts were examined, it was found that they were still a bit damp. 

• A bronze naga-king from Densatil monastery, East Tibet, undergoing transformation.

The traditional life-story [Tibetan: namthar] of Niguma, the female companion of Naropa, begins during the time of one of the earliest Buddhas in a region covered by water ruled by a great Naga King.  This Naga was an accomplished and compassionate disciple of that Buddha and gave his permission for the miraculous drying up the water for the purpose of erecting a great temple and monastery.  A bustling city grew up around these which acquired a certain reputation, and came to be called The Land of Great Magic. This is the place that Niguma was born.

Niguma developed the powerful tantric techniques referred to as the Five Dharmas of Niguma.  The best known is called the Dream Yoga of Niguma.  Her disciple, Naljor, is considered the head of the Shangpa Kagyu denomination of Tibetan Buddhism.

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Jain: Adherent of a religion whose teachings emphasize the absolute sanctity of all living things and asceticism in most aspects of life.  The Buddha opposed its extreme nature.

Lu Sang: Smoke offered to the nagas.

darshan: viewing of an object or person that is considered to bestow a powerful blessing.

lingam: short pillar or phallic symbol standing for Shiva as creative Imagination.  In the Himalayan cave at Amarnath, a special icicle is formed that is considered a manifestation of the deity.  

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The Nagas were mythical beings who could transform from man or woman to snake. They were a separate species from humans and lived in their own secret cities deep in the jungle. Often worshipped as gods in the early days, they eventually ended up as minor parts of both the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Although these beings generally kept to themselves, legend has it that the Naga princes and princesses often married human royalty, and many noble houses in India have claimed that they are descended from Nagas. The wise Nagas could be benevolent demigods, or they could be ruthless rulers, killing anyone who disobeyed them, cursing the land with drought and poisoning the waters. Unicorns were their deadly enemies and could keep the evil Nagas in check. These legends may be based on a real tribe of people called the Nagas, who live on the border between India and Bangladesh.

The Naga have a number of forms that they can shapeshift into, apparently at will. These forms include:

(1) A real snake (generally a cobra or large water python)

(2) A real man or woman

(3) The 'medusa' form, a human with many snakes emerging from the head and/or shoulders

(4) The 'snake mermaid' form, like a mermaid except that the lower half is a snake instead of a fish

(5) A snake too large to be natural (sometimes so big it can swallow elephants)

(6) A snake with many heads (sometimes also gigantic)

(7) A dragon (this is rare in India, but more common in Thailand and Malaysia, where the Naga is sometimes considered a creature of cryptozoology