There are 12 dimensions of Naga which are worshipped in India. These are called Ananta, Vasuki, Shesha, Padma, Kambala, Karkotaka, Ashvitara, Dhritarashtra, Sankapala, Kaalya, Takshaka, and Pingala – these are the 12 aspects. These 12 aspects also relate to the 12 aspects of the calendar, the 12 aspects of the stars and stuff that people read.
In various cultures, literally across the world, you see symbolisms, proof – symbolic proof. From 20,000 years onwards, you will see various artifacts around the world, showing how snake played an important part in their mystical journey of those tribes. In variety of places, from Russia to China, of course India, Africa, Egypt, Greece, South America and North America, everywhere you have serpent symbolism representing this.
And in North America we discovered, there is a 400-metre-long Serpent Mound in Ohio. 400 meters long, overlooking a very big crater – which could have happened either because of an asteroid hit, or maybe a gas burst they’re saying, we do not know how it happened, but, a 400-meter-long serpent built with mud, a mound – it’s a serpent mound.
So, various people across the world have come to this not by transportation of cultures – that also has happened – but that is not the reason why it’s happened. Wherever people perceived something beyond five senses, wherever people spent time, more eyes closed – pratyahara essentially. Pratyahara means you withdrew your senses. Wherever pratyahara happened, wherever withdrawal of sense happened, there Naga lived. There, they recognize the significance of this dimension of evolutionary residue which remains within us, and how we can activate that, and how it can become a process of one’s evolution beyond the limitations of one’s senses.
The snake which is around Shiva’s throat is referred to as Vasuki, but Vishnu’s snake is referred to as Shesha. If you do not know this, those of you who learnt, early part of your school you did in local languages in Southern India, if you did, either – I do not know what’s the word in Tamil, but in Telugu and Kannada, if you’re learning mathematics, Shesha means remainder. In mathematics it’s a common thing – Shesha.
So, that is the word that is used for this, because this snake, or this serpent represents the Shesha, or what is always a remainder of when a certain creation ends, certain things remain, a certain core aspect remains, which once again germinates into another creation. So, it is upon this Shesha that Vishnu rests. That means, when he is resting, when there is no creation to maintain, he is resting on Shesha – what is remainder. Adishesha uncoils, and time moves forward. This is the mythology about it. This means, the remainder that is left from the previous creation stays, and when it begins to uncoil – it is called as Adishesha because it’s the first remainder which is there – and it uncoils means, another creation begins to happen. So, this is a very profound aspect of life expressed in symbolic ways.
So, this Nagara Panchami, or Naga Panchami today, represents all this one – in the month of Shravana, on the 5th day, this is the day which is very significant for those who want to penetrate, or know life beyond their physicality, beyond their senses. This is not just about experiencing, or realization, or liberation. This is about knowing, if you want to know. Maybe not everybody wishes to know – that is okay. Some people just want to be free, they don’t care to know – it’s all right. But those who want to know, for them this aspect of evolutionary remainder within you is very, very important, otherwise it doesn’t really function whether you actually relate to the symbolism or not, but you have to invigorate that dimension. Your Adishesha has to begin to uncoil and move if you want to know aspects beyond five senses, aspects beyond physical nature.
The Naga represents that dimension which cannot be perceived by the senses. It is because of that, in the yogic culture maximum attention was given to Naga. Well, Adiyogi is carrying a Naga around his throat because this represents that aspect of you, where you’re able to perceive something which your senses cannot perceive. Where the five senses fail, there the work of the Naga begins.
