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Courtesy:Sri.PP.Ramachandran
Many people celebrate Nag Panchami without knowing the significance of this festival. There are some myths and facts behind the celebration, worship and offerings that are given to the Snake God. It is a festival celebrated all over India with vigour and devotion. Read on to learn why Hindus celebrate Nag Panchami and what are the reasons behind celebrating this festival.
Nag Panchami is a Hindu festival on which snakes are worshipped. Hinduism is a religion of faith and is surrounded by common search of truth. For Hindus all this means a way of life and worshipping forces of nature has been a part of Hinduism from ancient times. Nag Panchami is celebrated throughout India and falls on the fifth day of the moonlit fortnight of the month of Sravana, which falls in the month of July or August.
The main reason of celebrating this day must be that snakes are a great threat to mankind during these months. They usually come out of their holes as rainwater seeps in and while looking for shelter they might harm humans. However, this is why they are worshipped this day and fed with milk.
It is believed that Krishna had saved the lives of people from the harassment of Kaliya, the snake. It is believed that one day, when Krishna , still quite young, was playing by the side of river Yamuna and his ball got stuck in the branches of a tree that was just by the side of the river. While trying to get that ball, Krishna fell into the river. When Kaliya, the snake attacked him, he fought and after some time the snake understood that he was not an ordinary child. This was when he pleaded Krishna not to kill him and Krishna spared him by taking a promise that he will not harass the people anymore. Nag Panchami is celebrated as the victory of Krishna on Kaliya, the most dangerous snake.
People do not dig the earth this day and offer cow's milk, fried paddy, rice's breed and durva (tip of a special grass) in front of the pictures of Nag or make its idol of mud and sand and worship it. This festival is celebrated all over India and more or less the way of worshipping is same.
People believe that Lord Shiva loves and blesses snakes and so by worshipping the snakes they also try to please him. Lord Shiva is believed to be one of the most short-tempered Gods and can even ruin your life if he gets angry. Some people even worship live cobras on the Nag Panchami day and offer them milk and other offerings as feed.
India is a country with different cultures and so the celebration varies from one state to state. In Maharashtra, a group of people asks alms and clothing by taking a dormant cobra in a plate and visiting as many houses as possible. In Kerala, people prefer visiting the snake temples and worship the stone or metal icons of snakes and pray so that they and their families are saved from any snakebite throughout the year.
There are many different kinds of belief behind offering milk and flowers to the snake God and the names also vary. Young girls pray and offer milk to cobras with the intention of getting married to a good person so that they live their lives happily. It is believed that snakes remember the faces and they take revenge with the whole family even if one of the member harms it. So, married women pray to save their families from any kind of harassment that can happen due to the snakes.
The abode of snakes is believed to be Patal (the seven realms of the universe located below the earth) and lowest of them is also called Naga-loka, the region of the Nagas part of the creation force and their blessings are sought for the welfare of the family.Serpent deity made of silver, stone or wood or the painting of snakes on the wall are given a bath with milk and then revered.
According to Hindu Puranas Kashyapa son of Lord Brahma the creator had four consorts and the third wife was Kadroo who belonged to the Naga race and she gave birth to the Nagas; among the other three, the first wife gave birth to Devas , the second to Garuda and the fourth to Daityas .
In the Mahabharata epic, Janamejeya, the son of King Parikshit of the Kuru dynasty was performing a snake sacrifice known as Sarpa Satra, to avenge for the death of his father from a snake bite by the snake king called Taksaka. A sacrificial fireplace had been specially erected and the fire sacrifice to kill all snakes in the world was started by a galaxy of learned Brahmin sages. The sacrifice performed in the presence of Janamejaya was so powerful that it was causing all snakes to fall into the Yagna kunda (sacrificial fire pit). When the priests found that only Takshaka who had bitten and killed Parisksihit had escaped to the nether world of Indra seeking his protection, the sages increased the tempo of reciting the mantras (spells) to drag Takshaka and also Indra to the sacrificial fire. Takshaka had coiled himself around Indra's cot but the force of the sacrificial yagna was so powerful that even Indra along with Takshaka were dragged towards the fire. This scared the gods who then appealed to Manasadevi to intervene and resolve the crisis. She then requested her son Astika to go to the site of the yagna and appeal to Janamejaya to stop the Sarpa Satra yagna. Astika impressed Janamejaya with his knowledge of all the Sastras ptures) who granted him to seek a boon. It was then that Astika requested Janamejeya to stop the Sarpa Satra. Since the king was never known to refuse a boon given to a Brahmin, he relented, in spite of protects by the rishis performing the yagna. The yagna was then stopped and thus the life of Indra and Takshaka and his other serpent race were spared. This day, according to the Hindu Calendar, happened to be Nadivardhini Panchami (fifth day of bright fortnight of the lunar month of Shravan during the rainy season and since then the day is a festival day of the Nagas as their life was spared on this day. Indra also went to Manasadevi and worshipped her.
According to the Garuda Purana offering prayers to Snakes on this day is auspicious and will usher good tidings in one's life. This is to be followed by feeding Brahmins.
Many people celebrate Nag Panchami without knowing the significance of this festival. There are some myths and facts behind the celebration, worship and offerings that are given to the Snake God. It is a festival celebrated all over India with vigour and devotion. Read on to learn why Hindus celebrate Nag Panchami and what are the reasons behind celebrating this festival.
Nag Panchami is a Hindu festival on which snakes are worshipped. Hinduism is a religion of faith and is surrounded by common search of truth. For Hindus all this means a way of life and worshipping forces of nature has been a part of Hinduism from ancient times. Nag Panchami is celebrated throughout India and falls on the fifth day of the moonlit fortnight of the month of Sravana, which falls in the month of July or August.
The main reason of celebrating this day must be that snakes are a great threat to mankind during these months. They usually come out of their holes as rainwater seeps in and while looking for shelter they might harm humans. However, this is why they are worshipped this day and fed with milk.
It is believed that Krishna had saved the lives of people from the harassment of Kaliya, the snake. It is believed that one day, when Krishna , still quite young, was playing by the side of river Yamuna and his ball got stuck in the branches of a tree that was just by the side of the river. While trying to get that ball, Krishna fell into the river. When Kaliya, the snake attacked him, he fought and after some time the snake understood that he was not an ordinary child. This was when he pleaded Krishna not to kill him and Krishna spared him by taking a promise that he will not harass the people anymore. Nag Panchami is celebrated as the victory of Krishna on Kaliya, the most dangerous snake.
People do not dig the earth this day and offer cow's milk, fried paddy, rice's breed and durva (tip of a special grass) in front of the pictures of Nag or make its idol of mud and sand and worship it. This festival is celebrated all over India and more or less the way of worshipping is same.
People believe that Lord Shiva loves and blesses snakes and so by worshipping the snakes they also try to please him. Lord Shiva is believed to be one of the most short-tempered Gods and can even ruin your life if he gets angry. Some people even worship live cobras on the Nag Panchami day and offer them milk and other offerings as feed.
India is a country with different cultures and so the celebration varies from one state to state. In Maharashtra, a group of people asks alms and clothing by taking a dormant cobra in a plate and visiting as many houses as possible. In Kerala, people prefer visiting the snake temples and worship the stone or metal icons of snakes and pray so that they and their families are saved from any snakebite throughout the year.
There are many different kinds of belief behind offering milk and flowers to the snake God and the names also vary. Young girls pray and offer milk to cobras with the intention of getting married to a good person so that they live their lives happily. It is believed that snakes remember the faces and they take revenge with the whole family even if one of the member harms it. So, married women pray to save their families from any kind of harassment that can happen due to the snakes.
The abode of snakes is believed to be Patal (the seven realms of the universe located below the earth) and lowest of them is also called Naga-loka, the region of the Nagas part of the creation force and their blessings are sought for the welfare of the family.Serpent deity made of silver, stone or wood or the painting of snakes on the wall are given a bath with milk and then revered.
According to Hindu Puranas Kashyapa son of Lord Brahma the creator had four consorts and the third wife was Kadroo who belonged to the Naga race and she gave birth to the Nagas; among the other three, the first wife gave birth to Devas , the second to Garuda and the fourth to Daityas .
In the Mahabharata epic, Janamejeya, the son of King Parikshit of the Kuru dynasty was performing a snake sacrifice known as Sarpa Satra, to avenge for the death of his father from a snake bite by the snake king called Taksaka. A sacrificial fireplace had been specially erected and the fire sacrifice to kill all snakes in the world was started by a galaxy of learned Brahmin sages. The sacrifice performed in the presence of Janamejaya was so powerful that it was causing all snakes to fall into the Yagna kunda (sacrificial fire pit). When the priests found that only Takshaka who had bitten and killed Parisksihit had escaped to the nether world of Indra seeking his protection, the sages increased the tempo of reciting the mantras (spells) to drag Takshaka and also Indra to the sacrificial fire. Takshaka had coiled himself around Indra's cot but the force of the sacrificial yagna was so powerful that even Indra along with Takshaka were dragged towards the fire. This scared the gods who then appealed to Manasadevi to intervene and resolve the crisis. She then requested her son Astika to go to the site of the yagna and appeal to Janamejaya to stop the Sarpa Satra yagna. Astika impressed Janamejaya with his knowledge of all the Sastras ptures) who granted him to seek a boon. It was then that Astika requested Janamejeya to stop the Sarpa Satra. Since the king was never known to refuse a boon given to a Brahmin, he relented, in spite of protects by the rishis performing the yagna. The yagna was then stopped and thus the life of Indra and Takshaka and his other serpent race were spared. This day, according to the Hindu Calendar, happened to be Nadivardhini Panchami (fifth day of bright fortnight of the lunar month of Shravan during the rainy season and since then the day is a festival day of the Nagas as their life was spared on this day. Indra also went to Manasadevi and worshipped her.
According to the Garuda Purana offering prayers to Snakes on this day is auspicious and will usher good tidings in one's life. This is to be followed by feeding Brahmins.