Misplaced Pages

#308691

55-405: Hindu texts refer to three main beings by this title: Shesha , Takshaka , and Vasuki . All of them are the children of the rishi Kashyapa and Kadru . Shesha , also sometimes known as Ananta, is the eldest brother, and the first serpent king of all serpents. A devotee and a mount of Vishnu, he serves as the deity's bed and is named as the noblest of all nagas. He is the being that supports

110-579: A figure called Duo-luo-shi-qi or Talasikhin is described as a Dragon King who dwells in a palace within a pond outside the legendary kingdom of Ketumati and drizzles in it during midnight. Shesha Shesha ( Sanskrit : शेष , romanized :  Śeṣa , lit.   'Remainder'), also known by his epithets Sheshanaga ( Sanskrit : शेषनाग , romanized :  Śeṣanāga , lit.   'The snake Shesha') and Adishesha ( Sanskrit : आदिशेष , romanized :  Ādiśeṣa , lit.   'First Shesha'),

165-499: A friend and associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , who is described as an incarnation of Krishna . According to the texts and scriptures of the Gaudiya Sampradaya , the appearance of Nityananda Prabhu was very similar to Balarama (incarnation of Shesha). The Brahma Purana describes the attributes of Ananta: Daityas and Dānavas are not capable of recounting his good qualities. He is honoured by Devas and celestial sages. He

220-617: A great monastery was attached to the Bodhimanda called the Bodhimanda Vihara. Among those present at the foundation Kattika the Mahā Thūpa are mentioned thirty thousand monks from the Bodhimanda Vihara, led by Cittagutta. In the 7th century CE, Chinese traveler Xuanzang wrote of the tree in detail. Every time the tree was destroyed, a new tree was planted in the same place. In 1862 British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham wrote of

275-560: A thousand snakes, of which Shesha was the eldest. After Shesha, Vasuki , Iravati and Takshaka were born, in that order. A lot of Shesha's brothers were cruel and were bent upon inflicting harm on others. They were even unkind to Garuda , who was Kashyapa's son through Vinata , sister of Kadru. (Kadru and Vinata were daughters of Daksha). Shesha, disgusted by the cruel acts of his brothers, left his mother and kin, and took on austere penances. He lived on air and meditated in places including Gandhamadhana, Badrikashrama, Gokarna, Pushkara, and

330-467: Is a Hindu temple located in the village of Subramanya, Karnataka . In this temple Kartikeya is worshipped as Subramanya, the lord of all serpents. The epics relate that the divine serpent Vasuki and other serpents found refuge under Subramanya when threatened by Garuda . There are many Nagarajas mentioned throughout various Buddhist texts . There are four major royal races of Nagarajas in Buddhism as

385-540: Is a major deity in Buddhism . He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings and a dharmapala . He lives on the western part of Sumeru . He is leader of the nāgas . It is said that four weeks after Gautama Buddha began meditating under the Bodhi Tree , the heavens darkened for seven days, and a prodigious rain descended. However, the mighty King of Serpents, Mucalinda, came from beneath the earth and protected with his hood

440-548: Is a serpentine demigod ( naga ) and king of the serpents ( Nagaraja ), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism . In the Puranas , Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta Shesha . The Narayana form of Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha, accompanied by his consort Lakshmi . Shesha

495-530: Is a stated to have incarnated as Balarama again as a brother to Vishnu (as Krishna). This is often disputed by the original line-ups of the Dasavatara , where Balarama is also considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu. His consort was born as Revati , the daughter of King Kakudmi . During the Kali Yuga , according to Sri Vaishnava tradition, he was born as Patanjali , Ramanuja , and Manavala Mamunigal . He

550-410: Is also one of the four vyuhas , or primitive forms of Vishnu, the other three being Vasudeva , Pradyumna , and Aniruddha . In Gaudiya accounts, Sankarshana expands himself as Garbhodakshayi-Vishnu in the beginning of the universe to create Brahma . In other words, Sankarshana is believed to be Narayana himself. In the first few chapters of the Puranas , it is also said that Sankarshana preached

605-486: Is clad in blue garments. He is intoxicated with pride. He is resplendent with white garlands. He is lofty like the mountain of Kailāsa where the celestial Gaṅgā falls. He has placed his hand on the plough-share; he holds an excellent iron club. He is attended upon by the embodied splendour of Varuṇa. At the end of the Kalpa, Rudra in the form of Saṅkarṣaṇa comes out of his mouth, blazing like the flame of poisonous fire and devours

SECTION 10

#1732875762309

660-563: Is considered as one of the two mounts of Vishnu alongside Garuda . He is said to have descended upon Earth in the following human forms or incarnations: Lakshmana , brother of Vishnu's incarnation Rama during the Treta Yuga , and according to some traditions, as Balarama , brother of Vishnu's incarnation Krishna during the Dvapara Yuga . According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), his father

715-689: Is continuously growing to this day in the island's ancient capital, Anuradhapura . This Bodhi tree was originally named Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi . According to the Mahavamsa, the Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka was planted in 288 BCE, making it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm . In this year (the twelfth year of King Asoka 's reign) the right branch of the Bodhi tree was brought by Sanghamittā to Anurādhapura and placed by Devānāmpiyatissa his left foot in

770-476: Is holy to Navayana Buddhism as this is the place where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with 600,000 followers on 14 October 1956, Dhammachakra Pravartan Din . The sapling of the Sacred Bodhi tree from Anuradhapura Sri Lanka was planted on 15 May 2011, at Wisdom Park 14 Broadway Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines by D. M. Jayaratne , Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and Mariano S. Yupitun,

825-715: Is known as thekkanattil nagaraja kshetram . A temple devoted to Nagaraja exists in Poojappura of the Thiruvananthapuram District in Kerala, India. It is known as the Poojappura Nagarukavu Temple. The uniqueness of this temple is that here the family of the Nagaraja, including Nagaramma (queen of nagas), and Nagakanya (princess of the naga kingdom) are placed inside a single temple. Thiruvananthapuram also houses

880-803: Is mentioned in several Buddhist texts such as the Bhūridatta Jātaka , the Mahāmāyūrī Vidyārājñī Sūtra and the Mahāmegha Sūtra. Apalāla (Pali, Sanskrit) is a water-dwelling Nāga-king in Buddhist mythology . The story of conversion to Buddhism by the Buddha ( Pali : Apalāladamana ) can be found in Buddhist texts such as Samantapāsādikā and Divyāvadāna ; this is one of the most popular legends in Buddhist lore and art . In some Buddhist traditions

935-510: Is said that in the ancient Buddhist texts in order that people might make their offerings in the name of the Buddha when he was away on pilgrimage, the Buddha sanctioned the planting of a seed from the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya in front of the gateway of Jetavana Monastery near Sravasti . For this purpose Moggallana took a fruit from the tree as it dropped from its stalk before it reached the ground. It

990-525: Is spoken of as Ananta. He has a thousand hoods, and he is clearly bedecked in Svastika ornaments devoid of impurities. He illuminates all quarters by thousand jewels on his hoods. For the welfare of the universe, he deprives the Asuras of their prowess. His eyes whirl and rove due to intoxication. He has only one earring at all times. Wearing a crown and garlands he shines like a white mountain aflame with fire. He

1045-765: Is the Mahabodhi Tree growing at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya , which is often cited as a direct descendant of the original tree. This tree, planted around 250 BCE, is a frequent destination for pilgrims , being the most important of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Other holy bodhi trees with great significance in the history of Buddhism are the Anandabodhi Tree at Jetavana in Sravasti in North India and

1100-572: Is the king of all serpents. He is Ananta, Śeṣa, of excessive brilliance. The Bhagavata Purana equates Shesha and Balarama: The foremost manifestation of Lord Vishnu is Sankarṣana, who is known as Ananta. He is the origin of all incarnations within this material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord Shri Krishna, this original Sankarsana will appear as Baladeva, just to please the Supreme Lord Shri Krishna in His transcendental pastimes." In

1155-459: The Bhagavad Gita chapter 10, verse 29, Krishna describes 75 of his common manifestations, and declares, "anantaś ca asmi nāgānāṁ" : Among Nāgas (a special class of serpents), I am the serpent-god Ananta . The Palliyodam , a type of large snake boat built and used by Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple in Kerala for the annual water processions of Uthrattathi Jalamela and Valla Sadhya has

SECTION 20

#1732875762309

1210-636: The Bhagavata to the Four Kumaras , who in turn passed on this message. At some point, the message was passed to sage Maitreya , who in turn preached it to Vidura . According to legends, Shesha is married to Nagalakshmi . As per the Garga Samhita , she is considered to be the personification of the divine ocean called the Kshira Sagara . Shesha is believed to have taken six incarnations on earth. During

1265-503: The Himalayas . His penances were so severe that his flesh, skin, and muscles dried up and merged with his frame. Brahma , convinced of Shesha's will, asked Shesha to request a boon. Shesha asked that he be able to keep his mind under control so that he could continue to perform ascetic penances. Brahma gladly accepted the request. Brahma then asked a favour of Shesha: to go beneath the precarious earth and stabilise it. Shesha agreed and went to

1320-544: The Satya Yuga , he came down in his original form to form a seat for Vishnu's avatar of Narasimha , who had incarnated to slay the impious Hiranyakashipu . During the Treta Yuga , Shesha took birth as Lakshmana , as Vishnu's (as Rama ) brother. Lakshmana is a very prominent character in the Ramayana, along with Hanuman and Sita . His consort, Nagalakshmi was born as Urmila , the sister of Sita. During Dvapara Yuga , he

1375-525: The Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura , Sri Lanka . Both are also believed to have been propagated from the original Bodhi Tree. The Forest Research Institute of India assists in the upkeep of the tree since 2007. Cloning has been considered in 2008. Its sacred leaves can also be bought by pilgrims as mementos. Religious offerings, which would draw insects, were shifted to some distance from

1430-550: The Thuppanathu Kavu , located at Vazhamuttam. The three serpent deities evoked in this ancient temple are the Nagaraja Vasuki, the naga yakshi (serpent nature spirit), and the naga kanyaka (serpent damsel). Turmeric powder, noorum palum (Lime and Milk), and nagaroottu are offered to them. Accompanied by the naga deities and Goddesses at Thuppanathu Kavu are the goddess Vanadurga and the goddess Rajarajeswari. Kukke Subramanya

1485-406: The tamasic energy of Narayana himself, and is said to live deep within the inner layers of Patala , where there are many serpents with gems on their heads and where he reigns as its ruler. He is said to have existed before the creation of the universe. When the universe is towards its end, he creates the 11 Rudras from the serpents to destroy the universe for a new one to be created. Sankarshana

1540-517: The Bodhi tree on the grounds of the Trấn Quốc pagoda . In 2012, Brahmanda Pratap Barua, Ripon, Dhaka, Bangladesh, took a sapling of Bodhi tree from Buddha Gaya, Maha Bodhi to Thousand Oaks, California , where he presented it to his benefactor, Anagarika Glenn Hughes, who had funded much Buddhist work and teaches Buddhism in the US. He and his students received the sapling with a great thanks, later they planted

1595-901: The Busshinji temple, the head temple of Sōtō in Latin America, in São Paulo , and another in the Soto Temple Daissenji, in Florianópolis . Following is a list of the various Mahabodhi trees under which all of the Buddhas known to Theravada Buddhism attained buddhahood . On 8 December, Bodhi Day celebrates Buddha's enlightenment underneath the Bodhi Tree. Those who follow the Dharma greet each other by saying, "Budu saranai!" which translates to "may

1650-456: The Mahāmeghavana. The Buddha, on his death bed, had resolved five things, one being that the branch which should be taken to Ceylon should detach itself. From Gayā, the branch was taken to Pātaliputta , thence to Tāmalittī , where it was placed in a ship and taken to Jambukola, across the sea; finally it arrived at Anuradhapura , staying on the way at Tivakka . Those who assisted the king at

1705-646: The Sri Maha Bodhi to plant two saplings in Chennai , one was planted near the Buddha temple at the Theosophical Society another at the riverside of Adyar Estuary. The third was planted near a meditation center in Sri Lanka. To Trấn Quốc, Hanoi, Vietnam In 1959, to mark the visit of the first President of India, Shri Rajendra Prasad, a cutting of the original tree in Bodh Gaya was gifted and presently it stands as

Nagaraja - Misplaced Pages Continue

1760-605: The State Reorganisation Act of 1935 adopted the Bo tree symbol in the state emblem, following a recommendation to that effect being forwarded to the Royal Society. Bodhi Puja, meaning "the veneration of Bodhi-tree" is the ritual to worship the Bodhi tree and the deity residing on it (Pali: rukkhadevata; Sanskrit; vrikshadevata). It is done by giving various offerings such as food, water, milk, lamps, incense, etc. and chanting

1815-896: The Virupakkhas, the Erapathas, the Chabyaputtas and the Kanhagotamakas. Nāga Kings appears in the audience for many of Gautama Buddha 's sermons in Buddhist scriptures . The duties of the Nāga Kings included leading the nagas in protecting the Buddha , other enlightened beings, as well as protecting the Buddha Sasana . Some of the most notable Nagarajas occurring in Buddhist scriptures are Virupaksa , Mucalinda , Dhrtarastra , Takshaka , Vasuki , Nanda, Upananda, Sagara, Balavan, Anavatapta, Varuna and Utpala. Virūpākṣa (Sanskrit; Pali: Virūpakkha)

1870-402: The bed upon which Vishnu lies. Sometimes, he is depicted as a five-headed or seven-headed or a ten-headed serpent ; but more commonly as one thousand-headed, or five thousand-headed, or even as many as a one million-headed serpent ; sometimes with each head wearing an ornate crown. According to the Mahabharata , Shesha was born to the sage Kashyapa and his wife Kadru . Kadru gave birth to

1925-568: The ceremony of the planting of the Tree were the nobles of Kājaragāma and of Candanagāma and of Tivakka. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is also known to be the most sacred Bodhi tree. This came upon the Buddhists who performed rites and rituals near the Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree was known to cause rain and heal the ill. When an individual became ill, one of his or her relatives would visit the Bodhi tree to water it seven times for seven days and to vow on behalf of

1980-452: The cluster of his eyes shines like the cluster of midday suns on the peak of the white Mountain (Śveta Parvata). He has a huge terrible body. With it (resting) in his reclining pose on his couch, he appears like a thousand-peaked mountain of vast dimensions (resting) over the earth. This (enormously) huge lord of serpents, himself of great splendour, is being attended upon by extremely wise and noble-souled great serpents of huge physique. He

2035-605: The earth, on the behest of the creator god, Brahma , obtaining the boon to stand ever firmly on the concept of dharma . Vasuki is the second serpent king in Indian religions. He is a devotee of Shiva , who always wears the nāga around his neck. Takshaka is the third, and the present serpent king. In the Mahabharata , he ruled the Khandava forest, which was then burnt by the Pandava Arjuna . Later, Takshaka slew Parikshit ,

2090-429: The fact that Shesha "would linger past the end". Bodhi Tree 24°41′45.29″N 84°59′29.29″E  /  24.6959139°N 84.9914694°E  / 24.6959139; 84.9914694 The Bodhi Tree ("tree of awakening" or "tree of enlightenment" ), also called the Mahabodhi Tree or Bo Tree , is a large sacred fig tree ( Ficus religiosa ) located in Bodh Gaya , Bihar , India . Siddhartha Gautama,

2145-569: The founder of Universal Wisdom Foundation Inc. A sapling of the Sacred Bodhi tree from Anuradhapura Sri Lanka was planted in April 2008 at Kurilpa Point, the site of the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), by the artist Lee Mingwei , as the centerpiece to his 'Bhodi Tree Project' which is described as an ambitious living artwork. There are two descendants in Brazil . One in

2200-715: The grandson of Arjuna. These serpents are a group of a thousand brothers, and they also have a sister, whose name is Manasa . A temple of the Nagaraja Vasuki is present in Gujarat's district of Thangadh. At Nagercoil , in Kanyakumari district's of Tamil Nadu , a temple dedicated to Nagaraja exists. There is another famous temple named Mannarasala in Alleppey district of Kerala . The deity in this temple embodies both Anantha and Vasuki into one. A temple devoted to nagraja exists in kaippattoor of Ernakulam district in Kerala, India. It

2255-701: The legend that it was designed by Krishna and were made to look like Shesha. The capital of Kerala , Thiruvananthapuram , is named after the King of the Serpents and is translated as "The Sacred City of Ananta". On the SCP Foundation wiki , the winning article for the SCP-3000 contest is titled Anantashesha . The article features SCP-3000, a gargantuan serpentine entity swimming in the Bay of Bengal with anomalous abilities, based on

Nagaraja - Misplaced Pages Continue

2310-458: The netherworld and stabilised Bhumi with his hood. He is believed to support her even today, thus making Patala his perennial residence. Shesha is usually depicted as floating in the ocean of the changing world, forming the bed of a primordial form of Vishnu, i.e. Narayana , Vāsudeva or in later Puranic Vaishnavism, Mahavishnu . In the Bhagavata Purana , Shesha is named Sankarshana,

2365-469: The one who is the source of all protection. The subject of Buddha meditating under the protection of Mucalinda, also known as naga Prok attitude is very common in Southeast Asian Buddhist art . Buddhist literature features a Nāga King named Dhṛtarāṣṭra(Sanskrit; Pali: Dhataraṭṭha ). He was the father of Gautama Buddha in a past life when the latter was a bodhisattva named Bhūridatta . He

2420-568: The peace of the Buddha be yours." It is also generally seen as a religious holiday, much like Christmas in the Christian west, in which special meals are served, especially cookies shaped like hearts (referencing the heart-shaped leaves of the Bodhi) and a meal of kheer , the Buddha's first meal ending his six-year asceticism . The Bo tree is the main part of the Bihar State emblem . During British rule,

2475-440: The present Pipal is standing on a terrace at least 30 feet above the level of the surrounding country. It was in full vigour in 1811, when seen by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton) , who describes it as in all probability not exceeding 100 years of age. However, the tree decayed further and in 1876 the remaining tree was destroyed in a storm. Cunningham says the young scion of the parent tree was already in existence to take its place. It

2530-402: The sapling in the ground in a nearby park. In 1989, the government of India presented Nihon-ji with a sapling from the Bodhi Tree as a gesture of world peace. This Bodhi Tree was planted at Deekshabhoomi from three branches of the Bodhi Tree at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan brought these branches from Sri Lanka as a memorial of Buddha's enlightenment. This site

2585-473: The sick for a speedy recovery. In 1913, Anagarika Dharmapala took a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi to Hawaii , where he presented it to his benefactor, Mary E. Foster , who had funded much Buddhist missionary work. She planted it in the grounds of her house in Honolulu , by the Nuʻuanu stream. On her death, she left her house and its grounds to the people of Honolulu, and it became the Foster Botanical Garden . In 1950, Jinarajadasa took three saplings of

2640-453: The site as the first entry in the first volume of the Archaeological Survey of India : The celebrated Bodhi tree still exists, but is very much decayed; one large stem, with three branches to the westward, is still green, but the other branches are barkless and rotten. The green branch perhaps belongs to some younger tree, as there are numerous stems of apparently different trees clustered together. The tree must have been renewed frequently, as

2695-463: The spiritual teacher who became known as the Buddha , is said to have attained enlightenment or buddhahood circa 500 BCE under this tree. In religious iconography , the Bodhi Tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed. The original tree under which Siddhartha Gautama sat is no longer living, but the term "bodhi tree" is also applied to existing sacred fig trees . The foremost example of an existing tree

2750-414: The three worlds. He holds the entire sphere of the world rising above like a peak. The Brahmanda Purana also described Shesha in Patala: With his two thousand eyes that have the reddish splendour of the rising sun and with his body that is white and glossy, he appears like the mountain. Kailāsa surrounded by clusters of flames. He has the white complexion like the Moon as well as the Kunda flowers. Hence

2805-402: The tree. The Bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple is called the Sri Maha Bodhi. Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment ( bodhi ) while meditating underneath a Ficus religiosa . According to Buddhist texts , the Buddha meditated without moving from his seat for seven weeks (49 days) under this tree. A shrine called Animisalocana cetiya, was later erected on the spot where he sat. The spot

SECTION 50

#1732875762309

2860-400: Was Kashyapa and his mother Kadru , though in other accounts, he is usually a primordial being created by Vishnu. His name means "he who remains", from the Sanskrit root śiṣ , because even as the world is destroyed at the end of each kalpa , Shesha remains as he is. Shesha is generally depicted with a massive form that floats coiled through space, or upon the Ocean of Milk , to form

2915-489: Was not accompanied by God during the Kali Yuga. Instead, he incarnated alone to spread devotion among the people, being a peaceful incarnation. Sri Vaishnavism also states that Balarama is an incarnation of both Vishnu and Shesha. In the Bhagavad Gita , in the middle of the battlefield Kurukshetra , Krishna, explaining his omnipresence, says: "Of Nāgas , I am Ananta" indicating the importance of Shesha. Gaudiya Vaishnavism states that Shesha incarnated as Nityananda ,

2970-429: Was planted in a golden jar by Anathapindika with great pomp and ceremony. A sapling immediately sprouted forth, fifty cubits high, and in order to consecrate it, the Buddha spent one night under it, rapt in meditation. This tree, because it was planted under the direction of Ananda , came to be known as the Ananda Bodhi. King Asoka's daughter, Sanghamitta , brought a piece of the tree with her to Sri Lanka where it

3025-444: Was used as a shrine even in the lifetime of the Buddha. Emperor Ashoka the Great was most diligent in paying homage to the Bodhi tree, and held a festival every year in its honour in the month of Kattika . His queen, Tissarakkhā , was jealous of the Tree, and three years after she became queen (i.e., in the nineteenth year of Asoka's reign), she cursed the tree to be killed by means of mandu thorns. The tree, however, grew again, and

#308691