Snake: 2018

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Sacrifice

According to Varaha Purana, Lord Brahma’s son Kashyapa had four wives. Kashyapa’s first wife gave birth to Devas, second to Garudas, third to Nagas (snakes) and fourth to Daityas (demons). The third wife was called Kadroo, so Nagas are also known as Kadrooja.

Kadru was mother of one thousand Nagas. Some prominent names being Sesha,Vasuki, Takshaka, Anant, Kanwal, Karkotak, Kalia, Aswatar, Padma, Mahapadma, Shankh, Kulik, Pingal etc.

When all these snakes started tormenting human-beings, lord Brahma cursed them that they would be annihilated due to the curse of their own mother, but that is another story.

The snakes got terrified and promised to mend their ways. They then requested lord Brahma to give them a place to live in. Lord Brahma instructed them to go to three different netherworlds-Sutal, Vital and Patal. He also warned them that during Vaivaswat manvantar Janmejay would perform a grand yagya with the objective of destroying the wicked snakes but the virtuous among them would manage to survive.

It was Shraavan Shuddh Panchami (The fifth day of the Bright half of the Hindu month Shravan-July-August). On that day the entire snake family got a new lease of life (see How the snakes were saved - A Hindu mythology). This day is considered a sacred day by Hindus. The festival Nag Panchami is celebrated on this day. The five Nāgas worshipped on Nag Panchami are Ananta, Vāsuki, Ta ak, Karkotaka and Pingala.

https://harekrishnainfo.blogspot.com/search/label/Janamejaya

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Vayu Vs Vasuki

Sri Lanka was built on top of a mountain called Tri-kuta Giri. ThisTri-kuta was a piece of rock that broke from Mount Meru. Long ago,there was some discussion between two Gandharvas. One Gandharvasaid, "Vasuki is such a powerful strong snake, that when the Lordtook incarnation as Matsya, he used Vasuki as a rope to tie the hornof that fish to the boat where Maharaja Satyavrata and thesapta-rishis were travelling. In the dissolution water, this boatwas kept safe due to Vasuki binding Matsya and the boat." The otherGandharva said, "Maybe he is strong, but do you think he could be asstrong as Vayu, Varuna or Agni?" The other said, "He must bestronger than them, otherwise why did the Lord select Vasuki?" Whilethey were discussing in this way, Vayu, the god of air, who ispresent everywhere, he couldn't tolerate this discussion. Hepersonally came in front of them and asked them, "What is thisuseless discussion?" "Who are you?" they enquired. "I am Vayu," hereplied. "Is there anyone as strong as me? Why do you even discussthese things? Don't you know that I am everywhere and I am listeningto these things?" One Gandharva said, "Well, I have seen Vasuki. Iwas the last one to creep into the water at that time. I've seen howstrong he is." Vayu said, "Bring that Vasuki, and we can test."Then Vasuki was brought, and he challenged Vayu. "What do you mean?I am so strong! Every time the Lord selects me, so there must besome reason." Vayu said, "Then we can test our strength."

Vasukisaid, "I will coil around the Meru three times, and you blow and seeif you can open my coils." But they never consulted Mount Meruwhether they could do it. Around Mount Meru were so many insects andcreatures. All the planetary systems were going around it. Vasukiwent on there, and Meru did not mind. So many snakes were on therealready. But he didn't know there was going to be some sports.Vasuki coiled around Meru three times and started getting tighter andtighter.

And then Vayu started blowing against Mount Meru in fullforce. Mount Meru started moving back and forth, because Vayu wasusing all his strength, and Vasuki was not going to give up. So itwas not just Vasuki, but Vayu had to work on both, the strength ofMount Meru and the strength of Vasuki. And then Mount Meru startedcomplaining and screaming. "What is this? There are three partiesinvolved in this, but I was never consulted. Why am I being giventrouble like this? I am going to turn upside down and createtrouble. All the planetary systems will fall." Brahma heard allthis, and he appeared on the scene, telling Vayu and Vasuki, "Youhave your kind of strength, and he has his kind of strength. In yourkind of strength, you are the most strong. And in his strength,blowing, that you cannot do. So in that way he is strong." WhenVasuki uncoiled after the sports, one rock was broken from MountMeru, and it fell in the salt ocean. This rock had three peaks, soit was known as Tri-kuta. It was on the salty ocean for a long time.And then Visvakarma, for the purpose of making a nice palace for thepastimes of the demigods, he made this Sri Lanka city on top ofTri-kuta mountain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trikuta
http://www.backtogodhead.in/the-making-of-lanka-by-subha-vilasa-dasa/
http://ramalila.blogspot.com/2007/03/chapter-8-background-stories.html

Garuda Fight With Vasuki

Lord Brahma worries about Shiva 's annoyance, and its consequences on the universe when Shiva decided to not to interfere in universe affairs. Lord Vishnu knows this is because of separation of Shakti from Shiva.

Vasuki's role

Vasuki decides to take care of Sati(Shakti). Vasuki wishes to approach Lord Shiva for Sati's welfare. Vasuki visits Kailash to meet Shiva.

Vasuki informs Lord Shiva about Sati's suffering. He urges Shiva to take care of her. Vasuki pays his gratitude to Shiva for blessing him.

Now on other side all the snakes were already given order by Lord Brahma that snakes and serpents will live only inside earth(underworld), they will not come on land surface. But because Lord Vishnu wanted to arrange meeting of Lord Shiva with Sati(Shakti born to Daksha Prajapati's daughter) , he caused an unbalance to world. Snakes came on the earth surface.

But this was against Lord Brahma's orders, so Lord Vishnu sent his vehicle Garuda, a bird, to kill all the snakes.

There Vasuki tries to stop Garuda from attacking the snakes, but Garuda reminds Vasuki of the curse which Brahma has given to them, and also tells him that snakes have crossed their boundaries and that snakes should stay in Patal-loka. But Vasuki defends the snakes and garuda tells that he would kill Vasuki. And a fight starts between Garuda and Vasuki.

Garuda picks Vasuki and dashes him on the ground. Vasuki calls Shiva and says that you can’t tolerate injustice, then why so delay in coming as Garuda is killing Vasuki.

Shiva comes there to save Vasuki, which leaves Garud shocked.

Shiva decided to stop Garuda, Lord Vishnu appeared to save Garuda.

Lord Vishnu said "Please Lord, you have to win me first to kill garuda".

For the sake of Vasuki and Snakes ,Lord Shiva accepted Lord Vishnu's challenge. Lord Vishnu reveals to Lord Shiva that he had plotted to fight with him for the welfare of the universe. Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu reconcile with each other. Lord Vishnu succeeds in pacifying Lord Shiva.

Vasuki's Sacrifice

Lord Shiva blesses Vasuki and Garud. He takes Vasuki around his neck because Vasuki's role and his sacrifice was too much important. Vasuki was injured by Garuda and he was devotee of Lord Shiva. Vasuki was the King of Serpents, and he lost many snakes because of this incident, many of family members,too.

Lord Shiva takes Vasuki around his neck and blesses him that he will be having more important role while "Samudra manthan" will be happening in near future.