Nag Panchami 2024: The festival of Nag Panchami is special, let’s know about the worship, story and snakes on this day

Dates for Nag Panchami 2024: Snake species has a lot of importance in Hindu religion. Lord Shiva’s neck ornament is Nagraj Vasuki, while Lord Vishnu’s bed is Nagraj Sheshnag. Snakes are worshipped in our country and if you kill a snake even by mistake, you are afflicted with Kaal Sarp Dosh, which is not easily curable.

People wear expensive jewellery around their necks to look good but Lord Shiva chose a snake as his jewellery. Which is condemned and neglected in the society. Everyone is afraid of snakes and this fear is being dispelled by Lord Shiva by making Vasuki his necklace. Lord Shiva is teaching all his devotees that when I am there then why fear, no animal or animal-like person can harm you. On the festival of Nag Panchami, there is a tradition of feeding milk to snakes so that our fear is dispelled and we serve animals and creatures.

What do the scriptures say about Nag Panchami? (Nag Panchami 2024 About Shastra)

According to Varaha Purana chapter number 24, Lord Varah narrates the story of Nag Panchami from his mouth. Once upon a time, Marichi was the first son of Brahma. His son was Kashyap. Daksh’s daughter Kadru who had a soft smile became his wife. Kashyap had many sons from her who were famous by the names of Anant, Vasuki, Mahabali Kambal, Karkotaka, Padma, Mahapadma, Shankh, Kulik and Paparajil. These main snakes are the sons of Kashyap.

Later, the whole world was filled with the progeny of these snakes. They were very devious and were involved in evil deeds. Their mouths were filled with very sharp poison. They could burn humans to ashes by just their sight or by biting them. Their bite was as sharp as words. It also caused death of humans. In this way, people started getting massacred every day. Seeing their terrible massacre, the people gathered and went to the shelter of the Supreme Lord Lord Brahma, who was capable of giving shelter to everyone.

Keeping this objective in mind, the subjects said to Brahma Ji who appeared on the lotus – “Lord! You have immense power, please protect us from these sharp-toothed snakes. As soon as they cast their gaze on us, humans and animals turn into ashes – this has become a daily affair. Your creation is being destroyed by these snakes. After getting information about this, please make such efforts that this sad situation gets resolved soon.”

Brahmaji said- “O protectors of the people! You are frightened. I will definitely protect you. But now all of you go back to your respective places.

On hearing this from the invisible form of Brahma, the subjects returned. At that time, Brahma was filled with immense anger. He called all the major serpents including Vasuki and cursed them. Brahma said, “Serpents! You have become the cause of death of the humans created by me. Hence, in the upcoming Swayambhuva Manvantara, you will be terribly annihilated by the curse of your own mother, there is no doubt about it.”

When Brahmaji said this to those great snakes, the bodies of the snakes trembled with fear. They fell on the feet of the Lord and said these words. The snakes said- “Lord! You are the one who gave us birth in a crooked caste. Spitting poison, doing evil, destroying anything on seeing it, this indelible nature of ours is created by you. Now you only please calm it down.”

Brahma Ji said, “I accept that I have created you and have filled you with wickedness as well, but this does not mean that you should be ruthless and eat human beings everyday.”

The snakes said- “Lord! Please arrange a fixed place for us to live separately and also tell us the rules.” Hearing this from the snakes, Brahma ji said- Snakes! I will decide the place so that you can live with humans as well. All of you concentrate your mind and listen to my orders-

Sutala, Vitala and Patala- these are said to be the three worlds. If you wish to live there, then reside there. There, by my order and arrangement, you will get many types of pleasures to enjoy. You have to stay there till the seventh quarter of the night. Then, at the beginning of Vaivasvat Manvantara, you will be born at Kashyap ji’s place. The gods will be your friends and relatives. You will have a brotherly relationship with the wise Garuda.

At that time, due to some reason, all your progeny will be burnt to death in the fire (in the sacrifice of Janamejaya). You will certainly not be at fault in this. Only those snakes who are extremely wicked and unruly will lose their lives due to that curse. Those who are not so will remain alive. Yes, if you trouble them or whose death has come, you are free to swallow or bite those people as per the time.

You must fear those who know the mantras and medicines related to Garuda and the art of blunting the teeth of the bound Garuda group; otherwise your destruction is certain.

On Brahmaji saying this, all the snakes went to the netherworld below the earth. Thus, after getting the curse and boon from Brahmaji, they started living happily in the netherworld. All these things happened with those snakes on the day of Panchami Tithi. Hence, this Tithi has proved to be blessed, dear, holy and destroyer of all sins. On this Tithi, whoever will give up eating sour things and will bathe the snakes with milk, the snakes will become his friends.

The rules for worshipping Nagpanchami are described in Skanda Purana Shravan Mahatmya Chapter No. 14.

Seechaturthyamekabhuktam tu naktam syatpanchamidene.
Kritva Swarnamayam Nagamathwa Raupyasambhavam ॥ 2॥
Kritva Darumayam Vapi or Mrinmayam Shubham.
Panchmyamarchayedbhaktya nagan panchfananvitam ॥ 3॥
Dvarasyobhayato lekhaya gomayen visholbanah.
Pujayed vidhivacchaiva dadhidurvankaraiah shubhaih. 4॥”

Meaning- “Make a beautiful snake with five hoods out of gold, silver, wood or clay and worship it with devotion on the day of Panchami. Make big snakes out of cow dung on both sides of the door and worship them with curd, auspicious grass shoots, oleander-malti-jasmine-champak flowers, fragrances, whole grains, incense and beautiful lamps.” It is written in the following verses that “One should worship the snakes directly and feed them milk; offer them sufficient milk mixed with ghee and sugar (Valmike pujayennagandugdham chaiva tu paayet. Ghrityuktam shakaradhyam yatheshtam charpyed budhh ॥9॥).”

By worshipping snakes on Nag Panchami, the snakes themselves take your prayers to Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu: –

It is mentioned in Skanda Purana Shravan Mahatmya Chapter number 14-

Baddhaanjalih prayarthayate vasukishcha sadashivam.
Sheshavasukivijnaptya Shivvishnu Prasaditau ॥ 31॥
Manorathaanstasya sarvaankurutah parameshvarau.
Nagloke tu tanbhoganbhuktva tu vividhanbahoon ॥ 32॥
Tato Vaikunthamasaadya Kailasam Vapi Shobhanam.
Shiv Vishnu’s ghosts enjoy ultimate happiness. 33॥

Meaning- If a person observes the fast of Naag Panchami without any financial problems, then Sheshnag and Vasuki, the lords of all snakes, pray to Lord Hari and Sadashiv with folded hands for his welfare. Then Lord Shiva and Vishnu, pleased with the prayers of Shesh and Vasuki, fulfill all the wishes of that person. He enjoys many types of abundant pleasures in Naaglok and later goes to Uttam Vaikunth or Kailash and attains ultimate happiness by becoming a disciple of Shiva and Vishnu.

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