MAARKANDEYA presents MAHAABHAARATHAM

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"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA

NAAGA

( The 'n' in this name is pronounced like 'n' in 'not' .)

Naagas are divine serpents and they are a group of demi-gods. Vaasuki, Aadishesha, Anantha etc are their chiefs.

In our mythology, various demi-gods were mentioned. They have their own world and leader but subject to the control of Indra, the lord of Gods, over them. They possess many divine powers. Their status was considered to be below that of the gods and above that of humans. Some categories of demi gods were Gandharvas,Yakshas,Garudas,Kinnaras,Kimpurushas,Uragas,Saadhyas Vidyaadharas etc.

Gandharvas are the divine singers and dancers. They fly in air-borne vehicles. Music and dance are their arts. They come onto the earth as a pastime. Like all the supernatural beings,they too are invisible to the earthly beings unless they wished to be otherwise. Sometimes they grace the humans with gifts and sometimes punish with curses.

Similarly some super human beings of the status of demi-gods live in the lower abodes too. In the lowest regions i.e. Paathaalam and Rasaathalam, Naagas, a group of fierce and powerful demi-gods lives.They are none other than the serpents. They have easy access to heaven and oter higher abodes too. They are said to have hoods with gems on them. Their tounge is split into two, as we see in common snakes. Mahaabhaaratham says that Kadru was the mother of naagas but it also mentioned that Surasa was their mother. Maybe, Kadru was also known as Surasa.

The Mahaabhaaratham mentions many prominent naagas besides some unimportant names. Vaasuki, Thakshaka, Anantha or Shesha, Karkotaka etc. wee some among them. Uloopi, Arjuna's wife was a naaga lady. Ashvasena was a naaga, who bore grudge with Arjuna and went to Karna to become an arrow in his quiver to kill Arjuna. Aaryaka was a naaga chief who gave the divine drink of strength to Bheema. In Aadi parva, while describing the serpent sacrifice, names of many sects of naagas and names of many naagas are mentioned. In Udyoga parva, when Naarada described the naagas to maathali, many names were given (Vaasuki, Thakshaka, Karkotaka,Dhananjaya, Kaaleeya, Nahusha, Kambala, Ashvathara, Baahyakunda, Mani, Aapoorana, Khaga,Vaamana, Elapathra, Kukura, Kukuna, Aaryaka, Nandaka, Kalasha, Pothaka, Kylaasaka, Pinjaraka, Ayraavatha, Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, shankha, Nanda, Upanandaka, Aaptha, Kotaraka, Shikhi, Nishthoorika, Thiththiri, Hasthi, Bhadra, Kumuda, Maalyapindaka, the twins Padma and Padma ,Pundareeka, Pushpa, Mudgaraparnaka, Karaveera, Peetharaka, Samvriththa, Vriththa, Pindaara, Bilvapathra, Mooshikaada, Shireeshika, Dileepa, Shankhasheersha, Jyothishka, Aparaajitha, Kouravya, Dhritharaashtra, Kuhura, Kushaka, Virahas, Dhaarana, Subaahu, Mukhara, Jaya, Badhira, Andha, Vishundi, Virasa, Surasa ,Aaryaka,Vaamana, chikura, sumukha). Similarly, in Mousala parva, describibg how Balaraama went back to his abode , the epic gives the names of many naaga chiefs (Karkotaka,Vaasuki, Thakshaka, Prithushravas, Aruna, Kunjara, Mishri, Shankha, Kumuda, Pundareeka, Dhritharaashtra, Hraada, Kraatha, Shithikantha, Agrathejas, Chakramanda,Athishanda, Durmukha and Ambareesha ).

Many naaga sects are mentioned in Udyoga parva too. Naarada mentions a list of naaga chiefs while describing the Naagas in the Paathaalam. They are Vaasuki, Thakshaka, Karkotaka,Dhananjaya, Kaaleeya, Nahusha, Kambala, Ashvathara, Baahyakunda, Mani, Aapoorana, Khaga,Vaamana, Elapathra, Kukura, Kukuna, Aaryaka, Nandaka, Kalasha, Pothaka, Kylaasaka, Pinjaraka, Ayraavatha, Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, shankha, Nanda, Upanandaka, Aaptha, Kotaraka, Shikhi, Nishthoorika, Thiththiri, Hasthi, Bhadra, Kumuda, Maalyapindaka, the twins Padma and Padma ,Pundareeka, Pushpa, Mudgaraparnaka, Karaveera, Peetharaka, Samvriththa, Vriththa, Pindaara, Bilvapathra, Mooshikaada, Shireeshika, Dileepa, Shankhasheersha, Jyothishka, Aparaajitha, Kouravya, Dhritharaashtra, Kuhura, Kushaka, Virahas, Dhaarana, Subaahu, Mukhara, Jaya, Badhira, Andha, Vishundi, Virasa, Surasa etc.

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA