Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami is the day on which people commemorate the victory of Lord Krishna over the deadly cobra, Kaliya. The story goes back to those days when Lord Krishna was a child.

One day, he was playing with his friends on the bank of river Yamuna. “Throw the ball! Throw it fast!” the children shouted. One of them threw the ball high, but it got entangled in the high branch of a tree. “Oh no!” they sighed. “We can't get the ball down. See, the branch is jutting out over the river. It's dangerous!” the children became sad. Brave Krishna smiled, “Don't worry, friends! I will get the ball down.” He climbed up the tree to fetch the ball. But as soon as he touched the ball, it fell into the river. Krishna looked down. Right below the tree, there was a deep part of the river. “No, Krishna... leave it! Let the ball go,” his friends cried out. “Don't you know the wicked Kaliya Nag lives in the river?”

Suddenly, Alas! Kaliya emerged out of the water and raised its hood. Krishna was ready. He jumped on to the five-hooded snake and caught it by the Krishna dances on the snake neck. The snake hissed furiouslv. It shook its head to throw down Krishna. But the little boy totally overpowered it. The next moment, Krishna started dancing on Kaliya's hood. The snake writhed in pain.

‘This is no ordinary child,’ thought Kaliya. And finally he had to surrender before Krishna. “Please, don't kill me,” pleaded the snake. “All right, I will spare you. But you have to promise that you will quit your evil ways!” warned Krishna. “I promise!” said Kaliya. Krishna then asked Kaliya to leave the river Yamuna. Thus by vanquishing the dreaded serpent, Lord Krishna saved the people from drinking the poisonous water of the river. Yamuna was pure once again and the people rejoiced.

That was the Panchami (fifth day) of the moonlit-fortnight of the month of Shravan (July/August). Since then, the day is celebrated as Nag Panchami. Live cobras or their pictures are worshipped and religious rights are performed to appease them. Snakes are bathed with milk, and adorned with turmeric powder and vermilion. They are offered milk and puffed rice. Snake charmers wander about with cobra snakes, to which people offer milk. Some people offer clothes and sweets to the snake charmers also. Some give them money. Shiva temples are also the favoured places for veneration as snakes are considered dear to him.

The prominent Cobra snakes mentioned in the Puranas are Anant, Vasuki, Shesh, Padma, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kaliya, Aswatar, Takshak, Sankhpal and Pingal. Sheshnaag is the thousand¬headed serpent who symbolises Eternity. It is the couch of Lord Vishnu, on which the Lord reclines between the time of the dissolution of one Universe and creation of another.

Naga Panchami is observed all over the country. In Bengal and Orissa, people seek blessings of Mansa, the queen of serpents. In Punjab, Nag Panchami is known by the name of 'Guga-Navami1. A huge snake is shaped from wheat flour. It is then placed in an open basket and taken round the village in a colourful procession. All the rituals are then performed to invoke the blessings of the snake God. After this, the dough-snake is ceremoniously buried.

In the interior parts of Maharashtra, some tribes perform acrobatics and magic shows on the streets. In some parts of southern India, figures of snakes are drawn with red sandalwood paste on wooden boards. Clay images, coloured yellow or black, are also famous. People worship these images and later immerse them in water.

In Jainism and Buddhism, it is believed that snakes are sacred and have divine qualities. Legend has it that a Cobra snake saved the life of Buddha and another protected the Jain Muni Parshwanath. Even today we find a glimpse of this belief in the form of a huge serpent carved above the head Parshwanath.

Nag Panchami most auspicious Therefore, on this fasts. This festival mentioned in the Puranas too. By worshipping the snakes, it is believed that people can be free from danger, and ensure welfare for their family.