Wednesday 19 August 2015

19th AUGUST 2015 NAG PANCHAMI & SHASHTI WORSHIP SNAKE_GODDESS MANSA ( NETHERWORLD ) -NAGDEVI

Manasa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the town in Neemuch district, India, see Manasa, Madhya Pradesh.
Manasa
Goddess of Snakes and Poison
Manasa-popular.JPG
Devanagariमनसा
Sanskrit TransliterationManasā
Hajongকাণি দেউও
AffiliationDeviNāga
ConsortJaratkaru
MountSnake, Swan
Manasa, also Mansa Devi, is a Hindu folk goddess of snakes, worshipped mainly in Bengal and other parts of North and northeastern India, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite and also for fertility and prosperity. Manasa is the sister of Vasuki, king of Nāgas (snakes) and wife of sage Jagatkāru (Jaratkāru).[1] She is also known as Vishahara (the destroyer of poison), Nityā (eternal) and Padmavati.[2]
Her myths emphasize her bad temper and unhappiness, due to rejection by her father Shiva and her husband, and the hatred of her stepmother, Chandi (Shiva's wife, identified with Parvati in this context). In some scriptures, sage Kashyapa is considered to be her father, rather than Shiva. Manasa is depicted as kind to her devotees, but harsh to people who refused to worship her.[3] Denied full godhead by her mixed parentage, Manasa’s aim was to fully establish her authority as a goddess and to acquire steadfast human devotees.[4]

Origins[edit]

Originally an Adivasi (tribal) goddess, Manasa was accepted in the pantheon worshipped by Hindu lower caste groups. Later, she was included in a higher caste Hindu pantheon, where she is now regarded as a Hindu goddess rather than a tribal one.[3] As a Hindu goddess, she was recognized as a daughter of sage Kashyapa and Kadru, the mother of all Nāgas. By the 14th century, Manasa was identified as the goddess of fertility and marriage rites and was assimilated into the Shaiva pantheon as a relative of Shiva. Myths glorified her by describing that she saved Shiva after he drank poison, and venerated her as the "remover of poison". Her popularity grew and spread to southern India, and her cult began to rival Shaivism itself. As a consequence, stories attributing Manasa's birth to Shiva emerged and ultimately Shaivism adopted this indigenous goddess into the Brahmanical tradition of mainstream Hinduism.[5]

Iconography[edit]


Manasa with Astika on her lap, 10th century Pala bronze from modern-dayBihar.
Manasa is depicted as a woman covered with snakes, sitting on a lotus or standing upon a snake. She is sheltered by the canopy of the hoods of seven cobras. Sometimes, she is depicted with a child on her lap. The child is assumed to be her son, Astika.[1][6] She is often called "the one-eyed goddess" and among the Hajong tribe of northeastern India she is called Kānī Dīyāʊ (Blind Goddess), as one of her eyes was burnt by her stepmother Chandi.

Legends[edit]

Mahabharata[edit]

The Mahabharata tells the story of Manasa's marriage. Sage Jagatkāru practiced severe austerities and had decided to abstain from marriage. Once he came across a group of men hanging from a tree upside down. These men were his ancestors, who were doomed to misery as their children had not performed their last rites. So they advised Jagatkāru to marry and have a son who could free them of those miseries by performing the ceremonies. Vasuki offered his sister Manasa's hand to Jagatkāru. Manasa mothered a son, Astīka, who freed his ancestors. Astika also helped in saving the Nāga race from destruction when King Janamejaya decided to exterminate them by sacrificing them in his Yajna, fire offering.[7]

Puranas[edit]


The goddess Manasā in a dense jungle landscape with snakes.
Puranas are the first scriptures to speak about her birth. They declare that sage Kashyapa is her father, not Shiva as described in the Mangalkavyas. Once, when serpents and reptiles had created chaos on the earth, sage Kashyapa created goddess Manasa from his mind (mana). The creator god Brahma made her the presiding deity of snakes and reptiles. Manasa gained control over the earth, by the power of mantras she chanted. Manasa then propitiated the god, Shiva, who told her to please Krishna. Upon being pleased, Krishna granted her divine Siddhi powers and ritually worshipped her, making her an established goddess.
Kashyapa married Manasa to sage Jaratkaru, who agreed to marry her on the condition that he would leave her if she disobeyed him. Once, when Jaratkaru was awakened by Manasa, he became upset with her because she awakened him too late for worship, and so he deserted her. On the request of the great Hindu gods, Jaratkaru returned to Manasa and she gave birth to Astika, their son.[8]

Mangalkavyas[edit]


Mud idol of Manasa in theSundarbansWest BengalIndia.
The Mangalkavyas were devotional paeans to local deities such as Manasa, composed in Bengal between the 13th and the 18th centuries. The Manasa Mangalkavya by Bijay Gupta and Manasa Vijaya (1495) by Bipradas Pipilai trace the origin and myths of the goddess.
According to Manasa Vijaya, Manasa was born when a statue of girl that had been sculpted by Vasuki's mother was touched by Shiva's semen. Vasuki accepted Manasa as his sister, and granted her charge of the poison that was produced when King Prithu milked the Earth as a cow. When Shiva saw Manasa, he was sexually attracted to her, but she proved to him that he was her father. Shiva took Manasa to his home where his wife, Chandi, suspected Manasa of being Shiva's concubine or co-wife, and insulted Manasa and burnt one of her eyes, leaving Manasa half-blind. Later, when Shiva was dying of poison, Manasa cured him. On one occasion, when Chandi kicked her, Manasa rendered her senseless with a glance of her poison eye. Finally, tired of quarrels between Manasa and Chandi, Shiva deserted Manasa under a tree, but created a companion for her from his tears of remorse, called Neto or Netā.[9]
Later, the sage Jaratkaru married Manasa, but Chandi ruined Manasa's wedding night. Chandi advised Manasa to wear snake ornaments and then threw a frog in the bridal chamber which caused the snakes to run around the chamber. As a consequence, the terrified Jaratkaru ran away from the house. After few days, he returned and Astika, their son, was born.[10]

A scene from Manasa Mangal.
Accompanied by her adviser, Neto, Manasa descended to earth to obtain human devotees. She was initially mocked by the people but then Manasa forced them to worship her by raining calamity on those who denied her power. She managed to convert people from different walks of life, including the Muslim ruler Hasan, but failed to convert Chand Sadagar . Manasa wanted to become a goddess like Lakshmi Saraswati . In order to get there she had to achieve the worship Chand Sadagar who was extremely adamant and took oath not to worship Manasa . Thus to gain his fear and insecurity Manasa one by one killed his six sons . At last Manasa conspired against two dancers of Indras Court who loved each other, Anirudha and Usha . Anirudh had to take birth as Lakhinder, Chand and Sanaka's seventh son . Usha took birth as behula and married him . Manasa killed him but Behula floated on water for nine months with the dead body of her husband and finally brought back the lives of the seven sons and the lost prosperity of Chand . At last, he yielded by offering a flower to the goddess with his left hand without even looking at her. This gesture made Manasa so happy that she resurrected all of Chand's sons and restored his fame and fortunes. The Mangal kavyas say that after this, the worship of Manasa was popular forever more.[11]
Manasa Mangalkavya attributes Manasa's difficulty in attracting devotees to an unjust curse she gave to Chand in his previous life. Chand then retaliated with a counter-curse that worshipping her would not be popular on earth unless he worshipped her also.[12]
In many renditions of the myth, Manasa is depicted as being quite dependent on Neta (traditionally imagined as a washerwoman) for ideas and moral support. In fact, of the two, Manasa is often the stupider one - a curious instance of anthropomorphism.
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy and Sister Nivedita say, "[The] legend of [Chand Sadagar and] Manasā Devī, [...] who must be as old as the Mykenean stratum in Asiatic society, reflects the conflict between the religion of Shiva and that of female local deities in Bengal. Afterwards Manasā or Padmā was recognized as a form of Shakti, [...] and her worship accepted by Shaivas. She is a phase of the mother-divinity who for so many worshippers is nearer and dearer than the far-off and impersonal Shiva...".[13]

Worship[edit]

Generally, Manasa is worshipped without an image. A branch of a tree, an earthen pot or an earthen snake image is worshipped as the goddess,[1] though images of Manasa are worshipped too. She is worshipped for protection from and cure of snake bites and infectious diseases like smallpox and chicken pox.
The cult of Manasa is most widespread in Bengal, where she is ritually worshipped in temples. The goddess is widely worshipped in the rainy season, when the snakes are most active. Manasa is also a very important fertility deity, especially among the lower castes, and her blessings are invoked during marriage or for childlessness. She is usually worshipped and mentioned along with Neto, who is called Neta, Netidhopani, Netalasundori, etc. in various parts of Bengal.
In North Bengal, among the Rajbanshis, Manasa (called Bishohora, Bishohori or Padmavati) is one of the most important goddesses, and her thaan (shrine) may be found in the courtyard of almost every agrarian household. Among the lower-caste Hindus of East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh)too, she is worshipped with great pomp.
Manasa is an especially important deity in Bengal for the mercantile castes. This is because Chando of the Manasamangal was the first to initiate her worship, and Behula, the heroine of the Manasamangal was a daughter of the Saha clan (a powerful trading community).
Manasa is also worshipped extensively in Assam, and a kind of Oja-Pali (musical folk theatre) is dedicated entirely to her myth.
Manasa is ceremonially worshipped on Nag Panchami - a festival of snake worship in the Hindu month of Shravan (July–August). Bengali women observe a fast (vrata) on this day and offer milk at snake holes.[14]

Notable temples[edit]

See also[edit]



Manasa, Hindu Folk Goddess of Serpents
Manasa is famously known as the Hindu folk goddess of serpents or the Hindu goddess of snakes who is worshipped all over India.
More on Manasa, Hindu Folk Goddess of Serpents (1 Articles)
 Goddess of Serpents: ManasaManasa is famous as the goddess of serpents, very powerful and worshipped in different forms and with different names throughout India. The goddess is worshipped mainly during the rainy season, when the snakes are most active. There is a belief that Manasa protects the people from snake bite. Goddess Manasa is also linked with fertility and worshipped for the revival and protection from several incurable diseases. She can be worshipped in the form of an idol or even as a formless power. She is known as the daughter of famous sage Kashyapa and Kadru, the sister of serpent king Sesha and also the sister of Vasuki, one of the most important Nagas. Manasa is known to be a pre-Aryan goddess who is most commonly worshipped in different parts of Bengal. She is ritually invoked with sacrifices and offerings. The tale of Manasa is called 'Manasamangal' where the story of her gaining recognition and attainment a place among the Hindu pantheon of gods and goddesses are depicted. She is also the name of a form of Vishnu born out of Sambhuti, along with the gods Abhutarajasas in the Rawala Manwantara.

Legend of Goddess Manasa
Manasa Devi was the daughter of Lord Shiva by a beautiful mortal woman. She was not liked by her step-mother, Bhagavati or Parvati; so she took up her abode on earth with another daughter of Shiva, named Neta. Manasa wished to receive the worship due to goddesses and knew that it would be easy to obtain the same if she could once secure the devotion of a very wealthy and powerful merchant-prince of Champaka Nagar, by the name of Chand Saudagar in Bengal. He was a widower and had six sons. He was very attentive to his sons so that they never felt the absence of their mother. For a long time she tried to persuade him; but he was a stout devotee of Shiva himself, whom he was not going to desert for a goddess of snakes. Manasa thus destroyed the beautiful garden of Chand many times and every time Chand used to restore the beauty to his garden by the help of his magic power, which he had received from Shiva.

Once Manasa took the guise of a beautiful maiden and appeared before the widower Chand, who was enchanted by her beauty. He decided to marry her but the lady asked for the magic powers of Chand to be bestowed on her before the marriage and Chand did the same. Then Manasa showed her original self and again told Chand to worship her but that time also Chand rejected her demand. Then six of the sons of Chand were killed by snake bites with the instructions of Manasa and Chand remarried and got a son and named him Lakshmindara. Lakshmindara grew up to be a handsome young lad and Chand selected a beautiful girl Behula to be married with him. The couple was engaged and wedding date was fixed. In those years Manasa did not give up her hope and appeared again with her resolve to subdue Chand by killing Lakshmidhara.

Manasa killed Lakshmidhara and at last, due to the love and devotion of Behula Lakshmidhara was brought back to life and Behula convinced her father-in-law to worship the Goddess Manasa and thus Chand agreed and promised to worship Manasa by using his left hand to perform the rites. This was accepted by Manasa and Chand worshipped Manasa with all his devotion. Thus this legend of Goddess Manasa gave Manasa Devi much reputation and people worshipped her in all parts of India.
(Last Updated on : 19/03/2010)


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7 Myths Associated To Snakes That Are Still Prevalent In India



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Snakes are magnificent animals but in our country they are usually considered inauspicious and malicious and a plethora of myths are associated with them, we try to clear the slate and establish some rock solid facts.


snake-dance
Fact: Snakes cannot hear and they never dance to the tune of snake charmer. Their body helps in catching vibrations from a surface. In fact snakes believe that the moving charmer and his instruments are going to attack them so they quickly change their position and start moving their head with the musical instrument. Actually this is a safeguard posture.


snake-milk
Fact: Actually snakes hate milk and it is scientifically proved that if snakes are forced to drink milk they get sick because they can’t digest milk properly. Snakes are reptiles and they are not associated with milk.


naag-mani
Fact: It is not possible for a snake to have diamond or anything in its forehead. Lots of Bollywood movies are responsible to promote it but it’s a myth.


snakes-chase
Fact: Snakes would neither hurt nor rush after human beings to bite them. They don’t have the essential intelligence to memorize the people or places. Snakes attacks only when someone accidently steps on them or when they find themselves endangered.


spit-venom
Fact: Normally spitting-cobras can only discharge venom and they are not found in India. This is not true that snakes arise in India can discharge venom.


snake-pairs
Fact: Snakes do not live in groups or pairs. They don’t have any social bonds. Snakes are not vindictive animals and they don’t have essential cognizance to memorize people.


yucky
Fact: this is a myth that a snake’s skin is yucky and disgusting to touch. A snake’s skin is dry and mostly smooth and many people find it pleasant to touch.


Wednesday


Double-headed cobra

A double-headed cobra has been found in China.

Usually it is hard for such creatures to survive for very long after hatching.
Article Source1 and Source2


Post By: RS Staff
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Wednesday


Double-headed cobra

A double-headed cobra has been found in China.

Usually it is hard for such creatures to survive for very long after hatching.

Nagas

and Nagarajas, Naginis in Hindu and non-Hindu mythologies in a more concise focus (for people who have more time)

 

I set up a new website at http://www.manasadevi.net/ and I am happy to announce this.

On February 21, 2013, my necklace of Lord Ganesh miraculously fell on the ground when I was leaving my director at my workplace here. I took it up from the ground and, to my amazement, the silver chain was not broken, neither was it released. I put the intact chainover my head back as if nothing happened. The picture of the chain shows the image on the right. It is not possible that, as you see on the picture, such a chain would suddenly fall down on the ground without being broken or without its fixing mechanism being released. And finding a half-meter white snake (White Cobra?) trail at my home on the carpet in 2011 is a definite clue for me that I should continue with my devotion to Manasa and the Nagas, although I do not belong to the mainstream. Some of my paranormal experiences are described here - the above paranormal experience with Lord Ganesh happened on Jaya Ekadashi. The importance of Jaya Ekadashi was narrated to Yudhishtira by Lord Krishna and is found in the Padma Purana and the Bhavisyothara Purana. On this day, both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are worshipped.
Of the celestial Naga snakes I am Ananta.
(Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, verse 29)
The word "nag" (or nagaa) is used even today in most Indian languages (it means the cobra).
Manasa Devi is worshipped with the following mantra:
O DeviAmba Ma Hona ShashaDharVandana CharuKanti Badanya
Dansarurasundara SulalitNayana Sevita SiddhiKameh
Rupe Rasya Manditandago KanakManiGaneh NagRatneRanekeh
Bandeh Sashtananga Darukuchyugla Bhogini Kamrupa
OR
Om Hreem Shreem Kleem Aim Manasa Devyai Swaha

The Rig Veda Brahmana mentions "Serpent Queen" - The serpent queen is this (earth), for this (earth) is the queen of what creeps...The above text is available at the following link.
Although it is not clear whether Rig Veda speaks directly of Manasa or not, one thing is sure - the snake cult is one of the oldest in the world. 
Naga is the Sanskrit word for a deity or a class of mythological beings found in Hinduism and Buddhism. They dwell in underground premises of our Earth. There are legends about Nagas in the folklore of present tribal Hindus of Southern India (Adivasis) and the aboriginals of Australia. In these legends, the Nagas inhabited a big continent that existed somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. It sank and the remnants of it formed the Indonesian archipelago and Australia. These Nagas are said to have developed a subterranean civilization technologically much more advanced than ours and they are thought to possess superhuman powers. In a Cambodian legend, the Nagas were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The seven-headed Naga serpents depicted as statues on Cambodian temples such as Angkor Wat possibly represent the seven races within the Naga society.
You may donate to this project.
 
Nagas are so called "snake people". They are mentioned in many Hindu texts. Arjuna married a Naga princess Ulupi (source: Bhagavadgita) and there is also a Tamil text Kanzul Karamat, which describes one Muslim saint as he was captured and transported in Sri Lanka's Kataragama to a subterranean palace where he received a mysterious robe.
There is a Naga Purana, or Nilamata Purana, which has its origin in Kashmir.
The chief of the Nagas is Varuna, a Vedic god. A female Naga is called Nagini. King of the Nagas is Vasuki. The difference between Varuna and Vasuki is that Varuna may not always be necessarily solely associated with all the matters of the Nagas. Vasuki himself is a serpent and Varuna is not. Vasuki's sister is Manasa Devi.
In Sanatana Dharma you may also come across a supernatural expansion of Lord Vishnu called Shesha. Vishnu once assumed a form of the gigantic divine snake with thousands of heads.
The underground kingdom (of the Nagas) describe, for example, the Puranas - one such a story is related to Lord Vishnu's Vamana, or "dwarf incarnation", which occurred in Treta Yuga (the second age) - much earlier than the events described in the Ramayana. Lord Vishnu appears to king Mahabali. Mahabali was king of the Indian region (formerly kingdom) presently known as Kerala (a state in south India bordering with Tamil Nadu), who stands behind the most popular legend here - the Onam legend, which has over many years transformed into the festival celebrating the return of King Mahabali from the underground to Kerala every year (it is believed that Mahabali visits Kerala for a short time to see if his people are doing well). Read how Lord Vishnu tested this king.

Manasa Devi

Manasa Devi is Hindu cobra (snake) Goddess, Queen of the Nagas. She is believed to be the daughter of LordShiva. The story of Her birth starts when Lord Shiva was sexually aroused on the banks of the Kalidaha pool, a pond in West Bengal in the town called Rajnagar. It is dedicated to Goddess Kali. Manasa Devi is associated with a very rich merchant (Chand Saudagar). Other stories say that She is the daughter of sage Kashyapa and Kadru. She is worshipped mainly in Bengal and in northeastern India, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebites, but also for fertility and prosperity.
The Manasa's vahana (vehicle) is either the swan or the snake. The Sij plant(Euphorbia Hguhria called Sehund or Sij in Hindi), of the cactus family, is sacred to Manasa, as it can cure poisons. Astika, an ancient Hindu rishi (sage), is the Manasa's son that She conceived with Jaratkaru.
The Bengali historian Dineshchandra Sen (1866-1939) brought a few important aspects of the Manasa worship to the notice in his book entitled History of Bengali Language and Literature. This excellent book is available for free in thearchive.org archive here.

Neta Devi (and Manasa Devi continued)

Neta Devi is tightly related to Manasa Devi and both these (snake) goddesses are mentioned in a few Indian Puranas and in other sources as well. One of the sources (that will point you to a number of references), too, is the book entitledMyths of the Hindus & Buddhists by Sister Nivedita. Neta Devi (eye) and Manasa Devi (moon) are both related to a woman known as Behula. Behula was an archetypal Bengali woman full of love. She was the daughter-in-law of Chand Saudagar (mentioned above) who denied worshiping Manasa Devi. According to an Indian myth, two beautiful apsaras, Usha and Aniruddha, were tricked byManasa Devi and Neta Devi, and these two apsaras thus went to earth to be born as mortals - one as the Chand's seventh son Lakhinder and the other one as his (Lakhinder's) wife Behula. With their tricky plan they (Manasa and Neta) already made the six Chand's sons die of snakebite (because he refused to worship them).
Manasa Devi was born out of the Lord Shiva's semen when Lord Shiva was aroused to passion and dropped His semen on a lotus flower, Padma in Sanskrit (however, other sources say that Her father was Kasyapa). Manasa therefore claimed the same right to be worshiped as Lord Ganesh and Lord Skanda(Murugan), but Parvati did not like this. She (Manasa Devi) therefore had many quarrels with Parvati. Lord Shiva finally took Manasa Devi to a deserted place and created a companion Neta for Her from His tears. Thus, Manasa Devi and Neta Devi are sisters and both are very important.
When Chand finally yielded and started offering a flower to Manasa with his left hand (and without looking at Her idol in fear that he would displease Shiva), this made Manasa Devi so happy that She resurrected all of the Chand's sons and restored the Chand's fortunes.
The symbol of Manasa Devi is the sun rising over the half moon, but the half moon with the sun wedged into the half moon (not separated from it) - the symbol that looks exactly like an eye (you may see it in temples in India and in other places where Manasa Devi has Her devotees). Manasa Devi is often called "the one-eyed goddess", as Parvati burned one of Her eyes. The Sanskrit word "manasa" is also tightly related to the word Manasarovar (derived from the two words: "mana" and "sarovara" - lake, but also the name Manasa Sarovara is used), the lake at the foot of Mt Kailash, the holiest mountain of Shaivism, Bön, Jainism, and Buddhism.
I am sorry to say that there is not much information about Neta Devi. But if you pray to Manasa Devi, I would also suggest praying to Neta Devi.
Manasa Devi is mentioned in the Puranas and also in the Manasamangal Kavya - a poem that belongs to Mangal-Kavya, a group of Bengali (Hindu) religious texts (poems) composed sometimes after the 12th century and later. Manasamangal Kavya is the oldest of them. Some texts dedicated to celebration of Manasa Devi are also taken from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, the origin of which is tightly associated with the region of Bengal (where the worship of Manasa Devi has been in vogue for many years). The said texts are taken from the second part of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana called Prakriti khanda, which deals with goddesses (Shaktis - the manifestations of Prakriti, the basic nature of intelligence on which the universe stands; Prakriti khanda celebrates the greatness of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Savitri in the creation of the world). These texts are used also for purposes of celebrating Manasa Devi. During the Manasa puja ceremony people bath the statues of Manasa Devi with milk and recite the hymns taken from Prakriti khanda. Poems that people dedicated to Manasa Devi are known asManasa Mangal in Bengal.
In Chapter 38 (Book 9) of the Devi Bhagavatam Purana it is written: "You should worship Manasa Devi, the giver of all siddhis, on the Samkranti day (when the Sun enters another sign) in every year;" here I can say that also this is the reason why the worship of Manasa Devi is based on the moon calendar. The Naga deities are traditionally associated with number 5, so worshipping them requires a devotee to dedicate milk/prayer either on Friday (fifth day of the week), or on the fifth lunar day.
Chapter 48 of the Book 9 (Devi Bhagavatam Purana) says: "Now the radical mantra as stated in the Vedas is 'Om Hrim Shrim Klim Aim Manasa Devyai Svaha'. Repetition of this, five lakhs of times, yields success to one who repeats."
In the Book 9 of the Devi Bhagavatam Purana, Chapter 1, the following text is written (starting with verse 71): "Then comes the Manasa Devi, the daughter of Kasyapa. She is the dear disciple of Shankara (Lord Shiva) and is therefore very learned in matters of Shastras. She is the daughter of Ananta Deva, the Lord of Snakes and is very much respected by all the Nagas. She Herself is very beautiful, the Lady of the Nagas, the mother of the Nagas and is carried by them. She is decorated with ornaments of the Snakes; She is respected by the Nagendras (Lords of Snakes) and She sleeps on the bed of Snakes."
In Chapter 48 (Book 9) of the Devi Bhagavatam Purana it is written: "I meditate on the Devi Manasa, whose color is fair like that of the white champaka flower, whose body is decked all over with jewel ornaments, whose clothing is purified by fire, whose sacred thread is the Nagas (serpents), who is full of wisdom, who is the foremost of great Jnanins, who is the presiding deity of the Siddhas, who Herself is a Siddha and who bestows Siddhis to all."
The Vedas, too, contain a reference to the Nagas (snakes), for example, the Sama Veda (4.6.13, Sukta 13 - Charm against Snake Poison) says: "I have surrounded the race of the serpents."

Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami is a festival for celebration of the Nagas (both deities and cobras) on the fifth day after Amavasya of the month of Shraavana (beginning in late July and ending in the third week of August).

Nagini

Nagini is the word used to call the female counterparts of deities called "snake deities" in Hinduism.

Khodiyar Maa

The story of Khodiyar Maa started in around 700 AD and begins with a childless man - Mamaniya Gadhvi, who had a superb relationship with the then ruler - Maharaj Shilbhadra. The ruler's ministers envied this exceptional relationship and prepared a way to get rid of Mamaniya Gadhvi. They were not very successful to persuade the ruler, but they succeeded in persuading the ruler's wife (queen). One day the ruler's doorkeepers did not allow him to enter the palace. Mamaniya asked why. He was told that a childless man is not worth of the king's presence. Mamaniya returned home and asked Lord Shiva for help. When Lord Shiva did not appear, he decided to give his life away as a final sacrifice. Just when he was about to end his life, Lord Shiva appeared and took him to the Snake Kingdom - Naglok (or Naga Loka) to see the King of Snakes - Nagdev. After hearing his story full of humiliation, the Nagdev's daughters decided to help him.
The picture of Khodiyar Maa is copyrighted and taken from http://www.flickr.com (search for the key word "Khodiyar Maa" to see more pics).
When Mamaniya returned home, together with his wife, as advised by the Nagdev's daughtershe prepared eight cradles in expectation of a great event. One day eight snakes crawled into his house andMamaniya had suddenly seven daughters and one son. One of the daughters was Khodiyar Maa. After showing many miraculous powers, people consider her to be goddess and she has temples and shrines too. Her vehicle is crocodileand she has many other names such as Khodal, Trishuldhari, Maavdi...

Vasuki

Vasuki is King of the Nagas. Manasa and Neta are his two sisters.

Colors, numbers, mantras, and symbols

Eight (8) is the token number of Naga. The color of Manasa and Neta is pearl white; that of Taksaka is glistening red. Nagas have five colors: 1) white (Vasuki, Mahapadma, Manasa, Neta), 2) red (Taksaka, Kulika), 3) black (Karkotaka), 4) rosy color of the lotus (Padma), 5) yellow, it is the Sankhapala's color.
According to Indian astrology, the God of the fifth date is snake. This is why the number 5 is very important for the Nagas, but also for Lord Shiva. Nagas are therefore considered to be the Lord Shiva's gems.
To summon the Serpent Lord, chant the following mantras:Om Nagadevathaya Vidhmahe
Jwala Malaya Dhimahi
Tanno Ananda Prachodayat
The mantras for the eight (8) snake power jewels are (the vowels like "aa" are pronounced with accent like in the English word "are")Om Puuh Anantamukhii Swaahaa
Om Puuh Karkodamukhii Swaahaa
Om Puuh Padminii Swaahaa (Padmavati)
Om KaalaJiihvaa Puuh Swaahaa
Om Mahaapadminii Swaahaa
Om Vaasukiimukhii Swaahaa
Om Hum Hum Puurvabhuupamukhii Swaahaa
Om Shankhni Vaayumukhii Hum Hum

Nagarajas and Naginis in Hindu and non-Hindu mythologies in a more concise focus (for people who have more time)

Does the underworld really exist?

1)
In the middle of the last century an American ufologist George Wight tried to explore the caves and underground realms of our Earth. He believed that there are not only civilizations in the universe, but also bellow our surface. With a little group of enthusiasts he started exploring various caverns until they finally found something really amazing under the surface in the US state of Arkansas. George Wight got into contact with this subterranean civilization and later all evidence and records of him ever existing in the upper world (on the surface) began to mysteriously disappear.
2)
In Slovakia we have a captivating story about a mysterious moon shaft that Antonin Horak described. His article first appeared in a speleological newsletter in USA (in March 1965) where he emigrated after World War II. Mr. Horak had joined the local (Czechoslovak) anti-Nazi movement in World War II and when German soldiers wounded him on one unfortunate day, he hid himself in a nearby village where a man took him into a cave near Zdiar. Mr. Horak spotted there a rock-cut (nearly) vertical tunnel of a crescent-moon shape with no ending. Jacques Bergier, a famous French mystery writer, described the Horak's finding as one of the biggest miracles waiting for its discovery.
3)
A famous British explorer, Percy Fawcett, reported that in the Brazilian jungle of the Matto Grosso region there had been noticed "eternal lights", which - as the local Indians say - have burnt continually here for many years. Percy Fawcett was a proponent of the mythological Atlantis and he disappeared here. Some people say that he went into this subterranean world.
4)
Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., was a famous US naval officer and his secret diary reveals notes on entering the hollow earth interior: We have let you enter here because you are of noble character and well-known on the Surface World, Admiral. His diary also contains notes on seeing UFO's with swastikas on them: They are closing rapidly alongside! They are disc-shaped and have a radiant quality to them. They are close enough now to see the markings on them. It is a type of Swastika!!!

Nagas (also called Sarpas) and Agartha in the Hindu mythology

Lord Shiva always wears cobras as decoration around His neck. Snakes symbolize power and fear. The theriomorphic (human-animal) forms of Nagas can be traced back to the times of the Indus Valley civilization (2500-1800 B.C.). Nagas are almost always associated with Lord Shiva and therefore most of their images are found inside Shiva temples. The snake worship (ophiolatry) is an ancient cult that has been practiced all over the world and not only by the Indians. Naga is a Sanskrit word for cobra. In the Hindu mythology, the venom of a Naga or Nagini, albeit deadly, also carries the elixir of immortality.
The Agni Purana says (Part 8, Geography, Astrology and Time Cycles): "Under the earth is the underworld. This too, consists of seven regions and their names are Aata, Vilata, Sutala, Taketala, Mahatala, Rasatala and Patala."
The Supreme Naga is Shesha, the couch of Lord Vishnu; also known as Ananta, he represents the eternity.
The Mahabharata mentions Nagas as sons of Kadru and Kasyapa. Only the parenthood of Manasa (Queen of Cobras) is disputable. Some stories say that She was the daughter of Lord Shiva.
Nilamata Purana is a Naga Purana dedicated to the region of Kashmir. Nila, King of the Nagas of Kashmir, is described here.
Mayashilpa (an ancient text, part of Shilpa Shastras, a group of Hindu texts describing manual arts) specifies the Seven Great Nagas: Vasuki (sometimes also spelled as Basaki), Takshak, Karkotak, Padam (also spelled as Padma), Mahapadam (also spelled as Mahapadma), Sankhpaul (also spelled as Sankhapala), and Kulika.
The Hindus know the Hollow Earth or Agartha as Patala. In the Markandeya Purana (Canto XXIII - Kuvalayasva's visit to Patala) it is written: "And drawing him thence, they led the prince to Patala; and in Patala he beheld them both as young Nagas, lustrous with the gems in their hoods, displaying the svastika marks."
Five most important Nagas
All Great (Maha) Nagas are brothers, Shesha being the eldest of them.
Ananta or Shesha is King of all Nagas; according to the Bhagavata Purana, he is the very Avatar of Supreme God.
Vasuki is the ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and one of the Naga Rajas (Kings of Nagas).
Takshaka or Taxak is mentioned in the Mahabharata (Book 1, Adi Parva, Paushya Parva, Section III.): "Uttanka replied, 'Sir, Taksaka, the Naga king, disturbed my work, and I had to go to the land of the Nagas.'"
Karkotaka is a powerful Naga king with immense magical powers.
Pingala is related to a mythological story of "Four Great Treasures".
Eight most important Nagas
Hindu Puranas also describe "eight great snakes" or "Ashtanagas"; the following three Nagas, if added to the above-mentioned list, will make the number eight: Padma, Mahapadma, and Kulika.
Mother Goddess as Snake
Karumariamman, depicted with a five-headed cobra rising above Her crown, is the main south Indian Mother Goddess worshipped predominantly in rural areas of south Asia. She is not a Nagini (a female Naga), but the primordial form of Durga (Mother Divine) that took Her first form as a cobra. Also known as Mari, Maariamma, Amman, she is closely associated with the Hindu goddesses Parvati (Durga). Striking is the phonetic resemblance of Her name Mari to Christian Mary (the mother of Jesus).
Surasa and Naga Mata are alternative names for Snake Mother (Mother Goddess in the form of a cobra).
Hindu Snake Festivals
Nag Panchami is a snake festival celebrated once a year by the Hindus (in the summer). The following five Nagas are worshipped on this auspicious day: Ananta, Vasuki, Taxak, Karkotaka, and Pingala. However, the Hindus may choose other Naga deities in place of the above ones in accordance with their local traditions (for example, Manasa appears among the Nagas worshipped on Nag Panchami).
Naga Chaturthi Osha is a fasting observed by women in Orissa (a state in India) on the 14th day of the bright fortnight of Kartik (September-October).
Other Nagas
The term Nagas also refers to a historical warrior caste of India and some scholars say that this caste used cobra hoods as part of their attire.
Gogaji is a folk deity of Rajasthan (India). He is a warrior-hero of the region venerated as snake god.
Iggutappa, god of snakes, is an incarnation of Lord Subramani (Lord Murugan-Skanda, the younger son of Lord Shiva).
Kaliya was a poisonous and angry Naga living in the Yamuna River.
Ketu is the body of Rahu; they form a head and a tail of one Naga.
Naagarajavu (god of snakes) is adored in Chenkara, a small village in Alappuzha, India.
Nagaraja is a combination of two Sanskrit words - Naga (cobra) and Raja (king). A few great Nagas are Nagarajas - for example, Vasuki, Takshak, and Ananta. The term Nagaraja also refers collectively to all these three snake gods.
Naka tampiran is a common snake deity in many south Indian villages.
Sri Kalahasti represents the three staunch devotees of Lord Shiva: the Spider, the Serpent, and the Elephant.
Asvasena Naga was the son of Takshaka; he lived in the Khandava Forest (an ancient forest mentioned in the epic Mahabharata).
Naginis (female Nagas)
Kadru was the Hindu ancestral Mother of snakes who had a sister Vinata. She is also called the one-eyed goddess like Manasa. She is Sarpamatar, or "Mother of Serpents." Both Kadru and Manasa have sisters and both also have the name "one-eyed goddess" (see Manasa bellow to learn why the term "one-eyed" is used for this deity).
Manasa, also known as Padmavati (the one that possesses the lotus) or Vishahara (the destroyer of poison), is Hindu Queen of the underworld (analogical to Greek goddessPersephone). She is the sister of Vasuki. Manasa is called the "one-eyed" goddess because Parvati burned one of Her eyes. The reason for doing this was that Parvati was jealous of Manasa.
Neta Devi is the Manasa Devi's sister.
More information about the picture on the right is here.
Ulupi, Naga princess, was the Arjuna's wife; they had a son Iravat.
Pearls of Nagas
Naga Mani is a term used for "cobra pearls"; they appear in many colors and have also references within sacred Hindu texts. Some of them, especially in the night, radiate a magic effulgence.

Snakes in mythologies outside India

Snakes were regularly regarded as guardians of the underworld, the messengers between the upper and lower worlds. The Gorgons in the Greek mythology were snake-women whose gaze would turn flesh into stone; the most famous of them was Medusa (with snakes in place of her hair).
America
Ayida-Weddo is a Haitian rainbow snake goddess.
Gukumatz (Kiche Maya) is a feathered snake god and creator.
Kukulkan ("Feathered Serpent") is the name of an important South American snake deity. The depiction of a feathered serpent divinity is present in other cultures of Mesoamerica. Kukulkan is closely related to Gukumatz of the Kiche Maya and to Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs.
Zombi is the name of a snake deity in some cults of West African Vodun and Haitian Voodoo.
Japan
Mizuchi is a Japanese serpent-like creature.
Yato-no-kami are snake deities in the Japanese folklore.
China
Bashe is a python-like Chinese mythological giant snake that ate elephants.
Gong Gong is a Chinese water god (a sea monster) that resembles a serpent or dragon.
White Snake is a serpent referred to in an old Chinese legend.
Xiangliu is a nine-headed snake monster in the Chinese mythology.
Zhulong is a giant red draconic solar deity in the Chinese mythology. It had a human face and a snake body.
Africa
Mamlambo is a deity in the South African and Zulu mythology described as a large snake-like creature. Mamlambo in Zimbabwe can be identified with Inyaminyami (the Zambezi river serpent deity) and with the Mamiwata deity of West Africa. There is a theory acknowledged by researches that India and Zimbabwe had long ties and that Tantrism could be practiced in Mumbahuru, the "Great Enclosure" ("the house of the great woman"); archeologists found objects of the Indian origin here.
Ancient Europe
Lamia was a Naga-like daemon in the Greek mythology.
Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Queen of the underworld, was a Greek underworld deity; she is the Greek equivalent of the Hindu snake goddess Manasa.
Sirona was a goddess worshipped predominantly in East Central Gaul (a region in Western Europe) in the Celtic mythology. A number of inscriptions depict her as she carries snakes.
Australian aboriginal mythology
Snake deities are: Ungud, Galeru (or Galaru), a rainbow snake; Dhakhan is described as a giant serpent with the tail of a giant fish; Wollunqua (or Wollunka, Wollunkua) is a snake-god of rain and fertility; Julunggul (Arnhem Land) is a rainbow and fertility snake goddess also known as Kalseru; Akurra is a snake deity of the Aboriginal people of South Australia.
Egypt
Mehen, meaning "the coiled one", refers to a mythological snake deity of ancient Egypt.
Wadjet was an Egyptian snake goddess.

Conclusion

Christians associate snakes with Devil only and it could be that, in our primordial history, snakes did really exist as intelligent creatures, both good and bad. The following verses from the Bible (John 3:14-15) confirm that snake is the symbol of power: And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

Wednesday, 15 February 2012


Manasa Devi

One of my favorite Demi-Goddesses from India is Manasa Devi. She is a
tribal goddess that has a small cult in India, especially in the Bengal
area. She is not a mainstream deity, but has about a million devotees.
She is truly beautiful!

Like Santissima Muerte in Mexico she is popular among the lower masses
of society who seek her boons to cope with life's challenges. It is
said that one who worships her will never lack prosperity, and that she
is easily pleased. Acccording to my Guru Bhoothnath, who advised me to
work with her, she craves the worship of humans, and so gives boons
easily. She is a Naga Queen. The Nagas are serpentine demi-gods that
are propitiated in India (and other countries such as Tibet) to keep
calamaties away and to bring prosperity and healing. Manasa Devi is
worshipped for all these things and more. There are many stories about
her origins. One story says that she is the illegitimate daughter of
the Lord Shiva. In this story, Vasuki's (one of the Naga Kings) mother
sculpted a statue of a beautiful girl. Lord Shiva was sexually aroused
by this image, and after he pleasured himself before it, his semen
brought it to life. Vasuki took Manasa into the Naga world, where she
was accepted as his sister. Later Manasa was taken by Shiva into his
home, and Shiva's wife got jealous, thinking that she was Shiva's
concubine. Shiva's wife Chandi (or in some accounts Parvati) burned one
of Manasa's eyes out of jealousy and kicked her out of the home of Shiva
and the community of the gods. Manasa spent much time thereafter
engaged in spiritual practices to increase her spiritual powers, and
descended to earth to get human devotees. Because of her illegitimacy,
Manasa did not get the same worship and acceptance due to other gods and
she has always wanted to be treated equally. So she appreciates any
little worship that is given to her, and rewards the devotee lavishly.
Manasa also has a dark side to her. If she wants someone to worship
her and he refuses, she will destroy their lives and take everything
they love away from them. This was the fate of Chand Sadagar, a devotee
of the Lord Shiva who refused to give her any worship. Manasa cursed
him where he lost all his wealth, his sons, his health, everything that
was of value to him, quite similar to Job in the Bible. After the
desperate pleas of his wife and daughter-in-law Chand finally agreed to
worship Manasa Devi, and offered a flower to her image while looking the
other way. The small gesture of worship pleased Manasa so much that she
restored his wealth, children (by resurrecting them), and everything
else, and rewarding him with much more than he previously had. This
story shows that Manasa can be easily pleased. Although this story is
told often in Bengal, Manasa turns out to actually be a goddess who is
much older than most think she is.

The Devi Bhagavatam, an old scripture, gives a different origin to
Manasa Devi and says that she is the mind-daughter of the Sage Kasyapa.
In it she is mentioned as a glorious goddess to whom animal sacrifices
were once performed to. She is called by twelve names in that scripture
which are her epiteths:

Kârupriya, Jaratkâru, Jagadgaurî, Manasâ, Siddha Yoginî,
Vaisnavî, Nâga Bhaginî, S'aivi, Nageshvarî,
Jaratkârupriyâ, Âstikamâtâ, Visahari, and Mahâ
Jñanayutâ

Two mantras are also given for her:

Om Hrîm Srîm Manasâ Devyai Svâhâ

Om Hrîm Srîm Klîm Aim Manasâ Devyai Svâhâ.
 

The Devi Bhagavatam says that one who repeats her mantra 10,000 times
will have no fear of snakes, and snakes will be tamed by him. Manasa is
very popular with snake tamers as well as with healers of snake bites.
If one recites it 500,000 times he will get success, name and fame in
life.

The Sama Veda describes Manasa Devi in a hymn:

"I meditate on the Devî Manasâ, Whose colour is fair like that
of the white champaka flower, whose body is decked all over with jewel
ornaments, whose clothing is purified by fire, whose sacred thread is
the Nâgas (serpent), who is full of wisdom, who is the foremost of
great Jñanins, who is the Presiding deity of the Siddhas, Who Herself
is a Siddha and who bestows Siddhis to all."

Worship of her is also mentioned in the following way:

"O Muni! Thus meditating on Her, one should present Her, flowers,
scents, ornaments, offerings of food and various other articles,
pronouncing the principal Seed Mantra."

In the Bengal area Manasa Devi is worshipped in the form of a cactus (a thin
cactus that stands upright) or through the image of a snake.


My guru told me that her worship, cactus image and offerings should always be kept outside, as to do it inside the house will attract snakes in the house. Her mantra, however, can be recited inside the home with no bad effects. You can also keep her picture in the home on your altar without any problems.

In India you will see outside many houses a cactus. Devotees take that as an image of Manasa, consecrate it to her, invite her in it and make offerings daily or once a week to it. Offerings consist of items from the five elements such as red or yellow flowers (ether), candles (fire), incense (air), fruits, (earth), and water, given while chanting her mantra and meditating on her. One should also recite one of her mantras 108 or more times a day and talk to her image from time to time. It may take afew months to build a relationship with her, but once its done, Manasa can be very helpful. She can give one knowledge, empower one's magical spells, bestow prosperity and other favors. And as I said before she is easily pleased, which is why my Guru recommended her to me. When you make contact with her you will have dreams of snakes and she will appear to you in a vision or in a dream in the form of a snake or half-snake half-woman who will answer your questions. I've been working with her for afew years now, and since she is relatively unknown, I wanted to share about her worship to everyone.
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