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Naga Devatas

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<p>The Nagas are a divine, or semi-divine race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part human form, or are so depicted in art. A female naga is called a Nagi, or a Nagini. According to legend, they are the children of the sage Kashyapa and Kadru. Rituals devoted to these supernatural beings have been taking place throughout South Asia for at least 2,000 years.They are principally depicted in three forms: as entirely human with snakes on the heads and necks, as common serpents, or as half-human, half-snake beings in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Nagaraja is the title given to the king of the nagas. Narratives of these beings hold cultural significance in the mythological traditions of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures, and within Hinduism and Buddhism, they are the ancestral origins of the Nagavanshi Kshatriyas. In Sanskrit, a naga is a cobra, the Indian cobra (Naja naja). A synonym for naga is phanin .There are several words for &quot;snake&quot; in general, and one of the very commonly used ones is sarpa . Sometimes the word naga is also used generically to mean &quot;snake&quot;.The word is cognate with English &#39;snake&#39;, Hinduism: The mythological serpent race that often take form as cobras can often be found in Hindu iconography. The nagas are described as the powerful, splendid, wonderful, and proud semi-divine race that can assume their physical form either as human, a partial human-serpent, or as a whole serpent. Their domain is in the enchanted underworld, the underground realm filled with gems, gold and other earthly treasures called Nagaloka or Patalaloka. They are also often associated with bodies of waters including rivers, lakes, seas, and wells and are guardians of treasure. Their power and venom made them potentially dangerous to humans. However, in Hindu mythology, they often take the role of beneficial protagonists; in the Samudra Manthana, Vasuki, a nagaraja who abides on Shiva&#39;s neck, became the churning rope for churning of the Ocean of Milk.Their eternal mortal foe is the Garuḍa, the legendary semi-divine bird-like deitiy.Vishnu is originally portrayed in the form sheltered by Sheshanaga or reclining on Shesha, but the iconography has been extended to other deities as well. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography, and appears in many forms: around the neck, use as a sacred thread (Sanskrit: yajnyopavita) wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne.Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.Maehle states that &quot;Patanjali is thought to be a manifestation of the serpent of eternity&quot;. Literature: See also: Shesha, Vasuki, and Manasa The Mahabharata epic is the first text that introduces nagas, describes them in detail and narrates their stories.The cosmic snake Shesha, the nagarajas (naga kings) Vasuki, Takshaka, Airavata and Karkotaka, and the princess Ulupi, are all depicted in the Mahabharata. The Brahma Purana describes the reign of Adishesha as the king of the serpents in Patala: During the night the light of the moon is not utilised for its coolness but only for illumination. Since that passes away is not taken notice of by the Nagas who enjoy with gaiety the foodstuffs and the edibles they consume and the great beverages they drink. Nor are Danujas and others aware of it. O brahmins, the forests, rivers, lakes, and lotus ponds, the cooing of the cuckoo and other sweet birds, the pleasing skies, the unguents and the continuous notes and sounds of musical instruments such as the lute, flute and Mrdanga drums, O Brahmins all these and other beautiful things are enjoyed by virtue of their good luck by Danavas, Daityas and Nagas residing in Patala. The Tamasi form of Vishnu, named Sesa is beneath the lower regions. Daityas and Danavas are not capable of recountig his good qualities. He is honoured by Devas and celestial sages. He is spoken of as Ananta. He has a thousand hoods and he is clearly bedecked in Svastika ornaments devoid of impurities. He illuminates all quarters by thousand jewels on his hoods. The Kamba Ramayana describes the role of Vasuki in the Samudra Manthana: The devas and the asuras decided to get Amṛta (Ambrosia the celestial honey of immortalily) by churning the sea of milk. The Devas went to bring Mandara-mountain, to be used as the churning rod. Their attempt was futile. The asuras made a trial with the same result. The Bhutaganas (Guards) of Siva also made a vain attempt. On the instruction of Vishnu, Garuda went and brought the mountain as easily as an eagle takes away a frog. Now Vasuki should be brought. The Devas and Gandharvas failed in that attempt also. Garuda who was haughty of his strength and speed, went to the city of the nagas (serpents) and requested Vasuki to come to the sea of Milk. Vasuki replied that if the matter was so urgent he had no objection for being carried to that place. He took the middle part of Vasuki in his beak and flew up higher and higher and reached beyond the horizon. Still the lower half of Vasuki was lying on the ground. So he took Vasuki in his beak as folded in two. Still the result was the same. Garuḍa became aware of the impossibility of carrying Vasuki and returned, ashamed and disappointed. Vishnu rebuked him for his arrogance. After this, Siva stretched his hand to Patala. Vasuki became a small bangle on that hand. Thus Vasuki was brought to the shore of the sea of Milk. &mdash;&thinsp;Kambar, Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda The Devi Bhagavata Purana describes the legend of Manasa:[17] Manasa is the mind-born daughter of Maharsi Kasyapa; hence she is named Manasa; or it may be She who plays with the mind is Manasa. Or it may be She who meditates on God with her mind and gets rapture in Her meditation of God is named Manasa. She finds pleasure in Her Own Self, the great devotee of Vishnu, a Siddha Yogini. For three Yugas She worshipped Sri Krishna and then She became a Siddha Yogini. Sri Krishna, the Lord of the Gopis, seeing the body of Manasa lean and thin due to austerities, or seeing her worn out like the Muni Jarat Karu called her by the name of Jarat Karu. Hence Her name has come also to be Jarat Karu. Krishna, the Ocean of Mercy, gave her out of kindness, Her desired boon; She worshipped Him and Sri Krishna also worshipped Her. Devi Manasa is known in the Heavens, in the abode of the Nagas (serpents), in earth, in Brahmaloka, in all the worlds as of very fair colour, beautiful and charming. She is named Jagad Gauri as she is of a very fair colour in the world. Her other name is Saivi and she is the disciple of Siva. She is named Vaisnavi as she is greatly devoted to Vishnu. She saved the Nagas in the Snake Sacrifice performed by Pariksit, she is named Nagesvari and Naga Bhagini and She is capable to destroy the effects of poison. She is called Visahari. She got the Siddha yoga from Mahadeva; hence She is named Siddha Yogini &mdash;&thinsp;Devi Bhagavata Purana, Chapter 47 Buddhism: As in Hinduism, the Buddhist naga generally has sometimes portrayed as a human being with a snake or dragon extending over his head.One naga, in human form, attempted to become a monk; and when telling it that such ordination was impossible, the Buddha told it how to ensure that it would be reborn a human, and so able to become a monk. The nagas are believed to both live on Nagaloka, among the other minor deities, and in various parts of the human-inhabited earth. Some of them are water-dwellers, living in streams or the ocean; others are earth-dwellers, living in caverns. The nagas are the followers of Virupakṣa (Pali: Virupakkha), one of the Four Heavenly Kings who guards the western direction. They act as a guard upon Mount Sumeru, protecting the devas of Trayastriṃsa from attack by the asuras. Among the notable nagas of Buddhist tradition is Mucalinda, nagaraja and protector of the Buddha. In the Vinaya Sutra shortly after his enlightenment, the Buddha is meditating in a forest when a great storm arises, but graciously, King Mucalinda gives shelter to the Buddha from the storm by covering the Buddha&#39;s head with his seven snake heads.Then the king takes the form of a young Brahmin and renders the Buddha homage. In the Vajrayana and Mahasiddha traditions, nagas in their half-human form are depicted holding a nagas jewel, kumbhas of amrita, or a terma that had been elementally encoded by adepts. The two chief disciples of the Buddha, Sariputta and Moggallana are both referred to as Mahanaga or &quot;Great naga&quot;.Some of the most important figures in Buddhist history symbolize nagas in their names such as Dignaga, Nagasena, and, although other etymons are assigned to his name, Nagarjuna. The Naga Saṃyutta of the Pali Canon consists of suttas specifically devoted to explaining nature of the nagas. In the &quot;Devadatta&quot; chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the daughter of the dragon king, an eight year old longnu , after listening to Manjusri preach the Lotus Sutra, transforms into a male Bodhisattva and immediately reaches full enlightenment. Some say this tale appears to reinforce the viewpoint prevalent in Mahayana scriptures that a male body is required for Buddhahood, even if a being is so advanced in realization that they can magically transform their body at will and demonstrate the emptiness of the physical form itself.However, many schools of Buddhism and classical, seminal Chinese exegeses interpret the story to repudiate this viewpoint, stating the story demonstrates that women can attain Buddhahood in their current form. According to tradition, the Prajnaparamita sutras had been given by the Buddha to a great naga who guarded them in the sea, and were conferred upon Nagarjuna later. Other Tradition: In Thailand and Java, the naga is a wealthy underworld deity. For Malay sailors, nagas are a type of dragon with many heads. In Laos they are beaked water serpents. in Pakistan, Many films and stories (see Jado Garni) are based around a Shape-shifting snake-woman, descended from the Vedic traditions. It is still a popular folk icon in Pakistani pop culture, folk tales and Music. Sri Lanka: The Naga people were believed to be an ancient tribe and origins of Sri Lanka. According to V. Kanakasabhai, The Oliyar, Parathavar, Maravar and Eyinar who were widespread across South India and North-East Sri Lanka are all Naga tribes.There are references to them in several ancient text such as Mahavamsa, Manimekalai and also in other Sanskrit and Pali literature. They are generally being represented as a class of superhumans taking the form of serpents who inhabit a subterranean world. Texts such as Manimekalai represent them as persons in human form. Cambodia Stories of nagas have existed for thousands of years in the Khmer society since the Funan era .According to reports by two Chinese envoys, Kang Tai and Zhu Ying, the state of Funan was established in the 1st century CE by an Indian prince named Kaundinya ,who married a Naga princess named Soma . They are symbolized in the story of Preah Thong and Neang Neak. Kaundinya was given instruction in a dream to take a magic bow from a temple and defeat a Naga princess named Soma, the daughter of the Naga king. They fell in love during the battle and later married, their lineage becoming the royal dynasty of Funan. Kaundinya later built a capital, Vyadhapura, and the kingdom came to be known as Kambujadesa or Cambodia .The love story is the source of many standard practices in modern-day Khmer culture, including wedding ceremonies and other rituals.The Khmer people believe they are the descendants of the nagas. Many Khmer people still believe they exist, and will one day reappear, coming back home bringing prosperity for their people. Although many temples from the Funan Era had been destroyed through wars, nature and time, nagas can still be seen in ancient temples from the Chenla Era and the Angkor Era. For example, like the temple modern day named &quot;The Coiled nagas Temple&quot; was once called, &quot;Emperor&#39;s Wealth Temple&quot; . Naga in the Khmer culture represent rain, or a bridge between the mortal realm and the realm of devas and they can transform into half human or fully human. They act as protectors from invisible forces, deities, or other humans with malicious intention. Furthermore, Cambodian Naga possess numerological symbolism in the middle of their heads. Odd-headed Naga symbolize masculinity, infinity, timelessness, and immortality. This is because, numerologically, all odd numbers come from the number one. Seven-headed Naga are said to be representing femininity, physicality, mortality, temporality, and the Earth. Odd headed nagas are believed to represent immortality and are carved and used throughout Cambodia. Odd-Headed Naga (Name, origin, and connotations): -1 Headed Naga: mostly seen in modern days; carved on objects as protection, temples, monastery, King&#39;s residence, residence of a deity Symbolizes, that even if everything in this world is gone, there&#39;s still this Naga left bringing victory and happiness to all -3 Kalyak: born between the mortal realm and devas&#39; realm, they live at the bottom of the ocean and is the guardian of wealth, often depicted as evil (nothing to do with the symbolism) Symbolizes the Trimurti; (left Vishnu, middle Shiva and right Brahma) but also the three realm [heaven (devas&#39; realm), earth (mortal realm) and hell (norok realm)]. In Buddhism, the central head represents Buddha, the right head represents Dharma and the left one represents the monks. -5 Anontak/Sesak: born out of the elemental elements on Earth, they&#39;re immortals Symbolizes the directions; East, West, North, South and Middle (Ganges river, Indus river, Yamuna river, Brahmaputra river (Brahma&#39;s Son River), Sarasvati river). In Buddhism, the dragon heads represent the 5 Buddhas: Kadabak, Kunsontho, Koneakumno, Samnak Koudom Gautama Buddha and Seare Metrey. -7 Muchlentak: originated from the bottom of the Himalayas, they bring peace and prosperity to humans, they&#39;re deities who control the seven oceans and seven mountains called &#39;Seytontaraksatakboriphorn.&#39; They are also the Naga that sheltered Gautama Buddha for 7 days and 7 nights (Mucalinda). Often depicted as guardian statues, carved as balustrades on causeways leading to main Khmer temples, such as those found in Angkor Wat.They also represent the seven races within Naga society, which has a mythological, or symbolic, association with &quot;the seven colors of the rainbow.&quot; -9 Vasukak: Is the king who rules the Earth (Vasuki). For this Naga, when carved on both sides, the front heads represent reincarnation and the behind represent death. In Vedas and shramanism, there are four different Naga race: 1) Primitive Dragons such as the European dragon who can spit fire. 2) The Spiritual Dragons who are the guardians of wealth, they protect treasure in the ocean. They can take on a half human form. 3) The Divine nagas, who can travel to heaven, they came from Lord Indra&#39;s realm (the divine realm), they can take on a full human form. 4) The Supreme and Divine nagas, like Vasuki the follower of Lord Shiva, who alone can fight all the Garuḍa race. All of them have great powers and can set off storms, rain, tempest and create lands from the sea. Indonesia In Javanese and Balinese culture, Indonesia, a naga is depicted as a crowned, giant, magical serpent, sometimes winged. It is similarly derived from the Shiva-Hinduism tradition, merged with Javanese animism. The naga in Indonesia mainly derived and influenced by Indic tradition, combined with the native animism tradition of sacred serpents. In Sanskrit, the term naga literally means snake, but in Java it normally refer to serpent deity, associated with water and fertility. In Borobudur, the nagas are depicted in their human form, but elsewhere they are depicted in animal shape. Early depictions of circa-9th-century Central Java closely resembled Indic naga which was based on imagery of cobras. During this period, naga-serpents were depicted as giant cobras supporting the waterspout of yoni lingam. The examples of naga sculpture can be found in several Javanese candis, including Prambanan, Sambisari, Ijo, and Jawi. In East Java, the Penataran temple complex contain a Candi Naga, an unusual naga-temple with its Hindu Javanese caryatids holding corpulent nagas aloft. The later depiction since the 15th century, however, was slightly influenced by Chinese dragon imagery although unlike its Chinese counterparts, Javanese and Balinese nagas do not have legs. Naga as the lesser deity of earth and water is prevalent in the Hindu period of Indonesia, before the introduction of Islam. In Balinese tradition, nagas are often depicted battling garuḍas. Intricately carved nagas are found as stairs railings in bridges or stairs, such as those found in Balinese temples, Ubud monkey forest, and Taman Sari in Yogyakarta. In a wayang theater story, a snake-like god (naga) named Sanghyang Anantaboga or Antaboga is a guardian deity in the bowels of the earth.nagas symbolize the nether realm of earth or underworld. Laos The Naga is believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong or its estuaries. Lao mythology maintains that the nagas are the protectors of Vientiane, and by extension, the Lao state. The association with nagas was most clearly articulated during and immediately after the reign of Anouvong. An important poem from this period San Leupphasun discusses relations between Laos and Thailand in a veiled manner, using the Naga and the Garuḍa to represent the Lao and the Thai, respectively.The Naga is incorporated extensively into Lao iconography, and features prominently in Lao culture throughout the length of the country, not only in Vientiane. Thailand Phaya Nak or Phaya Naga &thinsp;&#39;lord of Naga&#39;, phaya derived from Mon which mean high nobility) or Nakkharat &#39;king of Naga&#39;) in Thai beliefs, nagas are considered the patronage of water. nagas are believed to live in either water bodies or in caves. According to a popular legend, the Mekong River in north-eastern Thailand and Laos was said to be created by two Naga kings slithering through the area, thus creating the Mekong and the nearby Nan River. The Mekong is synonymous with the unexplained fireballs phenomenon which has long been believed to be created by the nagas that dwell in the river.Common explanations of their sightings have been attributed to oarfish, elongated fish with red crests; however, these are exclusively marine and usually live at great depths.Due to the strong relation with everything water, the Naga in Thai belief does also play a role in rain control. The concept of Nak hai nam Naga granting water) is used for annual rainfall prediction. It is still practiced nowadays, most notably during the Royal Ploughing Ceremony. The oracle ranges from 1 nak hai nam (1 Naga granted water); meaning the abundant rainfall should be observed that year, to maximum 7 nak hai nam (7 nagas granted water); meaning there might not be adequate rainfall that year.In northern Thailand, the Singhanavati Kingdom had a strong connection with nagas. The kingdom was believed to be built with aids of nagas, and thus, nagas were highly reverend by the royal family. The kingdom, for a period of time, was renamed Yonok Naga Raj (lit. Yonok the nagaraja)The nagas are also highly revered. The Buddhist temples and palaces are often adorned with various nagas. The term Naga is also present in various Thai architecture terms including the nak sadung , the outer roof finial component featuring Naga-like structure), and the nak than , the corbel with Naga-shape).Moreover, nagas are sometimes linked to medicine. Owing to nagaraja Shesha&#39;s presence in Hindu legend&#39;s Samudra manthan of which Dhanvantari (god of Indic medicine) and Amrit (healing potion) were created alongside the universe, the nagas are thus linked to medicine in some extents. The nagas can also be founded substituting the snakes in either Rod of Asclepius or mistakenly Caduceus of several medical institutions&#39; symbols. The former seal of Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, and the seal of Society of Medical Student Thailand are some notable examples using the Caduceus with nagas&#39; presence instead of snakes. Folklore Thai folklore holds the Phaya nagas to be semi-divine, demi-creatures, which possess supernatural powers as has been described in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology.The &quot;Kamchanod Forest&quot; (RTGS: Pa Khamchanot) Ban Dung district, Udon Thani province, which is held in high reverence and fear across Thailand, is believed to be the border between the human world and the netherworld, and is frequently depicted in Thai folklore as the site of many hauntings, but more frequently is considered to be the home of the Naga. According to Shan folklore of Nanzhao Kingdom (now southern China and Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuries, which was centered on present-day Yunnan in China), the Naga inhabited the Erhai lake and is the creator of the Mekong.In China, the Naga is generally more considered to be a dragon. Many people, particularly in Isan (the north-eastern region of Thailand), believe that the nagas are responsible for unnatural wave phenomena occurring in the rivers or lakes in the vicinity. It is also frequently claimed that the serpent-like demigods are responsible for marks on common objects, such as car hoods or house walls.A police office has also claimed to be in contact with the Naga, although the implications of this contact is not thoroughly explained.In attempts to explain these phenomena, scientists and researchers at the Faculty of Science of Chulalongkorn University have attributed these seemingly preternatural phenomena to standing waves in water, and posit that the existence of the Phaya Naga is similar to belief in Loch Ness Monster in Scotland or Ogopogo in Canada, and further maintain that the serpent-like tracks of the Phaya Naga are very possibly forged by humans.</p>

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