Naga Panchami is a Hindu festival that honors the Naga Devatas or the Snake Gods. Before the Vedic gods entered the scene, people in ancient India probably practiced animism or nature worship. It is surmised that serpent worship, too, was a part of such beliefs.
Snakes are feared by human beings. One way to remove fear is to try to please the thing which is feared. Perhaps snake worship arose in this manner.
The Mahabharata has a story about the birth of the Naga Devatas or serpent deities. Kadru and Vinita were sisters. Both married Sage Kashyapa, who was the son of Lord Brahma. Kashyapa gave each of his wives a boon. Kadru’s wish was to have a thousand powerful and brave sons. But Vinita wanted just two sons who would be mightier than Kadru’s children. While Kadru gave birth to a thousand snakes who formed the race of Nagas and ruled Patal Lok, Vinita had only two sons, Aruna and Garuda.
The Festival of Naga Panchami
On the day of Naga Panchami, Hindus worship the Naga Devatas. They observe vrat and do Pooja for the snake gods. They offer milk, fruits, and sweets to the idols of snakes. The idols are usually made of silver, wood, and stone. Many also worship real snakes, which are brought to their homes by snake charmers. In the villages, people go to anthills and pour milk into them as snakes tend to live in them. They also offer eggs.
Hindus celebrate Naga Panchami on the 5th day (Panchami Tithi) of Shukla Paksha in Shravana month (July-August). The Nagoba temple in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is renowned for Naga Panchami celebrations. Women in large numbers visit the temple to worship the Naga Devatas.
The Skanda Purana offers an explanation for the importance of Naga Panchami in the words of Lord Shiva. Once, Lord Vishnu gave a boon to the serpent, Adisesha, on whom he reclined in the Milky Ocean. As per the boon, human beings would worship serpents on the Panchami day when the serpent clan was born. This was supposedly how the festival of Naga Panchami began.
Why do people fear snakes?
There are many reasons why people fear snakes. The most obvious one is that poisonous snakes can kill people with their bites.
There are astrological reasons, too, behind the fear of snakes. In Vedic astrology, Rahu and Ketu are the snake planets. These planets are malefics and have many adverse effects if they are not well placed in a person’s birth chart. If they are afflicted, they can cause Doshas like Naga/Sarpa Dosha, Kala Sarpa Dosha, etc. Natives who have such Doshas face many problems like delays in marriage, broken marriages, fertility issues, mental problems, poisoning, loss of wealth, job, reputation, and many more. In other words, they may face many difficulties and challenges. The belief is that such people may have caused harm to snakes in their previous lives.
But astrology also offers many remedies for such afflictions. One is to worship snakes on Naga Panchami day, as snakes represent Rahu and Ketu.
Interestingly, Naga Panchami is celebrated in Shravan month. This corresponds to July and August in the Gregorian calendar. This is the monsoon season when many places witness floods. At this time, snakes leave their flooded burrows and enter people’s homes seeking warmth and shelter. Many people suffer snake bites during this period, and some may even die. Celebrating Naga Panchami during this month is, therefore, a way to appease the Naga Devatas and ensure that people are protected from snake bites. As a matter of fact, most Hindu festivals are linked to the seasons and cycles of Nature.
Legends behind Naga Panchami
Some believe that Naga Panchami commemorates Lord Krishna’s conquest of the serpent, Kaliya, which was terrorizing the villagers of Gokul.
The Mahabharata narrates the story of the serpent Takshaka and King Parikshit. Takshaka killed Parikshit and the latter’s son, Janamejaya swore revenge against all serpents. To eliminate all snakes from the world, Janamejaya performed a Yagna But, Rishi Astika managed to stop the Yagna before it was completed. This incident, according to one account, lies behind the festival of Naga Panchami.
Naga Panchami’s Significance
In this Anthropocene age, the festival of Naga Panchami has a special significance. It encourages us to respect Nature and all her children. Snakes have a role in our ecosystem. They kill rodents that eat food crops and thereby help farmers. Also, in Hinduism, all living beings have the divine essence in them. This is why many Gods have animals and birds as their vehicles. Lord Shiva, for instance, has a snake around his neck. Lord Vishnu reclines on a serpent. This close association between animals/birds and the Gods reveals that God loves all his creations equally. The festival of Naga Panchami reminds us that we should also do the same.
Naga Chaturthi and Garuda Panchami
Hindus celebrate Naga Chaturthi on the day before Naga Panchami. This festival also honors snakes. Garuda Panchami honors Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu. This festival is on the same day as Naga Panchami. On this day, women worship Garuda for the welfare of their children.
Naga Panchami 2022 is on August 2.
