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6. About Naag in MBH
1. There is an archetypal
mythical level: churning of the ocean using Vaasuki; the search for getting
Amrit by Garud (serpent vs. bird) which has a parallel in Takshak stealing the
beautiful earrings from Uttank that leads him to egg Janamejaya on to annihilate
the Naag--thus archetypal myth dovetails into folktale and weaves the epic
backdrop.
2. Then there is the dimension of relationships:
Kuntee's father's maternal grandfather is the Naag Aaryak whose people saves
Bheem when he is poisoned and gift him superhuman strength; Uloopee, a Naag
maiden, loves Arjun and resurrects him when slain by his son
3. It is also an epilogue of the epic as Pareekshit's
assassination is revenge for the genocide of Naag in Khaandav by Arjun and
Krishn. And when Uttank tells Janamejaya of this, it becomes the occasion for
another genocidal campaign against Naag and the setting for the narration of the
epic.
Sorensen's Index to MBH gives more references, such as
the ancestor of the Chandra dynasty, King Nahush, turning into a python who
holds Bheem immobile; and Karkotak who stings King Nal to bring about his
release from Kali Yug. Note that the Kaurava share many names with the Naag such
as Dhritraashtra, Kauravya etc. (see the Garud-Naag chapters).
Later there is Sumukha Naag who was rescued by
Maatali's daughter Gunaakeshee from Garud who must have a meal of a Naag a day
(like the Raakshas Bakaasur whom Bheem killed).
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It might be
relevant in this regard that in the prose vamsha (Poona edition 1.90) Takshak is the great
Matinara's maternal grandfather. This could be correlated with the
takeover of the main patriline by Matinara's junior branch (as presented
in 1.89 in the Shlok vamsha in the previous generation) and/or with
Matinara's 12-year Saraswatee Satra (as presented in the prose vamsha).
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In Keralite folk MBH, once Peemaan (Bheem) was bitten by a snake and killed. His
body was bathed, kept inside a boat and left adrift in the sea. A Naag maiden (Naag
Kannee) of the Naag city (Naag Puram), brought the boat ashore by reciting
mantras and discovered the body inside. She removed the poison from Peemaan's
body and married him and they had a son.
(MBH variations in Malayalam by A Harindranath and A Purushothaman)
In this 'Mavaratam Pattu' (http://mahabharata-
resources. org/), Bheem or Peemaan is actually described as the son of a
Naag. On the way, (to his burning palace) he found a five headed serpent
blocking his path. Unable to overcome the serpent, Peeman asked the serpent who
he was but the serpent started questioning him. Peemaan informed the serpent
that he was the youngest Pandava. `The serpent informs Peeman that he is
Peemaan's father. Peemaan asks for a boon. The serpent gives him the strength of
seven elephants'.
(English Summary by A. Purushothaman)
Bheem might indeed have been fathered by a Naag. It is possible that Kuntee
chose one Naag to father Bheem. That explains why Bheem was saved by Naag when
Duryodhana tried to kill him, other than the fact that Kuntee had Naag blood in
her veins.
SINCE WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT KINDAM RISHI, HOW FAR WOULD IT BE RIGHT TO HAZARD
A GUESS THAT KINDAM WAS A NAAG?
MAY I LAUNCH ANOTHER 'SHOCKING' BELIEF OF MINE? KINDAM RISHI WAS BHEEM'S
FATHER. I KNOW ... I KNOW ... MY PROOFS? WELL, NOT TOO MANY! BUT ...
Paandu asked from KUNTEE `an offspring of superior strength'. Thus commanded by
Paandu, Kuntee invoked Vaayu, `And the mighty god of wind, thus invoked, came
unto her, riding upon a deer.' When Vaayu came, unlike Dharma, he had no smile
on his face. He asked rather prosaically, 'What, O Kuntee, am I to give thee?
Tell me what is in thy heart". At this Kuntee smiled `in modesty.' Why was
Kunti so shy? She was already the mother of two sons; she knew what it was to
have intercourse with different men, so it is not probable that she smiled in
coyness! On the contrary, I believe, Kuntee was shy because she was about to
give a proposal to Vaayu, unexpected though, but perhaps, secretly cherished by
that man. Kuntee might have known that intuitively.
Why should Vaayu come, riding on a deer? Is it only a metaphor of Vayu's speed,
or his traditional `Vaahan', or does it have any other significance? Now, Dharm
came on chariot. That makes sense, because Vidur had to come from Hastinaapur.
Vaayu coming on deer leads
inevitably to the conclusion that he was someone who lived in that very forest
or nearby! Who could he be? Let's see what associations we find of deer.
Rishi Kindam had connections with deer.
What other associations of a Rishi do we find with deer? Rishi Rishyashring was
the son of a deer, we know it. He was one of Kashyap Gotra. Rishi Kashyap, through
rigorous penance, built Kashmir. Just as Nimata Puraan links Kashyap with the
Naag sect, Kashyap-Naag connection is evident in the Malayalam variation - 'Cerusseri
Bharatam' by Cherusseri Namboodiri (Fifteenth century), where, it was Kashyap
who performed the Yagya of Pareeksit at the request of
Janamejaya. When the Yagya was ended (unfinished), Kashyap revived all the
serpents. In this same variation there is another Bheem-Naag connection. Once
Vaasuki, being defeated by Bheem' gave away the jewel of maiden, (Naag Kanyaa)
to the hero, the son of wind (Bheem) as his wife.
Vaasuki also presented a lot of jewels (to Bheem). Bheem had a son, Babhrubaahu
with the beautiful serpent woman'.
http://www.geocitie
s.com/harindrana th_a/maha/ variation/ bharatagatha. html
THOUGH NAAG TO KINDAM IS A LONG DISTANCE, BUT ...
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The following two books with reference to
Naag
are with DLI - pl check up their usability:
1. Indian
Serpent-Lore Or The Nagas In Hindu Legend And Art / by
J.
Ph. Vogel , Ph.D
2. Tribes
In Ancient India... Law / by Bimala
Churn, Natural Sciences. English, 1943. 462 pgs.
Janamejaya's Sar p Yagya is famous
Takshak bite to Pareekshit is well known
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