Naga (clan)
Encyclopedia
The Naga were one of the ancient most kshatriya
(warrior) tribes of India who ruled large parts of the world at different times. They spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata
. Anthropologist Gelek Lonbsang believes they have distant ancestry with East Asians based on their similar physical features. The demi-god tribe called Suparnas (in which Garuda
belonged) were arch-rivals of the Nagas. The Naga clans in Kerala
and Kashmir
seems to be the original and indigenous abode of all of them. Places like Thiru-Ananatha-Puram
in Kerala and Anantnag
in Kashmir attests these to be true.
Naga race belonging to Northern region of present India was almost exterminated by Janamejaya
, the Kuru king in Arjuna
's line, who conducted the massacre of Nagas at Takshasila. As a result, a large number of people from Northern Naga clan has sought refuge in Kerala and inhabited in places called Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple
and Puranattukara. This massacre was stopped by Astika, a Brahmin
whose mother was a Naga (Vasuki's sister Jaratkaru).
According to a story in Matsya Puran, quoted in chapter X of a book India of the Dark Ages the Nagas ruled for 100 years as renegades (this because they were Buddhist). Later, it is said they purified themselves with water of the Ganges, performed Asvamedha Yagyas and were thus accepted, into the folds of Vaishnavism
.
is celebrated in Hindu
s to pay respect to Nāgas. The five Nāgas worshipped on Nāga panchami are Ananta
, Vāsuki
, Taxak, Karkotaka
and Pingala
. According to a Puranic myth Brahma
’s son Kashyapa had four wives. Kashyapa’s first wife gave birth to Devas
, second to Garuda
s, third to Nāgas and fourth to Daitya
s. (Dainik Jagran, 25 July 2006). The third wife of Kashpa was called Kadroo, who gave birth to Nāgas. So Nāgas are also known as Kadroojā. They were the rulers of Pātāl-Loka. There is a Sanskrit
shloka to remember important nine Nāgas as under: (Dainik Bhaskar 30 July 2006)
अनन्तं वासुकिं शेषं पद्मनाभं च कम्बलम् । Ananta
m Vāsukim
Shesha
m Padmanābham
cha Kambala
m
शंखपालं धार्तराष्ट्रं तक्षकं कालियं तथा ।। Shankhapālam Dhārtarāshtram Taxakam Kāliyam
tathā
एतानि नवनामानि च महात्मनाम् । Etāni navanāmāni cha mahātmanām
Nagwanshis had a number of ruling dynasties as Dhaka/Dhata son of Dhatusena of Nagsena Nag see (Dhamapada in Buddism) and other are branches such as Takshak/Taxak Nag, Bachak/Badak Nag, Kilkil/Kalkal Nag, Karkotaka
, Kaliramna
etc. Mathura, Padmavati
, Kantipur
, and Thiruvananthapuram
were capitals of Naga dynasty. Nagas of Padmavati were called Bhaarshivas as they were ardent worshippers of Lord Shiva and carried 'Shiva-linga' as their Royal insignia. (Bhaarshiva or भारशिव = भार ('weight') + शिव (Lord Shiva)).
In chapter 29 of "India of the Dark Ages" it is mentioned that Republic of Nagwanshis extended from Eastern Punjab to the Ganges and extended into Rajasthan
. Nagpur
belonged to the Nagas. Nagar Brahmin
s also originated from there.
Nagavanshi
clan is found also in Nagaur
and Sikar
districts of Rajasthan
and Khargone
district of Madhya Pradesh
. In Madhya Pradesh Nagwanshis are found in Badwah and Khargone
. Nagvanshi kshatriyas are also found in parts of Maharashtra. Other important Nagavanshi Clans are found in Karnataka (Tuluva Nadu) and Kerala.
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
(warrior) tribes of India who ruled large parts of the world at different times. They spread throughout India during the period of the epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. Anthropologist Gelek Lonbsang believes they have distant ancestry with East Asians based on their similar physical features. The demi-god tribe called Suparnas (in which Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
belonged) were arch-rivals of the Nagas. The Naga clans in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
seems to be the original and indigenous abode of all of them. Places like Thiru-Ananatha-Puram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
in Kerala and Anantnag
Anantnag
Anantnag , a city and a municipality in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Anantnag is regarded as the commercial and financial capital of the valley of Kashmir...
in Kashmir attests these to be true.
- The Great Serpent AnantaAnantaAnanta is a Sanskrit word meaning "without end".It may refer to:*Ananta , one of the names of Vishnu.*Ananta , Actor and Producer for Bengali film.*Ananta, a serpent on which Vishnu lies, aka Shesha....
was the first among all the Naga kings. Thiru-Anantha-PuramThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
is known as the adobe of Great Serpent Ananta. References are found as Kerala was mentioned as Patala the Nether world in far ancient history. The NairNair DynastyA number of Nair dynasties existed in present day Kerala state, South India in the middle ages. These Hindu dynasties ruled tiny city states called "nadus" and were in frequent warfare with each other...
clan is known as the descendants of Great Serpent Ananta. - The second NagaNaga peopleThe term Naga people refers to a conglomeration of several tribes inhabiting the North Eastern part of India and north-western Burma. The tribes have similar cultures and traditions, and form the majority ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland...
chief VasukiVasukiVasuki is a Sanskrit name for a naga, one of the serpents of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. He is a great King of the nagas and has a gem on his head. Manasa, another naga, is his sister...
had the kingdom near Kailasa (hence the connection of Vasuki with lord Siva). - The third chief Takshaka, in TakshasilaTaxilaTaxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
both not far from AnantnagAnantnagAnantnag , a city and a municipality in Anantnag district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. Anantnag is regarded as the commercial and financial capital of the valley of Kashmir...
. - The kingdoms of other Nagas like KarkotakaKatewaKatewa is a gotra of Jats found in Rajasthan, India. The Katewa gotra people are also settled in Sindh, Pakistan. They are descendants of Karkotaka , a Nagavanshi king. They were inhabiting Kikata Kingdom, during Mahabharata period. While some historians suggests that they belong to Yadu vansh. In...
and AiravataAiravataAiravata is a mythological white elephant who carries the Hindu god Indra. It is also called 'Ardha-Matanga', meaning "elephant of the clouds"; 'Naga-malla', meaning "the fighting elephant"; and 'Arkasodara', meaning "brother of the sun". 'Abharamu' is the elephant wife of Airavata. Airavata has...
(near Iravati RiverRavi RiverThe Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....
(RaviRavi RiverThe Ravi is a trans-boundary river flowing through Northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the six rivers of the Indus System in Punjab region ....
), one among the five rivers of PunjabPunjab regionThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
) were also not far away. - ArjunaArjunaArjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
's wife UlupiUlupiUlūpī or Uloopi, in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was one of Arjuna's wives. While Arjuna was in Manipur, the widow Naga princess became infatuated with him. She caused him to be abducted after he had been intoxicated with potent concoctions and had him conveyed to her realm in the netherworld. ...
was from one of such Naga kingdom, located presumably in the Gangetic Plain. There are now many Naga worshiping places in South IndiaSouth IndiaSouth India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, especially in Andhra PradeshAndhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Naga race belonging to Northern region of present India was almost exterminated by Janamejaya
Janamejaya
Janamejaya was a Kuru king. He was the son of Parikshit and Madravati. He was the grandson of Abhimanyu and the great-grandson of Arjuna, the valiant warrior hero of the Mahābhārata. He was ascended to the Kuru throne following the death of his father. His significance comes as the listener of the...
, the Kuru king in Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
's line, who conducted the massacre of Nagas at Takshasila. As a result, a large number of people from Northern Naga clan has sought refuge in Kerala and inhabited in places called Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple
Mannarasala Temple
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple is a very ancient and internationally-known centre of pilgrimage for the devotees of serpent gods .The famous Nagaraja temple "Mannarasala" is nestled in a forest glade, like most snake temples. The Mannarasala Temple has over 30,000 images of snakes along the...
and Puranattukara. This massacre was stopped by Astika, a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
whose mother was a Naga (Vasuki's sister Jaratkaru).
According to a story in Matsya Puran, quoted in chapter X of a book India of the Dark Ages the Nagas ruled for 100 years as renegades (this because they were Buddhist). Later, it is said they purified themselves with water of the Ganges, performed Asvamedha Yagyas and were thus accepted, into the folds of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
.
Nāgas in Hindu religion
A festival of Nāga panchamiNag panchami
Nāg Panchamī is a festival during which religious Hindus in some parts of India worship either images of or live Nāgas on the fifth day after Amavasya of the month of Shraavana. Traditionally, married young women visit their premarital households to celebrate the festival...
is celebrated in Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s to pay respect to Nāgas. The five Nāgas worshipped on Nāga panchami are Ananta
Ananta
Ananta is a Sanskrit word meaning "without end".It may refer to:*Ananta , one of the names of Vishnu.*Ananta , Actor and Producer for Bengali film.*Ananta, a serpent on which Vishnu lies, aka Shesha....
, Vāsuki
Vasuki
Vasuki is a Sanskrit name for a naga, one of the serpents of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. He is a great King of the nagas and has a gem on his head. Manasa, another naga, is his sister...
, Taxak, Karkotaka
Katewa
Katewa is a gotra of Jats found in Rajasthan, India. The Katewa gotra people are also settled in Sindh, Pakistan. They are descendants of Karkotaka , a Nagavanshi king. They were inhabiting Kikata Kingdom, during Mahabharata period. While some historians suggests that they belong to Yadu vansh. In...
and Pingala
Pingala
Pingala is the traditional name of the author of the ' , the earliest known Sanskrit treatise on prosody.Nothing is known about Piṅgala himself...
. According to a Puranic myth Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
’s son Kashyapa had four wives. Kashyapa’s first wife gave birth to Devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
, second to Garuda
Garuda
The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...
s, third to Nāgas and fourth to Daitya
Daitya
In Hinduism, the Daityas are a clan or race or Asura as are the Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa. They were a race of giants who fought against the Devas because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers...
s. (Dainik Jagran, 25 July 2006). The third wife of Kashpa was called Kadroo, who gave birth to Nāgas. So Nāgas are also known as Kadroojā. They were the rulers of Pātāl-Loka. There is a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
shloka to remember important nine Nāgas as under: (Dainik Bhaskar 30 July 2006)
अनन्तं वासुकिं शेषं पद्मनाभं च कम्बलम् । Ananta
Ananta
Ananta is a Sanskrit word meaning "without end".It may refer to:*Ananta , one of the names of Vishnu.*Ananta , Actor and Producer for Bengali film.*Ananta, a serpent on which Vishnu lies, aka Shesha....
m Vāsukim
Vasuki
Vasuki is a Sanskrit name for a naga, one of the serpents of Buddhist and Hindu mythology. He is a great King of the nagas and has a gem on his head. Manasa, another naga, is his sister...
Shesha
Shesha
In Hindu tradition, Shesha or Sheshanaag is the king of all nagas, one of the primal beings of creation, and according to the Bhagavata Purana, an Avatar of the Supreme God known as Sankarshan. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the Universe on his hoods and to constantly...
m Padmanābham
Padmanabha
Padmanabha may refer to:* Padmanabha , one of the aspects of Vishnu or God with a lotus issuing from his navel on which Brahma sits...
cha Kambala
Kambala
Kambaḷa is a traditional water buffalo race in muddy waters held from December until March. It is the native sport of Tulu Nadu region of South India.-Format :...
m
शंखपालं धार्तराष्ट्रं तक्षकं कालियं तथा ।। Shankhapālam Dhārtarāshtram Taxakam Kāliyam
Kaliya
Kaliya , in Hindu mythology, was the name of a poisonous Naga living in the Yamuna River, in Vrindavan. The water of the Yamuna for four leagues all around him boiled and bubbled with poison...
tathā
एतानि नवनामानि च महात्मनाम् । Etāni navanāmāni cha mahātmanām
Nagwanshis had a number of ruling dynasties as Dhaka/Dhata son of Dhatusena of Nagsena Nag see (Dhamapada in Buddism) and other are branches such as Takshak/Taxak Nag, Bachak/Badak Nag, Kilkil/Kalkal Nag, Karkotaka
Katewa
Katewa is a gotra of Jats found in Rajasthan, India. The Katewa gotra people are also settled in Sindh, Pakistan. They are descendants of Karkotaka , a Nagavanshi king. They were inhabiting Kikata Kingdom, during Mahabharata period. While some historians suggests that they belong to Yadu vansh. In...
, Kaliramna
Kaliramna
Kaliramna or Kaliraman or Kaleramne is gotra of Jats found in Haryana and Punjab. Kala, Kalidhaman, Kalkhande, Kalirawan, Kalerana, Kalirawat, Kalirai, Kalu are the variations of the same gotra. This gotra is branch of Nagavanshi or Nagas...
etc. Mathura, Padmavati
Padmavati
-Mythology:* Alamelu, aka Padmāvatī, Hindu goddess and consort of Sri Venkateshwara of Tirupati* Another name for the Hindu serpent goddess Manasa* Padmavati , Jain goddess-Given name:...
, Kantipur
Kantipur
Kantipur TV is a television network of Kantipur Publication of Nepal. This Publication House has a number of other notable publications such as The Katmandu Post, and kantipur daily....
, and Thiruvananthapuram
Nair Dynasty
A number of Nair dynasties existed in present day Kerala state, South India in the middle ages. These Hindu dynasties ruled tiny city states called "nadus" and were in frequent warfare with each other...
were capitals of Naga dynasty. Nagas of Padmavati were called Bhaarshivas as they were ardent worshippers of Lord Shiva and carried 'Shiva-linga' as their Royal insignia. (Bhaarshiva or भारशिव = भार ('weight') + शिव (Lord Shiva)).
In chapter 29 of "India of the Dark Ages" it is mentioned that Republic of Nagwanshis extended from Eastern Punjab to the Ganges and extended into Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
belonged to the Nagas. Nagar Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s also originated from there.
Nagavanshi
Nagavanshi
The Nagavanshi dynasty is one of the ancient Kshatriya dynasties of India. The Vedas do not mention Kshatriyas of either Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, Nagavanshi, Agnivanshi or such Vanshas or lineages. The Puranas, of debatable dating, constructed such genealogies. The Puranas were supposedly...
clan is found also in Nagaur
Nagaur
Nagaur is a city in the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagaur District. The Nagaur city lies about midway between Jodhpur and Bikaner. It was founded by the Naga Kshatriyas.- History :...
and Sikar
Sikar
Sikar is a city located in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan state in India. It is the administrative headquarter of Sikar District. Sikar is a historical city and contains many old Havelis which are a huge tourist attraction. The best way to reach the city is to use road transport from Jaipur...
districts of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Khargone
Khargone
Khargone is a district headquarter of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The Khargone district region was formerly known as West Nimar...
district of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. In Madhya Pradesh Nagwanshis are found in Badwah and Khargone
Khargone
Khargone is a district headquarter of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The Khargone district region was formerly known as West Nimar...
. Nagvanshi kshatriyas are also found in parts of Maharashtra. Other important Nagavanshi Clans are found in Karnataka (Tuluva Nadu) and Kerala.
See also
- Exotic tribes of ancient IndiaExotic tribes of ancient IndiaThe classic Indian epics such as the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas refer to many exotic tribes, describing them as superhuman or subhuman. Narrations about these tribes are often mixed with mythology and fiction...
- Kingdoms of Ancient IndiaKingdoms of Ancient IndiaEpic India is the geography of Greater India traditionally around early 10th century BC and later on from the Sanskrit epics, viz. the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as well as Puranic literature ....
- Naga KingdomNaga KingdomNaga Kingdom refers to the territory of a tribe called Nagas who were a group of hardy and warlike people spread throughout India during far ancient history. They were also considered as one of the supernatural races like Kinnaras and Yakshas...
- NagavanshiNagavanshiThe Nagavanshi dynasty is one of the ancient Kshatriya dynasties of India. The Vedas do not mention Kshatriyas of either Suryavanshi, Chandravanshi, Nagavanshi, Agnivanshi or such Vanshas or lineages. The Puranas, of debatable dating, constructed such genealogies. The Puranas were supposedly...
- Nair ClanNair DynastyA number of Nair dynasties existed in present day Kerala state, South India in the middle ages. These Hindu dynasties ruled tiny city states called "nadus" and were in frequent warfare with each other...