Nagas
Species: NÄga (masculine), nÄgiį¹Ä« (feminine)
Definition & Appropriation Issues: NÄga andĀ nÄgiį¹Ä« (henceforth referred to asĀ ānagaā for convenience) are a specific species of spirits mentioned initially in Indian mythology as well as Hinduism and Buddhism. In pop culture and fantasy, the term naga has been used to describe any magical creature that is serpentine, often conflated with lamiai. However, naga is a Sanskirt word that really refers to the specific spirit species mentioned in this post. Calling any other type of spirit - even if they are part snake or look similar to nagas - aĀ ānagaā orĀ ānaginiā is not only inaccurate but appropriative of Indian culture and Dharmic religions. I recommend calling such spiritsĀ āserpentineā orĀ āophidianā instead since both of these terms are non-culturally specific ways of saying āsnake-related.ā
Species Classification: Sidi, ophidian, deva, nature spirit, *dragon (?)
It is without a doubt that the naga are nature spirits. They inhabit natural environments, typically watery ones, and they are widely known to have power over rainfall, storms, natural disasters, and fertility.
Based on my personal experiences having worked with many fae and several naga, I consider naga to be a species of water sidi spirits for the following reasons...Ā
Naga have extremely long lifespans that may as well beĀ āimmortalā from a human perspective
They are considered very wise and knowledgeable
They are nature spirits and very closely tied to nature
They inhabit certain natural environments on Earth but also reside in the astral realms ofĀ PatalaĀ andĀ CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika (the latter of which I believe to be a sidi realm)
They are regarded as having magical powers and being of a magical nature (talented particularly at illusion magic)
Some naga live in a collective society ruled by a monarch (King Virupaksha) that bears resemblance to aĀ fae court
When I have been around naga spirits, they radiate sidi energyĀ (UPG)
Asking nagas if they identify as sidi, I received affirmative answers (UPG)
*In mythological lore, the term naga is sometimes translated into English as ādragonā or used interchangeably with other Asian language words for dragon, but I suspect that any ānagasā depicted more like Asian dragons than cobra snakes may be a conflation of two different interrelated species (as the word nÄga itself means cobra). Sometimes serpents are classified under the broader category of ādragons,ā and since some nagas also guard treasures and live in caves, it is understandable why they are associated with dragons.
Locations: India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines (as spirits in physical world), CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika - āThe World of the Four Heavenly Kingsā (in the Sumeru realms), Patala (also known as Nagaloka, the underground realms of the naga and asuras)
Habitat: Natural bodies of water (mostly rivers, lakes, springs, and the ocean), sometimes wells, caves (such as the underground caverns of Patala), forests (including the forests ofĀ CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika on Mt. Sumeru)
Personality: Secretive, protective of their natural environments as well as physical or wisdom treasures they may possess, chaotic neutral, not all but many follow the Buddhist dharma, many are great warriors
Appearance:Ā The nagaās base form is a great hooded cobra snake (with no human features or parts whatsoever), and most sources mention them appearing either with one or multiple heads. Many nagas also have the ability to shift into a completely human form (passable as a regular human), partial human form (i.e. āhalfā human, āhalfā cobra), or human form with multiple snake heads attached. I have seen both single-headed and multi-headed naga in their base forms as well as shifting into all the mentioned variations of humanoid forms.
Society & Government:Ā The forests at the base of Mt. Sumeru is the astral realm of CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika, which meansĀ āthe World of the Four Heavenly Kings.ā These āheavenlyā kings are lokapalas, a type of Buddhist deity called devasĀ who are tasked with guarding the four directions of the universe according to the Buddhist dharma. The kings also rule over four different spirit species inĀ CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika: nagas,Ā kumbhÄį¹įøas, gandharvas, andĀ yakį¹£as. Not all, but a vast number of nagas are members of King VirÅ«pÄkį¹£aās ācourt,ā or monarchically ruled society.Ā These nagas are all followers of Buddhist dharma and work together to protect Mt. Sumeru from asura attacks as well as influence and assist the lives of human beings.Ā
There are alsoĀ āwildā nagas who do not serve King VirÅ«pÄkį¹£a and live alone or in small groups. I do not know much of the Patala realm where there is also a large naga population, but there are so many legends of many great naga kings that I suspect there are other societies and monarchies among the naga beyond VirÅ«pÄkį¹£aās domain in CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika.
Behavior: Nagas who serve King VirÅ«pÄkį¹£a are either a part of his army protecting Mt. Sumeru or live peacefully inĀ CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika. Humans would likely be safe encountering them because as followers and protectors of the Buddhist dharma, they practice compassion towards all living beings. They are also sworn to protect and look after Buddhist humans.
Wild nagas are more dangerous and may be inclined to harm humans or help them depending on how they treat them and their natural homes. In some places, nagas are worshipped as minor local nature deities and given offerings in exchange for helping with womenās fertility or good weather for farming. Nagas are often blamed for natural disasters and disease when they donāt receive proper treatment and care for the environment.
I do not know enough about the nagas of Patala or other places to speak for how they behave, but there are many legends that speak of cave-dwelling nagas and the nagas of Patala guarding treasures, especially spiritual treasures. If discovered, these nagas might be willing to share wisdom with those they deem worthy, but may also be fiercely protective of that which they protect.
Buddhism: Nagas appear in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology, but here I will touch on a few examples of the nagaās special role and status within Buddhism. In the Maha-samaya Sutta of the Pali Sutta-pitaka, Shakyamuni Buddha protected nagas from an attack by their nemesis spirit species, the garuda. Afterwards, in gratitude, both garudas and nagas were said to take refuge in the Buddha, becoming Buddhists. There is a famous story of a naga who in human-passing form asked to join Shakyamuniās monastic order.
In the Muccalinda Sutta (Khuddaka Nikaya, Udana 2.1), the Buddha was sitting in deep meditation as a storm approached. A naga king named Muccalinda spread his great cobra hood over the Buddha to shelter him from the rain and cold. In the Himavanta Sutta and Lotus Sutra, nagas are used as parables or examples. There is even a legend that the Prajnaparamita Sutra was given to Shakyamuni Buddha (and later to the philosopher Nagarjuna) by nagas, protectors of scripture as wisdom treasure.
- Mod Fire
Spirit Worker Experiences
In early August 2017, I was in a new age shop browsing the wares. There was a shelf of Buddhist statues and a fountain tinkling with water next to it. Much to my surprise, there was a cobra chilling in the fountain. Mod Fire mentioned nagas before I encountered this entity so I chatted to it out of curiosity if it was a naga or not.Ā
It asked if I was a seeker of the dharma and I said no. I mentioned being annoyed at the appropriation in the new age store but the naga viewed it as another outlet for those seeking the path. The entity claimed it was born in India but their family has a home in King VirÅ«pÄkį¹£a ās court. They seemed suprised I knew about his name.Ā
The fountain cobra viewed it as their duty to help guide people into Buddhism after it spread throughout the world.Ā
I was IMing Mod Fire during this encounter, to verify if it was a naga, since Iām not Buddhist and not familiar with these entities.Ā
-Ā Mod Water
I am a Vajrayana Buddhist, and I met nagas for the first time after I petitioned King VirÅ«pÄkį¹£a to be able to follow and serve him alongside his nagas. With permission granted, I was able to astral travel to Mt. Sumeru and spent time in CÄturmahÄrÄjikakÄyika meeting naginis in the kingās service.
They shift into different forms - from partially humanoid to completely serpent cobra - depending on what seems most comfortable or convenient to them at the time.Ā Nagas and naginis (males and females) of the kingās army sleep in different spaces from each other. Due to the gender separation, Iāve mostly only met naginis rather than nagas. They exude sidi energy and are sidi, but also feel some sense of kinship with other ophidian beings like lamiai.Ā I am still learning about nagas and hope to continue writing more about them soon.
-Ā Mod Fire
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