Nagara Panchami Legend

Nagara Panchami festival observed in India during the Shravan month is a classic example of Hinduism’s deep rooted connections with Nature. Local folklore in India is full of stories associated with Nagas or Snakes. 

THE BOND BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS 

In South, the Nag Panchami festival legends revolve around the brother sister relationship. An important ritual in South Indian on the day include rubbing of milk or ghee on the back, spine and navel of brothers by sisters.

An important story or Nag Panchami Katha goes like this. Once a young girl asks her brother to get some Ketaki flower for Naga Puja. Screwpine or Ketaki is used to worship Nagaraja (Snake God). But unfortunately the brother who went in search of Ketaki is bitten by a snake and is killed. The sister then prays and performs Vrata and propitiates Nagaraja and the brother is brought back to life.

There are numerous such stories in local folklore and in most stories the sister resurrects the dead brother. Thus on the Nag Panchami day in some regions the brother visits his married sister and she applies milk or ghee on the back, spine and navel of the brother and she prays for his long life. The rubbing of milk symbolically reminds the umbilical connection.

SAMUDRA MANTHANA

The popular legend associated with the festival is that Shiva drank the poison Halahala to save the universe during the famous incident of Samudra Manthan. When the ocean of milk was churned by the Devatas (Gods) and Rakshasas in hunt for Nectar, the foremost derivative which came out was poison. Upon seeing this fast stretching of this poison into the world, Lord Shiva gulped it down and maintained it at the throat level. Because of this throat colour changed into deep blue and he was named as Neela Kantha.  But a few drops fell on the ground and the snakes are believed to carry it around still. People propitiate the Nagas (Snakes) on the day to avoid snake bites and also as a thanksgiving for not letting the poison spread on earth. It is believed that the Samdura Manthan episode mentioned in the Puranas happened in the Shravan month. 

KRISHNA CONQUERS KALIYA

According to Puranic scriptures, Brahma's son Kashyapa had four wives. The first wife gave birth to Devas; the second to Garudas; the third to Nāgas; and the fourth to Daityas. Nāgas were the rulers of Pātāl-Loka.

The names of the Nine Great Nāgas are: Ananta, Vāsuki, Shesha, Padmanābha, Kambala, Shankhapāla, Dhārtarāshtra, Takshaka, and Kaliya.

Another legend indicates that Nag Panchami is performed in remembrance of Sri Krishna subduing Kaliya Nag and saving human beings and animals. Kaliya Nag was poisoning the Yamuna River. 

According to the scriptures, Lord Krishna conquered Naga Kāliya and put an end to the evil deeds on this day (Nāga Panchamī). Tradition says that Kathmandu valley used to be a vast lake. When human beings started to drain the lake to make space for settlements, Nagas became enraged. To protect themselves against the wrath of Nagas, people gave the latter certain areas as pilgrimage destinations, thus restoring harmony in nature.

According to other scriptures, a king used his Tantric powers to force Nagas to return to the land and control the rains. The Nagas complied, but in recognition of their power to control the rains, the king established the Naga Panchami festival.

In Jainism and Buddhism too the snake is regarded as sacred and has divine qualities. It is believed that a Cobra snake saved the life of Buddha; another protected Jain Muni Parshwanath.

Read Also: How to Celebrate Nagara Panchami