Nāga-pañćamī

Nāga-pañćamī

Nāga-pañćamī — the day of worshipping nāgas, serpent-devas. The will of Bhagavān is expressed in Varāha-purāṇa as follows:

tataḥ kurvīta pañchamyāṁ nāgānāṁ pūjanaṁ naraḥ •
mat-pūjānantaraṁ śeṣaṁ vāsukiṁ takṣakaṁ tathā ••
pūjayech chharkarā-kṣīra-ghṛta-pāyasa-khādyakaiḥ •
sākṣāt saṅkarṣaṇātmāhaṁ tāṁ pūjāṁ svayam ādade ••

“Then on pañćamī one is to perform pūjā (worship) of nāgas: after pūjā of Me offer Śeṣa, Vāsuki and Takṣaka sugar, milk, ghṛta (clarified butter), sweet milk gruels and milk sweets. I Myself, being the inner Lord of Saṅkarṣaṇa [i.e. of Śeṣa; or “being Saṅkarṣaṇa Myself as Viṣṇu-Saṅkarṣaṇa, Original Saṅkarṣaṇa (Proto-Saṅkarṣaṇa), the Archetype of all serpents”], accept such pūjā”.

Śeṣa is the deity of ćhandasas (Veda-mantras), incisive speech and universal balance. He is on the same level as Garuḍa and Śiva in the tāratamya. In his last life before mukti Śiva is born as Śeṣa.

Vāsuki is the King of all nāgas, the eldest son of Kaśyapa by Kadrū. He took part in the churning of milk ocean (which symbolizes the path of knowledge) as the churning rope.

Takṣaka is one of the principal nāgas; he is also a son of Kashyapa by Kadrū. He was the implementer of the curse which killed Parīkṣita.

oṁ śeṣāya namaḥ oṁ
oṁ vāsukaye namaḥ oṁ
oṁ takṣakāya namaḥ oṁ

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Respectfully yours,
Nārasiṁha