Nāga
Sign in to saveIn various Asian religious traditions, the Nāgas () are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. Furthermore, nāgas are also known as dragons and water spirits. A female nāga is called a Nagini (Hindi: Nagin). According to legend, they are the children of the sage Kashyapa and Kadru. Rituals devoted to these supernatural beings have been taking place throughout South Asia for at least 2,000 years. They are principally depicted in three forms: as entir
AI overview
In various Asian religious traditions, Nāgas are divine or semi-divine beings depicted as half-human, half-serpent creatures that live in the netherworld and are also known as dragons and water spirits. These beings have been central to rituals and spiritual practices throughout South Asia for at least 2,000 years, reflecting their cultural and religious significance across the region.
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Key facts
- Deity.type
- Hindu
- Deity.name
- Nāga
- Deity.image
- File:Naga et Nagini (Temple de Chennakeshava à Belur, Inde) (14319408898) (cropped).jpg
- Deity.caption
- A nāga couple, featured as a Chennakeshava Temple relief
- Deity.script
- नाग
- Deity.script_name
- Devanagari
- Deity.abode
- Patala
- Deity.venerated_in
- Hinduism, Buddhism
- Deity.texts
- Mahabharata, Puranas
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
29 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Hinduism
- Folk traditions
- Literature
- Buddhism
- Literature
- Other traditions
- Sri Lanka
- Cambodia
- Odd-headed nāga
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Thailand
- Folklore
- Appearance
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Examples
- In popular culture
- Film and television
- Literature
- Games
- Gallery
- See also
- Explanatory notes
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
In various Asian religious traditions, the Nāgas () are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. Furthermore, nāgas are also known as dragons and water spirits. A female nāga is called a Nagini (Hindi: Nagin). According to legend, they are the children of the sage Kashyapa and Kadru. Rituals devoted to these supernatural beings have been taking place throughout South Asia for at least 2,000 years. They are principally depicted in three forms: as entirely human with snakes on the heads and necks, as common serpents, or as half-human, half-snake beings in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Nagaraja is the title given to the king of the nāgas. Narratives of these beings hold cultural significance in the mythological traditions of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures, and within Hinduism and Buddhism. Communities such as the Nagavamshi, Khmer and Sri Lankan Tamils claim descent from this race.