research Hinduism.
I took this photo in India, I use it as one of my avatars.
Attachment 23848 Lord Vishnu.
Lord Shiva with the Cobra. He overcame negativity and wares it around his neck as a garland of flowers. This is symbolic when given a garland of flowers that is laid around your neck in India.
Attachment 23847 Attachment 23846
Attachment 23845
Lord Krishna says that He is Vasuki among snakes. Vasuki is a poisoness snake and it is the chief for all snakes (King Cobra).
Nagapanchami is a sacred Indian festival dedicated to the snake-God. The festival gets its name from the fact that it is celebrated on the fifth day (panchami) of the moon lit fortnight of the Hindu month of Shravan (July /August). According to the Gregorian calender, the festival is observed sometime in August.
1) Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 28:
"आयुधानाम अहं वज्रं
धेनूनाम अस्मि कामधुक
परजनश चास्मि कन्दर्पः
सर्पाणाम अस्मि वासुकिः"
'ayudhanam aham vajram
dhenunam asmi kamadhuk
prajanas casmi kandarpah
sarpanam asmi vasukih'
'Of weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am the surabhi, givers of abundant milk. Of procreators I am Kandarpa, the god of love, and of serpents I am Vasuki, the chief.'
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that Vasuki represent him amongst the Sarpas.
Sridhara Swami's Commentary:
"........ Of poisonous snakes His vibhuti is Vasuki who was used as rope to pull the boat containing all species of life during Lord Krishna's incarnation known as Matsya and Vasuki was also used as a rope to rap around the Mandara mountain to churn the nectar for the demigods during Lord Krishna's incarnation as Kurma."
2) Snake Worship:
Hymns to cure snake bite is in the Rig Veda, Book I, Hymn 191.
Many scholars have detected traces of existence of snake-worship contained in the 8th Ashtaka of the Rig Veda, wherein the earth is addressed as the Sarpa-rajni or "the queen of the serpents or the queen of all that moves".
The Yajur-Veda provides a more definite account of serpent-worship; the Samhita of this Veda contains prayers to the Sarpas(snakes) who are addressed as denizens of the heavens, the skies, the rays of the sun, the waters, the vegetables and the like.
In the Brahmanas of the Samhita part of the Yajur-Veda, invocations are addressed to serpents and sweet sacrifices are offered for their acceptance. Manu, the ancient law-giver of the Hindus also makes mention of the Nagas and the Sarpas. Carved or painted figures of snakes can be found on the walls of many Hindu temples that exist from the medieval era.
Images of snake worship rituals can also be spotted in the world famous Ajanta caves. Detailed description of the cobra snakes can also be discerned in Arthasastra, the classic ancient Hindu political text by the great Hindu philosopher Chanakya (c.300 bc).
In medieval India figures of snakes were carved or painted on the walls of many Hindu temples. In the carves at Ajanta images of the rituals of snake worship are found. Kautilya, in his "Arthashastra" has given .
The Hindu Puranas(Sanskrit encyclopedic texts) also mention the Nagas and the Sarpas. In the Bhagavata Purana, Vasuki and eleven other Nagas are mentioned as forming the string of the sun's chariot, one serpent being held to be sacred to each month. The Markandeya Purana embodies the well-known story of the marriage of Madalasa, a Naga princess of superb beauty, with King Kulvalasva.
In the apologue of the gold-giving serpent, the fifth fable of the Panchatantra(famous Indian collection of fables and other morally instructive tales), authentic evidence is found of the prevalence of serpent-worship in the post-Vedic ages of Ancient India. As it has been established that the Panchatantra was composed sometime between the first and sixth centuries, it is believed that the tradition of snake-worship existed in India prior to the sixth century A.D.
3) Nagas in Hindu mythology:
Nagas form an important part of Hindu mythology. They play prominent roles in various legends:
Shesha (Adisesha, Sheshnaga, or the 1,000 headed snake) upholds the world on his many heads and is said to be used by Lord Vishnu to rest. Shesha also sheltered Lord Krishna from a thunderstorm during his birth.
Vasuki allowed himself to be coiled around Mount Mandara by the Devas and Asuras to churn the milky ocean creating the ambrosia of immortality.
Kaliya poisoned the Jamuna / Yamuna river where he lived.
Krishna (Balakrishna / infant Krishna) subdued Kaliya by dancing on him and compelled him to leave the river.
Manasa is the queen of the snakes. She is also referred to as Manasha or "Ma Manasha". "Ma" being the universal mother.
Ananta is the endless snake who circles the world.
Padmanabha (or Padmaka) is the guardian snake of the south.
Astika is half Brahmin and half naga.
Lord Shiva also wears snakes around his neck, hands and legs.
Source:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/mbs0...
http://www.asitis.com/10/28.html
http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-...
http://www.theholidayspot.com/nag_pancha...
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscript...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_worsh...
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