Episode #286
Why Do Hindus Worship Snakes? | The Tantra of Tiamat, Apophis & Kundalinī
On the auspicious occasion of Nāga Pañcamī, the sacred day for worshipping dragons, I was inspired to give a slightly more dynamic and comparative talk this time compared to our talk last year ( Snakes, Dragons & Nāgas in Tantra ) which focused more on the āvatāras of the nāgas (Patañjalī, Abhinavagupta etc.). In this second talk on the subject, we explored the concept of the Dragon (a more literal reading of Nāga) as a personification of wildness and primordial chaos, tracking the idea in the Campbellian Hero's Journey (to make an exciting claim about merging the princess, a symbol for the lost anima with the dragon, which also symbolizes both the shadow and the anima, to use Jungian terms) with comparisons to Tiamat from Mesopotamian myth, Apep or Apopohis/Typhon in the Ancient Egyptian tradition and of course tracing it into its corollaries in the Vedic/Hindu world with reference to Indra's battle with Vrtta, the earliest "dragon" to appear in the tradition. I make an exciting claim comparing Patañjali, the Serpent (whose name literally means "fallen offering", or rather, "fallen angel) to Lucifer in the Garden of Eden and an even more exciting claim about why we should not try to slay the dragon, but rather learn from Her and even become Her. Here are some of the mantras we referenced in the class: अनंतं वासुकीं शेषं पद्मनाभं च कंबलम् शंखपालं धृतराष्ट्रं च तक्षकं कालियं तथा एतानि नव नामानि नागानाम् च महात्मन: सायंकाले पठेन्नित्यं प्रात:काले विशेषत: तस्य विषभयं नास्ति सर्वत्र विजयी भवेत् anaṃtaṃ vāsukīṃ śeṣaṃ padmanābhaṃ ca kaṃbalam śaṃkhapālaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ ca takṣakaṃ kāliyaṃ tathā etāni nava nāmāni nāgānām ca mahātmanah: sāyaṃkāle paṭhennityaṃ prātakāle viśeṣatah: tasya viṣabhayaṃ nāsti sarvatra vijayī bhavet “Ananta, Vāsukī, Śesha, Padmanābha and Kambala Śankhapāla, Drstarāshtra and Takshaka and Kāliya: These are the 9 great Serepents: I bow to them all! If (this mantra) is recited always, especially in the morning and in the evening, all poisons and fear will be destroyed and one becomes victorious everywhere!” If you can, feed some snakes today with hard boiled eggs and milk! That is to say: leave out a bowl of milk and a hard boiled egg under a tree somewhere! And here is a mantra for invoking and worshipping Patañjali: योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां । मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन ॥ योऽपाकरोत्तमं प्रवरं मुनीनां । पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि ॥ आबहु पुरुषाकारं। शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणं॥ सहस्र शीरसं श्वेतं। प्रनमामि पतञ्जलिम्॥ yogena cittasya padena vācāṁ । malaṁ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena ॥ yo’pākarottamaṁ pravaraṁ munīnāṁ । patañjaliṁ prāñjalirānato’smi ॥ ābahu puruṣākāraṁ śaṅkha cakrāsi dhāriṇaṁ sahasra śīrasaṁ śvetaṁ pranamāmi patañjalim Yoga, for the mind Grammar, for the speech, Medicine for the impurities of the body, I bow to that great sage Patañjali who has given all these! Pure spirit incarnate in form, Holding the conch, discuss and sword I bow to Patanjali, that thousand headed white (cobra)! Hit Me Up x Support the show Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there: https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815 For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at: https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnish To get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM
