The Indian subcontinent is home to
several deadly, poisonous snakes,
including the cobra. Death due to
snakebite was the most common cause of death in India until recent times.
India is also well known traditionally in the west for snake charmers and rope- trick magicians. Magical cure for snakebites is still practiced in remote areas of India. Ancient Indians both feared and revered the snakes. The tradition still continues. Hindus worship snakes in temples as well as in their natural habitats, offering them milk, incense, and prayers. In Christianity a snake symbolizes evil or Devil. In Hinduism the symbolism is much more complex. In Hindu ritual and spiritual tradition, a snake is not an evil creature but a divinity representing eternity as well as materiality, life as well as death, and time as well as timelessness. It
symbolizes the three processes of
creation, namely creation, preservation and destruction.
You will find references to snake deities in both Hindu folklore and literature. It is possible that Indus people worshipped snakes. They are also popularly associated with both Vishnu and Shiva and several other divinities, including Indra, who rides an elephant called Nagendra, the lord of the snakes, which is probably a reference to Indra's control over the snake world. The Puranas mention several large serpentine deities like Kadru, Manasa, Vinata and Asitka. Vasuki the king of snakes, played a vital role in the churning of the oceans.
Several myths, beliefs, legends and scriptures are associated with snakes. Snakes were used in warfare and snake poison was often used in palace intrigues.
The following are the most common
symbolic descriptions associated with snakes in Hinduism.
1. Ananta, Infinity
In the Bhagavadgita, Lord Krishna
says, "Among the serpents I am
Ananta." Ananta or the Adisesha is
the infinite divine snake with its
endless coils floating in the waters
of creation, upon which Narayana
(Brahman) rests. Ananta represents
the infinite eternal materiality or
primal energy (mula-prakriti). Upon
activation, a small part (amsa) of it
differentiates into subtle (suksma)
and gross (suksham) realities
(tattvas) which combine to manifest
as the whole diversity we
experience through our senses.
2.Desire (Kama)
In a spiritual sense, snakes
represents desires. Just as those
who are bitten by snakes are
vulnerable to suffering and death,
those who are bitten by desires
suffer from the cycle of births and
deaths. The suffering inherent in
the phenomenal existence is
compared to snake poison. You are
safe only when you hold that poison
in your throat like Shiva and do not
let it go into your body or mind.
Pasas, the snake like ropes of
attachment, are transformed
desires, which keep people bound
to their karmas.
Sexual desire is often symbolized in
Hinduism as a snake
3. Sacred thread and divine ornaments.
In the images of many deities, such
as Ganesha, snakes are depicted as
the sacred thread (upavitam) worn
around the body. The thread in the
form of snake represents purity
(sattva) of the body, knowledge of
the Vedas, perfection in speech,
and self-control. In the iconography
of Saivism, snakes also serve as
ornaments for the gods and
goddesses.
4. Kundalini energy.
Kundalini or the sexual energy
hidden in the muladhara chakara is
compared to a coiled snake. When
the body is subjected to austerities
and purification through celibacy
and other practices, the heat (tapas)
generated in the process activates
the kundalini. Then, like a coiled
serpent it ascends gradually
through the higher chakras until it
reaches the highest chakra, the
Sahasrara, whereby a yogi
experiences enlightenment and the
highest bliss.
Kundalini is popularly known as the
serpent power
5. Tamas, the destructive tendency
In Hinduism there are three types
of energies, creative energies
represented by rajas, preservation
energies represented by sattva, and
destructive energies represented by
tamas. They are also known as the
centripetal, balancing and centrifugal forces of the universe.
All motion and activity in the
universe arises from them. Since
the snakes are responsible for
death and destruction of humans
and animals, they are compared to
the destructive tamasic energy
represented by Lord Shiva himself
as the destroyer.
6. Poisonous speech.
Like a snake, speech can hurt, cause
pain and suffering and even unleash
death in the form of curses and
magical chants. The snake adorning
the neck of Shiva represents the
power of the venomous speech. The
source of the speech is the throat
where Shiva holds the poison
(poisonous speech) and prevents it
from getting out and hurting
others.
Shiva is depicted always wearing a snake as a garland and drinking Halahalam, poison
from the cup
7. Misfortune
Since snakebites bring misery and
adversity to families through the
death of cattle or family members,
snakes are associated with bad luck
or misfortune. This is well
illustrated in the game of snakes
and ladders which was invented in
ancient India.
Snakes and Ladders, a game of fate
and chance, originated in India.
8. Nagas, a class of
demigods
Hindu scriptures mention Nagas,
who are a class of demigods or
semi divine beings who live in the
subterranean world, known as
Patala. They protect the treasures
hidden in the earth and have the
ability to assume human form. By
nature they are good, but they can
become destructive and vengeful if
disrespected or not treated well.
Hindus believes that certain types of
curses and spells arising from
aggrieved snake deities can result in
death, sickness, misfortune, loss of
progeny, or childlessness, for which
one has to perform purifying and
expiatory rites.
9. Kala, death or time.
The snakes represent death,
unexpected death or death arising
from misfortune. The Vedas extol
Rudra or Shiva as the healer, the
god of medicines who protects and
rescues his worshippers from death
and destruction caused by snakes
and snakebites. Snakes are
symbolized as destructive and
deadly arrows used in warfare.
Hinduism considers our world a
manifestation of Death (Kala) who is
also known as Time. Kala devours
everything. All existence for Him is
food. Snakes symbolize Kala and
thereby time.
Kala, the Lord of the mortal world.
is always shown to be holding a snake as a weapon.
10. Prana.
The word prana is often used in
Hindu texts in reference to the
outward breath (apana) or that
which is expelled through the
mouth and other apertures in the
body as in case of a burp. Just as a
snake moves in the passages below
the earth, apana moves in the body
through various channels and exists
through the holes in the body. Just
as the outward breath escapes
through the mouth, snakes also
occasionally come out of their
subterranean passages through the
holes in the ground and show
themselves up. As the leader of the
sense organs prana distributes food
to all the organs. Since it is the
personification of Death itself, it is
eternal and indestructible.
Other Symbolism
The word naga is also used in Hindu
literature to refer to distinguished
persons (nagadhipa), certain place
names, names of superior or semi-
divine elephants (nagendra), female
elephant (naganjana), a particular
group of Saivite ascetics (nagababas), Ganesha (naganana), a
womb related disease, a fragrant
flower bearing tree (nagakesara),
the name of a constellation
(naganaksatram), chemicals
(nagajam), precious stones
(nagamani), festivals (nagapancami),
flowers (nagamalli), names of trees,
elephant catcher (nagabandhaka), a
subterranean world (nagalokam), a
snake maiden (nagakanya), and so
on. It is not certain whether the
words Nagara and Nagarika,
meaning town-bred or civilized,
have any relation with the word
naga, but they seem to have a
common origin.
However, Hindu Puranas describe both male and female nagas as very charming and beautiful as the following image of a naga queen suggests. It is possible that there might be a connection between the ancient Indians and the ancient Indian tribes of Americas, since the
American Continent was like the
subterranean world for the people
of the Indian subcontinent, being
on the opposite side of the globe.
Picture 1 --- The Kundalini serpent line
Picture 2 --- Lord Ganesha wearing snakes as ornaments
Picture 3 --- Sexual Desire shown as serpent
Picture 4 --- Snake and Ladder game, which originated from India.
Picture 5 --- Nagas, a class of demigods
Picture 6 --- Destructive Tendency (Tamas)
Picture 7 --- Deities of snakes in an Indian Hindu Temple
Picture 8 --- Lord Shiva with snakes around his neck
Picture 9 --- Lords Vishnu, and Brahma with goddess Lakshmi. Beneath Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi is Ananta snake.
Picture 10 --- Naga queen
Picture 11 --- Material time ( kala) wirh his snake weapon.
Picture 12 --- Prana.
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