Nag
Panchami festival observed in India during the Shravan month
is a classic example of Hinduism’s deep rooted connections with Nature. Here
are few important Nag Panchami stories in Hindu religion. Local folklore in India is
full of stories associated with Nagas or Snakes. In South, the Nag Panchami
festival story revolves around the brother-sister relationship. An important
ritual in South Indian on the day include rubbing of milk or ghee on the back,
spine and navel of brothers by sisters.
Nag Panchami Story on Brother - Sister Relationship
An important story or Nag Panchami Katha goes like this.
Once a young girl asked her brother to get some Ketaki flower for Naga Puja.
Screwpine or Ketaki is used to worship Nagaraja (Snake God). However,
unfortunately the brother who went in search of Ketaki is bitten by a snake and
is killed. The sister then prays and performs Vrata and propitiates Nagaraja
and the brother is brought back to life.
There are numerous such stories in local folklore and in
most stories the sister resurrects the dead brother. Thus on the Nag Panchami
day in some regions the brother visits his married sister and she applies milk
or ghee on the back, spine and navel of the brother and she prays for his long
life. The rubbing of milk symbolically reminds the umbilical connection.
Nag Panchami Story associated with Shiva
Another popular legend is that during the Samudra Manthan
(churning of ocean), Lord Shiva drank the poison ‘halahala’ and stored it in
his throat to save the world. But a few drops fell on the ground and the snakes
drank it and became poisonous. People propitiate the Nagas (Snakes) on the day
to avoid snake bites and also as a thanksgiving for not letting the poison
spread on earth. It is believed that the Samudra Manthan episode mentioned in
the Puranas happened in the Shravan month.
Nag Panchami Story associated with Sri Krishna
Another legend indicates that Nag Panchami is
performed in remembrance of Sri Krishna subduing Kaliya Nag and
saving human beings and animals. Kaliya Nag was poisoning the Yamuna River.