Indian Serpent-Lore, or the Nagas in Hindu Legend and Art (1926) - Page 17

CHAPTER PAGE

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

I. THE NĀGAS Nāgas are semi-divine beings in Indian mythology that can appear as humans, snakes, or a combination of both. IN THE GREAT EPIC The "Great Epic" refers to the Mahābhārata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
The origin of the Nāga race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The wager of Kadrū and Vinatā Kadrū was the mother of the serpents, and Vinatā was the mother of the bird-god Garuḍa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The theft original: "rape"; in this context, the forceful seizing or carrying away of the soma A sacred, ritual drink of the gods. by Garuḍa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The myth of Śesha, the World Serpent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
How the Nāgas held council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The hermit Jaratkāru and the snake-maiden Jaratkāru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The Brahmin A member of the highest Hindu caste, traditionally priests and teachers. Uttanka and the Serpent-king Takshaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
How King Parikshit was killed by the Nāga Takshaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Serpent Sacrifice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
How the boy Bhīmasena was healed of poison and saved by the Nāgas . . . . . . 71
Arjuna and Ulūpī . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Arjuna and Aśvasena, the son of Takshaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
King Nala and the Nāga Karkoṭaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Mātali, the charioteer of Indra, in search of a son-in-law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
The Gleaner: Story of the wise and virtuous Nāga Padmanābha
who drew the one-wheeled chariot of the Sun-god . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
How Krishna overcame the Nāga Kāliya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
How Akrūra beheld the World of Serpents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

II. THE NĀGAS AND THE BUDDHA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
The Birth of the Bodhisattva A being on the path to becoming a Buddha; here referring to the historical Buddha before his enlightenment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
The river Nairañjanā . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
The Bodhisattva extolled by the Nāga Kālika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
How the Serpent-king Muchilinda sheltered the Lord Buddha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
The Serpent-king original: "Nāgarāja" Elāpattra questions the Buddha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
How the Lord Buddha subdued the fiery dragon of Uruvilvā . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
How a certain Nāga was ordained as a Buddhist monk original: "friar"; the author uses this Western term for a member of the Buddhist monastic order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
How the Elder Svāgata subdued the Nāga of the Mango Ferry . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
The Great Miracle of Śrāvastī . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
How the Serpent-kings original: "Nāgarājas" Krishṇa and Gautamaka came to hear the Dharma original: "the Good Law"; the teachings of the Buddha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

CONTENTS