naga, ( Sanskrit: “serpent”) in Hinduism and Buddhism, a member of a class of semidivine beings, half human and half serpentine. They are considered to be a strong, handsome race who can assume either human or wholly serpentine form. They are regarded as being potentially dangerous but in some ways are superior to humans. They live in an underground kingdom called Naga-loka, or Patala-loka, which is filled with resplendent palaces, beautifully ornamented with precious gems. The creator deity Brahma is said to have relegated the nagas to the nether regions when they became too populous on earth and to have commanded them to bite only the truly evil or those destined to die prematurely. They are also associated with waters—rivers, lakes, seas, and wells—and are generally regarded as guardians of treasure. Three notable nagas are Shesha (or Ananta), who in the Hindu myth of creation is said to support Narayana (Vishnu) as he lies on the cosmic ocean and on whom the created world rests; Vasuki, who was used as a churning rope to churn the cosmic ocean of milk; and Takshaka, the tribal chief of the snakes. In modern Hinduism the birth of the serpents is celebrated on Naga-panchami in the month of Shravana (July–August).
Posted on: Sun, 01 Sep 2013 14:34:39 +0000
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