(IN): Worshipping the Snake Goddess

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Link: http://www.assamtribune.com/sunday1.html

 

*Worshipping the Snake Goddess*

 

As the monsoon sets in in August, it is time that people in this part of the

country start preparing to fight against a big natural calamity called

flood, which in turn brings serpents with them. Thus, to protect people from

snakebites and also to cure various other diseases, each year festivals are

held to celebrate the Serpent Goddess, Manasa. Moreover, worshippers are

devoted to Manasa, not from a fear of snakes, but because they believe that

the Serpent Goddess is a primeval form of the Great Goddess herself.

 

Basically a folk goddess, Manasa was later incorporated into the Vedic

pantheon. According to the Puranas, the hermit Kashyap, commanded by Brahma

composed the snake mantras and out of it was born Manasa. She is the sister

of the snake king Vasuki; her husband is Jaratkaru and her son Astik. She is

also known as Jagatgauri, Shaivi, Vaishnavi, Nageshwari, Siddhayogini etc.

She is pictured as a fair-complexioned goddess, who wears a red dress. Her

face is round, calm and serene. Mounted on a swan, Manasa is flanked by

snakes.

 

In the present state of our knowledge, we cannot say when actually the cult

of Manasa was introduced into Assam. According to a popular legend, which

gives us an account of the spread of the Manasa cult in Eastern India, after

the marriage of Hara and Gauri, they had a daughter named Padma or Manasa.

Immediately after her birth, Padma was sent to the lower region to rule over

and obtain worship from the serpents. The Goddess Manasa was not content

with her sovereignty of the lower world. She resolved also to claim honour

and worship from all sections of the people of the earth. But her greatest

opponent was Chand Sadagar, the wealthiest member of the merchant community

of the city of Champaka, commonly identified with a place on the south bank

of the Brahmaputra in the modern Kamrup district of Assam. Chand Sadagar was

a devout follower of Siva and he would in no circumstances worship Manasa.

His wife, Soneka, one day made secret arrangements for worshipping Manasa.

But when Chand Sadagar came to know of it, he flew into a rage and kicked

off all articles of offerings collected for her worship. At this treatment,

the Goddess Manasa was furious and she was determined to take revenge on

Chand Sadagar and his family. In course of a few days, she caused the death

of Chand Sadagar's six sons, sank the boats of Chand Sadagar, and made him

fall into abject poverty and destitution. In spite of these misfortunes,

Chand Sadagar chose to suffer rather than worship Manasa.

 

After sometime, a seventh son was born to Chand Sadagar and Soneka, and was

named Lakhindara. When he grew up, Lakhindara was married to a very

accomplished girl named Behula or Beula. As it was predicted by the

astrologers that Lakhindara would be bitten to death by a snake on the very

marriage night, his father got erected a house of iron (called Meraghara)

without a hole in it and made the couple live there. In spite of all these

precautions, Lakhindara was bitten to death by a snake on the bridal night.

The snake was no doubt commissioned to do this ghastly act by Manasa.

 

Beula, however, resolved to bring her husband back to life at all risks and

would not part with his body. The next morning, she got a raft made, and set

it afloat on the river with the body of her husband. The raft went on and on

for many days and nights and men, animals, spirits and goblins attempted on

the way to frighten and dissuade her from her resolution. Nothing could

however move her and alone she drifted in the midstream till the raft

stopped on the shore. Near the place where the raft stood was Neta, a

washerwoman of the Gods. Beula got down on the bank and collected a pile of

wood to burn herself on a pyre with the skeleton of her husband.

 

Neta saw it and prevented the woman from the act of immolation. Thereupon,

Beula narrated the story of her misfortune, hearing which Neta promised to

take her into the presence of Siva. Beula was taken to Siva, and she

propitiated the great God with dance and music. Siva was pleased and

restored life to Lakhindara and his six brothers. Beula, with her husband

and brothers-in-law, returned happily to Campakanagara. On her return, Beula

entreated Chand Sadagar to pay offerings to Manasa and ever since then,

Goddess Manasa is worshipped.

 

During this festival, dances are arranged at the shrine of Kamakhya called

Deodhani dance. The dancer is called Deodha. The dancers live a regulated

life without taking non-vegetarian food and in constant meditation of their

ista devatas. It is believed that they see the Goddess in their dreams a

month prior to the festival. While they are dancing, they are not conscious

of their surroundings, and perform certain acts like walking on the sharp

edge of a sword without any injury to their person. Their predictions are

regarded trustworthy. During the worship, the songs are sung with musical

instruments and dancing movements. There are actually two types of Deodhani

dance. One is a semi-classical dance and the other one is a trance form, not

a dance. The Deodhani dance prevalent in Mangaldoi and southwest Kamrup area

is linked to the Sukanani Oja-Pali form.

 

It is important to note here that Manasa Puja or the worship of the Snake

Goddess is prevalent not only in Assam but in different other parts of India

as well. In Bengal, the Jhapan festival, in the town of Vishnupur in early

August, celebrates the glory of Manasa. It is basically a regional harvest

festival. Snake charmers bring to the festival, in woven baskets, cobras,

vipers, kraits, pythons, rat snakes, vine and flying snakes, and perform

with the poisonous snakes while chanting hymns praising Manasa. Some

participants even enter into trances. Among the different tribes of the

Northeastern region also, various forms of snake worship are also found. The

Khasis of Assam worship U Thlen, a gigantic snake which demands to be

appeased by the sacrifice of human victims, and for whose sake murders have

been committed; even in recent times. In Manipur, which preserves the

Mahabharata tradition of being the seat of the Naga king Citravahana, whose

daughter Citrangada was married to Arjuna, even at the present day, the

ancestral god of the royal family is a snake called Pakhangba. The Rabhas

worship a Serpent God which once dwelt in a cave and was propitiated by the

annual sacrifice of a boy and a girl.

 

Whatever maybe the belief and way of worshipping the Snake Goddess in

different parts of the region, the Manasa cult is one of the most ancient of

the Vedic cults. The different branches of Indian philosophy are more or

less its off-shoots with the Yoga sect being at the forefront in the

practice and promulgation of the esoteric art of harnessing the serpent-

power, kundalini, towards realization of the philosophic vision that is

necessary for attaining the divine sphere.

 

*Dharmaraj Joshi*

 

 

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