Fwd: nAga – panchami (Part – 1: Sarpa yaaga – its significance to spiritualism)

[Guest guest]

, Srinath Ram Atreya

<srinath_atreya> wrote:

 

 

 

|| Jai Sadguru Dutta ||

 

 

 

KEYWORDS: Dhyaan, Gaayathri manthra upasana, MahaaBharatha, Sarpa

yaaga, third eye, Sarpa dOsha, Vedas, Raaja yoga, Kundalinee yoga,

SuShumnaa, moolaadhar, sahasraar, chakra, debt of mothers milk,

motherland, mantras

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The festival of "nAga panchami" is celeberated on ShraavaN Shuddh

Panchami (the fifth day of the bright half of ShraavaN) every year.

It is the festival of the Snake Gods. This time, it falls on

Saturday, 2nd August, 2003. It is also celeberated as Garuda

Panchami. It is on this day that Shree Adi Shankaraachaarya obtained

Sanyaas.

 

 

 

During the month of ShraavaN, moon will be in ShravaN nakShatra on

Full-moon-day (PoorNimaa). On ShraavaN Panchami, Moon, transits from

48 degree to 60 degree to the earth's axis. (12 * 5 = 60). This

transition forms a triangle that spells maximum gravitational force

on water elements. Human body is composed of 80% water. Hence this

period has maximum effect on human mind:

 

 

 

|| Chandramaa manasO jaathah ||

 

( PuruSha Sooktha, yajurvEda)

 

 

 

Thus, in all respects, naaga panchami is very auspicious for all

spiritual activities.

 

 

 

We find the origin of this festival in the MahaaBharatha:

 

 

 

Once Emperor PareekShith, grandson of the greatest archer Arjuna, had

been into the forest for hunting. In his enthusiasm, he got separated

from his men. After long hours of hunting, he got tired and felt

immense thirst. When he looked for water, he saw a RShi meditating

under a tree. The king went to the Rshi and asked for water. But the

Rshi was so immersed in Dhyaan that even after several requests by

the king, he did not open up his eyes. PareekShith felt insulted. He

boiled with anger and lost his sense of discipline. Forgetting that

it was a RShi in front of him, he lifted a dead snake which was

laying on the ground nearby, with his sword and put it around the

RShi's neck. In Bhaaratheeya Sanskrthi, everyone, including the

emperor is expected show great respect to Braahmans, RShis,

Sanyaasins and Gurus. In this background, PareekShith had committed

an unpardonable mistake. The RShi's son, Shrngi, who came there after

a while, saw the dead snake put around his father's neck.

Shrngi was then just 7 or 8 years old, but had amazingly great

powers due to Gaayathri manthra upasana. He cursed that the person

who is responsible for such a degraded behavior shall die of

thakShaka's (the king of snakes in the Rudra lOka) bite within 7

days. The RShi, who later learnt about the unhappy incident, sent the

news of his son's curse to PareekShith.

 

 

 

In order to save his life, PareekShith constructed a very tall tower

amidst the deep waters of the Gangaa (present Haridwaar) and himself

started living in the topmost room in the tower. He appointed

watchful soldiers to guard it.

 

 

 

But a RShi's curse can never fail. tahkShaka was bound to make the

curse come true. So he sought the help of the saptharShis. He himself

hid in a fruit in the form of a small worm. On the 7th day, the

saptharShis went to PareekShith and gave him the fruit. When

PareekShith was about to eat the fruit, tahkShaka came out of the

fruit, grew big and bit the emperor, who died within seconds.

 

 

 

JanamEjaya, son of PareekShith after assuming the throne, decided to

avenge the death of his father by stamping out the entire snake

lineage. So, he started the Sarpa yaaga in which, every snake, be it

wherever in this universe, would be spell bounded with the power of

mantras and sacrificed in the fire. Many thousands of snakes fell

into the yagna fire and died. On learning this, thakShaka wound

himself to the throne of Indra – the king of Gods in order to save

his life. The PurOhith who saw this with his third eye, chanted the

mantra thus:

 

 

 

|| sahEndraaya thakShakaaya swaahaa(ha)||

 

 

 

The mantra's power started dragging thakShaka along with Indra

sitting on his throne, to the place of sacrifice. Indra screamed and

sought the help of MaharShi Astheeka, who convinced JanamEjaya to

stop the snake sacrifice. In the end, Bhagavaan VEdavyaas arrived and

blessed everyone. It was ShraavaN Shuddh Panchami on that day and the

entire snake family got a new lease of life. Since it is the day of

rejoice for the Snake Gods, they are worshipped with great reverence

and devotion on that day. It is widely believed that childless

couples will be blessed with a child if they practice the naaga

panchami vratha. Those who loudly reads this story from the

MahaaBharatha on naaga panchami after worshipping snakes, will be

greatly releaved from the problems due to Sarpa dOsha. Here

worshipping means feeding the snakes with eggs and milk

 

 

 

The main reason for the entire drama was the curse of Kadru – the

mother of nagas (snakes). Why she cursed her own children is another

story:

 

 

 

According to a legend, Kadru, once bet with her sister Vinata about

the colour of the tail of UChchaiShravas - Indra's horse. She

asserted that the tail was black even though the horse was absolutely

white. According to Vinata however, the tail of the horse was as

white as the rest of it. Kadru then asked her sons the nagas to coil

around the white tail of the horse so that it appeared black. When

they refused to participate in deceit, Kadru cursed them to be

consumed by fire for disobeying her.

 

 

 

Though the snake lineage was saved, the curse of Kadru was so severe

that, the snakes always feel a burning sensation. Hence people offer

cow milk to snakes, so that the snakes feel comforted and they get

blessed by the snake gods

 

 

 

The place where the sarpa yaaga was conducted is located in the

premises of KOdhanda Raama temple in Hiremagalur, 2 km from the main

city of Chikkamagalur district in Karnataka. A stone pillar has been

erected in that place. It's darShan is said to beneficial to people

afflicted with Sarpa dOsha. This is also said to be the place where

Lord Shree Raam met ParaShurama in the thrEthaa yuga.

 

 

 

In the Vedas, human backbone is described as "sarpa" (snake). The

backbone is of great importance from the view point of Raaja yoga and

Kundalinee yoga. All manifestations of human consciousness is

dependent on the backbone and the important nerves that originate

from it; the most important of them being the SuShumnaa, through

which the Kundalinee power raises from the moolaadhaar to sahasraar.

Hence esoterically, snake worship stands for the awakening of

kundalinee which is situated at the bottom most chakra – the

moolaadhaar, in the shape of a 3-coiled snake and raising it to the

topmost chakra – the sahasraara, piercing through the different

charkas on the way. This is symbolically represented by the ritual of

smearing milk with a flower, on the back of one's brothers and

sisters on naga panchami.

 

 

 

This ritual also signifies the debt of mothers milk and reminds an

individual of his duty towards to the society in particular and

motherland in general.

 

 

 

In the Vedic literature, snakes also represent ariShadvarga – 6

enemies of an individual's spiritual and overall development: kaama,

krOdha, lObha, moha, mada, maatsarya.Hence JanamEjaya's sarpa yaaga

signifies the burning of the above mentioned ariShadvargas.

 

PareekShith symbolizes our VivEka (intellect). The killing of

PareekShith by thakShaka signifies that all our desires when born in

the mind are initially small, but later they grow very big and

consume us. This leads to the destruction of our virtues (death of

PareekShith). Because of thakShaka, all other snakes met their death.

The moral of this is that, we should sacrifice all materials and

interests that encourage us for selfish deeds. We should do so until

pure devotion and knowledge comes to us (arrival of RShi aastheeka

and MaharShi VEdavyaasa). Only then, we will realize God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART – 2 : Rituals, mantras & stotras

 

 

 

R.Srinath

 

srinath_atreya

 

 

 

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