The Nagas & Naginis | Serpentine Beings of Indian Legend

Throughout time, people across the world told each other tales of how they came to be, of heroes and monsters, romance and tragedy, death and rebirth. Mythology helped shape the ancient world, explaining the unexplainable. This is Mythology Unleashed. Serpents are both feared and honored in many cultures across the world. In Hindu mythology, Jain Dharma, and Buddhist tradition of India, they are both feared and honored in the form of the Nagas. Nagas, and the feminine Naginis, are semi-divine creatures depicted as part human and part snake, particularly king cobras and Indian pythons. As natural shapeshifters, their appearance can vary greatly, but they are always shown as serpents in some form or another. They may appear as human from the waist up, with a gigantic snake body for their lower half. Some are depicted as having the bodies of humans, but with snake heads. Some are even depicted as having five, seven, or even more snake heads sprouting from their backs. Regardless of their outward appearance, all Nagas are clever, skilled in magic, powerful shapeshifters, and have notoriously short fuses. Benevolent Nagas can be the most generous of allies, but their fierce counterparts are known to cause calamity. The Nagas are spirits of Bhogavati in the Nagaloka region of Patala, the underworld, said to be found at points where their realm impinges on ours, such as springs and rivers. Presided over by a king, referred to as the Nagaraja, they store great treasures of wealth and precious stones, and even books of secret teachings in their underwater palaces. They are guardians of Earth's resources, including minerals, metals, and gemstones, and are associated with ancient tree veneration, fertility, and healing. If a Naga is suitably worshipped or respected, prosperity can result. Blessings of the Naga include fertility, wisdom, wealth, a strong harvest, and even protection and cures for snakebites. Like other powerful beings, however, they can be very fickle. If a Naga feels they have been ignored, mistreated, or insulted, the Naga can cause a myriad of catastrophe, from floods and drought to infectious diseases. First and foremost, Nagas are guardian spirits, and must be propitiated before anything they guard is disturbed or even approached. It is especially crucial to maintain cleanliness and purity of natural resources of water, as these are Naga's homes. They are also quick to punish those who pollute the air, the earth, and the water, expressing their frustration and displeasure by causing illness, particularly ailments that manifest on the skin, ranging from acne to leprosy. Within Buddhism, Nagas are typically considered minor deities. Many are believed to live on Mount Meru or in the Himavanta forest, while others live beneath the earth or guard other deities from attack. In the Mahabharata, an epic of Hindu mythology, the Nagas are established as the enemies of Garuda, a man-and-bird-of-prey hybrid creature, cousin of the Nagas, and deemed superior in power to them. Garuda and the Nagas become embroiled in conflict of their respective mothers, resulting in Garuda being bound in servitude to Vishnu. When he is ultimately released, he still carries a grudge against the Nagas forever and views them from that point on as prey, similar to how eagles and kites prey on various snakes. There are hundreds of Nagas and Naginis throughout Hindu and Buddhist mythologies, several of whom play large roles in many myths. Perhaps the most important Naga of Buddhist mythology is Mukulinda. Mukulinda is said to be the protector of Gautama Buddha and once shielded him from the elements during a heavy storm while the Buddha meditated under the Bodhi tree, spreading his great hood like an umbrella. One of the most famous Nagas is Shesha, also called Adi-Shesha or Ananta-Shesha, who is often considered to be the king of all Nagas, the prime Nagaraja. Shesha is often depicted floating in the cosmic ocean, carrying Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi upon his back. At Brahma's request, Shesha agreed to hold up the world in his coils in order to keep it stable. Whenever he uncoils, time moves forward. However, should he recoil back, the universe will cease to exist, but he will remain unchanged. Another important Naga within both Hindu and Buddhist mythology is Vasuki, another Nagaraja who is adorned with a gem called Nagamani on his head. Lord Shiva, one of the three most prominent Hindu deities, wears Vasuki coiled around his neck as an ornament. In Samudra-manthan, the Devas and Rakshasas need to extract the essence of immortality from the ocean of milk. In order to accomplish this, they wrapped Vasuki around Mount Mandara and used him as a roof in order to churn the ocean. The most prominent Nagini in Hinduism is Manasa, or Manasa Devi, the goddess of snakes and Vasuki's sister. She is specifically invoked for prevention and cure for snakebites and known to be worshipped for fertility and prosperity elements. She is depicted as a woman who is either covered with snakes while sitting on a lotus or standing on the back of a snake. While seated, she is nearly always sheltered by the hoods of seven cobras who line up behind her. Her adoption as a Hindu deity led to a formal acknowledgement that her parents were the Vedic sage Kashyapa and the goddess Khadru, which then led to their being considered as the parents to an additional 1,000 Nagas. Most myths relating to Manasa portray her as being foul-tempered and unhappy. This appears to be due to her rejection from Shiva as a formal deity, as she is part mortal. Her aim in most of these stories appears to be to fully establish herself as a full goddess in her own right and accumulate her own devout following. Like many other Nagas and Naginis, she is said to be kind to those who worship her and harsh to those who do not. Like real-life snakes, the Nagas are fascinating creatures. They are crafty and intelligent, mystical and powerful, beautiful to behold, and fickle in nature. The people of ancient India believe that many of the most precious and valuable things in life, water, minerals, gems, crops, even arcane knowledge, was presided over by the Nagas. Given adequate worship and respect, the Nagas' generosity can be boundless. Yet, if they feel that they have been slighted in any way, shape, or form, their venomous bite can be fatal.