“Nag Panchami: Honoring Serpents in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Traditions”

“Nag Panchami: Honoring Serpents in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Traditions”

Nag Panchami is a day of traditional worship of nagas or snakes (which are associated with mythical serpent creatures), celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists throughout Nepal and other countries where Hindus, Jains and Buddhists live. According to the Hindu calendar, the worship is performed on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Shravan (July/August).

States of India, such as Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat, celebrate Nag Panchami on the dark half of the month (Krishna Paksha). As part of the celebration, a serpent deity made of silver, stone, wood or painting is reverently bathed with milk. Live snakes, mainly cobras, are worshipped on Nag Panchami, especially by offering milk to the serpent deity and generally assisting snake charmers.

In the Mahabharata epic, the sage Astika prevented King Janamejaya from sacrificing and ultimately destroying the serpent race. This sacrifice was performed by Janamejaya to avenge the death of his father Parikshit, who was killed by Takshaka, the king of snakes. The day on which the sacrifice was performed was the Shukla Paksha Panchami day in the month of Shravan. During this sacrifice, the Mahabharata was narrated for the first time by the sage Vaishampayana. Since then that day is celebrated as Nag Panchami.

Etymology

Panchami is the fifth day out of fifteen days of the waxing/waning moon. This particular day of Nag Puja always falls on the fifth day of the waning moon in the lunar Hindu month of Shravan July/August. Hence it is called Nag Panchami (नाग: cobra; or simply, serpent).

Legends

There are many legends in Hinduism and folklore about the significance of snake worship. According to the Hindu Puranas and the Mahabharata, Kashyapa, the grandson of the universal creator god Brahma, married Kadru and Vinata, both daughters of Prajapati Daksha. Kadru then gave birth to the race of nagas, while Vinata gave birth to Aruna, who became the charioteer of the Sun god, Surya, and also gave birth to the great Garuda, who became the carrier of Vishnu. Nag Panchami is also the day when akhadas, traditional Indian wrestling gyms, hold special events to honor the mystical symbolism of the snake as a symbol of masculinity and kundalini energy.

History

Indian scriptures such as the Agni Purana, Skanda Purana, Narada Purana and the Mahabharata detail the history of snakes, praising the worship of snakes.

In the Mahabharata epic, Janamejaya, the son of King Parikshit of the Kuru dynasty, was performing a snake yagna called Sarpa Satra to avenge the death of his father, who was bitten by a snake king called Takshaka.

Sarpa Satra is the snake yagna in which the young Brahmin Astika stopped the yagna.

A specially constructed fire pit was erected and a fire yagna was started by a galaxy of learned Brahmin sages to kill all the snakes in the world. This yagna performed in the presence of Janamejaya was so powerful that it caused all the snakes to fall into the yagna kunda (sacrificial fire pit). When the priests found that only Takshaka, who had bitten and killed Parikshit, had fled to Patala loka seeking Indra’s protection, the sages intensified the chanting of mantras and pulled Takshaka and Indra into the sacrificial fire as well. Takshaka had coiled around Indra’s cot, but the force of the sacrificial yagna was so powerful that Indra and Takshaka were also drawn into the fire.

This frightened the gods and then appealed to Manasa Devi to intervene to resolve the crisis. She then requested her son Astika to go to the yagna site and urge Janamejaya to stop the Sarpa Satra yagna. Astika impressed Janamejaya with his knowledge of all the scriptures and Janamejaya allowed him to ask for a boon. Astika then requested Janamejaya to stop the Sarpa Satra. Since the king was never known to refuse a boon offered to a Brahmin, he kept his word despite the protection provided by the sages conducting the yagna.

The yagna was then stopped and thus Indra and Takshaka and the rest of his snake race were saved. According to the Hindu calendar, this day was Nadivardhini Panchami (the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Shravan during the rainy season) and since then this day is the festival of snakes as their lives were saved on this day. Indra also went to Manasa Devi and worshipped her.

According to the Garuda Purana, worshipping snakes on this day is auspicious and brings good news in one’s life. After this, food should be offered to Brahmins.

Worship On the day of Nag Panchami, serpents, cobras and snakes are worshiped by offering milk, sweets, flowers, lamps and even sacrifices. The serpent or serpent deities made of silver, stone, wood or wall paintings are first bathed with water and milk and then worshiped with the chanting of the following mantras.

Naag Preeta Bhavanti Shantimapnoti Biya Viboh Sashanti Lok Ma Sadhya Modate Sasathit Samah Anantam Vasukin Sheshan Padmanabhan Cha Kambalam Shankhapalam Dhritarashtram Cha Takshakam Kaliam And Etani Nav Namani Naganam Cha Mahatman: Sayankle Pathennityam Pratahkale Specially Tasya Vishbhayam Nasti Everywhere Enemy Bhavet Naga In Nagalok Therefore Nagpokhari, Naxal, Kathmandu In some areas of the country, milk is served with crystallized sugar, rice kheer. A special feature is the offering of a lotus flower which is placed in a silver bowl.

In front of this bowl, a painting (colourful design pattern) of a snake is drawn on the floor with sandalwood or turmeric paste with a brush made of wood or clay or silver or gold. ) is made. The picture will resemble a snake with five hoods.

Then the devotees worship the picture made on the floor or wall. In villages, ant mounds are searched where snakes are believed to live. Prayers are offered to the devotees. In the form of offering of milk (incense is offered along with the folk tale of feeding milk to snakes) on the ant mound to lure the snakes out of the ant holes. After this, the snake is offered in the ant holes as an offering to the snake deity. Milk is poured into it.

On this occasion, pictures of snakes are drawn on the doors and walls outside the house, with auspicious mantras written on them. It is believed that such depictions ward off poisonous snakes.

Nag Panchami is also celebrated as Bhatri Panchami when women along with brothers worship snakes and their burrows and pray to please the Naga so that their brothers remain safe from snakes and do not suffer or die from snake bites .

Nag Panchami is also celebrated as Vishari Puja or Bishari Puja in some parts of the country and Bisha or Vish means “poison”.

Folklore

There are many folklore about snakes and the festival apart from those mentioned in the scriptures. Such There is a story of a farmer living in a village. He had two sons and one of them killed three snakes while ploughing. The snake’s mother took revenge by biting the farmer, his wife and two children that very night and they died.

All died. The next day the farmer’s only surviving daughter, distraught and saddened by the death of her parents and brothers, offered a bowl of milk to the mother snake and asked for forgiveness and requested to give her parents and brothers back to life. . Pleased with this offering, the snake forgave them and gave life back to the farmer and his family.

In folklore, snakes also represent the rainy season – called Varsha Ritu in Sanskrit. They are worshipped as the deity of ponds and rivers. They are also depicted as snakes and are said to come out of their burrows like water springs.

Regional Traditions

Nāga or Serpent

Since snakes are believed to have powers greater than humans and are symbols of Shiva, Devi, Vishnu and Because of its association with Subramanya, the serpent is considered a deity and is worshipped by Hindus throughout the country.

The serpent is related to the nodes of the Moon known in Hindu astrology. The head of the serpent is represented by Rahu (“dragon’s head”) and its tail is represented by Ketu (“dragon’s tail”). If all the seven major planets in a person’s horoscope are surrounded in reverse order (anticlockwise) between Rahu and Ketu, it is called Kalasarpa Dosha (dosha caused by black snakes), which brings misfortune and hardship in a person’s life. foreboding and hence it is pacified by worshipping snakes on the day of Nag Panchami.

Central India

In central India, Nagapur in the state of Maharashtra has a special place for snakes. The name of the city is derived from the word nag which means snake because The place was full of snakes. Nagapur was the homeland of the ‘Naga’ people who adopted Buddhism, supported it with great efforts in its early stages and propagated it throughout India.

The palace has the Nagaoba temple where snakes are worshipped on the occasion of Nag Panchami. Puja is performed on the day; the temple was found under a Neem tree known as “Nagoba ka Vota”, under a platform. Another important event held on this occasion is known as Nagdwar Yatra of Pachmarhi. It is a difficult trekking pilgrimage. On this occasion, food prepared to be offered to the serpent deity is cooked in a pan.

Naag Chandreshwar Ujjain

This is a sub-temple located on the third floor of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain. The specialty of this temple is that it is open only for one day in a year. It opens on the day of Nag Panchami and remains closed for the rest of the year. The idol of Nagchandreshwar is unique in which Shiva and Parvati are seated on a ten-hooded snake surrounded by Nandi, Ganesha and other idols. It is believed that the great serpent Takshaka Living here and praying during Nag Panchami helps the devotees get relief from various sufferings and doshas like Naag Dosha, Sarp Dosha and any kind of doshas.

North and Northwestern India

Nag Panchami is celebrated throughout North India. In Kashmir, Hindus have been worshipping snakes since historical times, and the number of places of worship is said to be 700.

In Northwestern India, in cities such as Banaras, this is the time when akhadas (sites of wrestling practice and competitions) are celebrated as part of the Nag Panchami celebrations; the akhadas are thoroughly cleaned for the occasion and have pictures of snakes painted on the walls, priests preside, and gurus are honored along with sponsors. The significance of this is that wrestlers symbolize masculinity and the Naga symbolizes this “scheme of masculinity”. Akharas are decorated with paintings of snakes, including the snake drinking milk.

The Narsinghgarh akhada in Varanasi has a special temple dedicated to the Naga Raja (King of Snakes), where a bowl is hung over the image of a snake and milk is poured into it so that it drips onto the snake deity as an offering.

On this day snake charmers everywhere parade snakes in their baskets in towns and villages, which include all types of snakes like python, cobra and many more. Some snake charmers hang the snakes around their necks and crowds gather to watch these scenes. The snakes kept in the basket are also worshipped on this occasion.

However, in Punjab this festival is celebrated in a different month and in a different form, in the month of the Hindi month Bhadra (September-October) and is called Guga Navami (the ninth day of the lunar month during the bright half of the moon). On this occasion an image of a snake is made from flour and placed in a “basket” and taken around the village. The villagers offer flour and butter to the image. At the end of the parade, the snake is ceremonially buried and the women worship the snake for nine days and offer curd as prasad.

Western India

Bhujang Snake Deity Temple

Like the rest of the country, Nag Panchami is celebrated in Western India as well and is known as Ketarpal or Kshetrapal, which means, protector of his territory.

In this part of the country, the name of the snake is Bhujang, which is also the Sanskrit name of the snake in the Kutch region. The name is derived from the city of Bhuj which is situated below a hill called Bhujia, named after Bhujang, as it was the abode of snakes. There is a fort on the top of this hill known as Bhujia Fort where a temple has been built for the snake deity and another temple is at the foot of the hill known as Nani Devi.

Bhujia Fort was the site of a major battle between Deshalji I, the ruler of Kutch, and Sher Buland Khan, the Mughal viceroy of Gujarat, who had invaded Kutch. This was the early period of Deshalji’s reign. When the army of Kutch was in a position to lose the battle, a group of Naga Babas opened the gate of Bhujia fort by a clever trick of going to the Naga temple for worship and joined the battle against the army of Sher Buland Khan. Ultimately Deshalji I won the battle. From that day the Naga Babas and their leader have a pride of place in the procession held on the day of Nag Panchami.

Within the fort, in one corner, there is a small square tower dedicated to Bhujang Nag (snake deity) who is said to be the brother of Sheshnag in folklore. It is said that Bhujang Nag came from Than in Kathiawar and freed Kutch from the atrocities of demons and monsters. During the reign of Deshalji I, the Nag temple was also constructed at the time of fortification of the hill and a chhatri was also installed in it. Every year a fair is held in the temple premises on the day of Nag Panchami. Nag Panchami is celebrated in the Sindhi community in honour of Gogro.

Eastern and Northeast India

The goddess is worshipped as Manasa in the eastern and northeastern states of India such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Assam. According to Hindu mythology, Manasa is a serpent goddess who was also called Jaratkaru and was the wife of a Brahmin sage named Jaratkaru. On this occasion, a sprig of the Manasa plant (Euphorbia lingularum), symbolizing Goddess Manasa, is installed on the ground and worshipped not only in the month of Shravan but also in the month of Bhadra, as in the rest of the country. The festival is celebrated in the house premises.

South India

Stone idols of snakes worshipped in South India

In South India, the snake is identified with Subramanya (the commander of the celestial army) and Shiva and Vishnu.

In Karnataka, preparations for the festival begin on the day of Bhimana Amavasya, five days before the festival day of Panchami. Girls worship idols made of white clay painted with white dots. They take a fast by tying a thread dipped in turmeric paste on their right wrist and offer prayers. An image of a snake is made on the floor in front of the house and milk is offered. They keep a complete fast the night before the festival. After the puja, a food feast is organized.

In South India, sculpted and live snakes are worshipped. Every village has a snake deity. It is worshipped as a single snake or nine snakes called Nava Naga, but the popular form is of two snakes holding an “Aesculapian rod”. Every worshipper in South India worships the ant mound where the snakes are said to live. Women decorate the ant mound with turmeric paste and sindoor and wheat flour mixed with sugar. They decorate it with flowers with the help of threads tied to a wooden plank. In Maharashtra, they circumambulate the ant mound five times in a manner of worship while singing songs in praise of the snake god.

Another form of worship performed by women who have no children for various reasons is to set up stone idols of snakes under a Peepal tree and worship them seeking blessings from the snake god for children. This is done because snakes are believed to represent virility and have the gift of inducing fertility to cure infertility.

In Coorg, Karnataka, an ancestral platform called Noka is set up with rough stones which are believed to be the incarnations of ancestors in the form of snakes, but these are not necessarily worshipped on the day of Nag Panchami.

In Kerala, Ezhavas and Nairs are snake-worshippers. A shrine to the snake god is set up in the south-west corner of the ancestral house, along with a shrine to the Para-devata.On the day of Nag Panchami, women observe a fast on the previous day. They then bathe at dawn on Nag Panchami day and offer prayers at Tharavad Sarpa Kavu. They take the theertham milk home. A chembarthi (hibiscus) flower is dipped in milk and sprinkled on the brother’s back and then his aarti is performed. Then a thread dipped in turmeric is tied on the brother’s right wrist. A feast is served after that.

Observance in Nepal

This ritual is widely observed in Nepal, especially for the fight between Garuda and a large serpent.

In Changu Narayan Temple in Kathmandu, there is a statue of Garuda, which is said to have been installed by Garuda himself and sweat oozes from the image on the day of Nag Panchami, which reminds of his great fight with a giant serpent; people collect the sweat and use it to cure leprosy.

Nepalese diaspora communities have also taken this ritual outside Nepal to various countries of their residence.