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Adishesha is depicted as a massive coiled snake and one that floats in
space, or on the Ocean of Milk. On the Ocean, he forms a bed on which Lord
Vishnu reclines, with Goddess
Lakshmi, the God of Wealth, at his feet.
Shesha is sometimes portrayed either as a five-headed or seven-headed
serpent. More commonly, though, he is depicted as a thousand-headed
serpent, with each of the heads (or hoods) wearing an ornate crown.
His name comes from the Sanskrit root "sis", which means, "the One which
Remains". This is due to the fact that Shesha always remains in spite of
all the Pralayas (Great Floods), each of which kalpas (aeons) and yugas
(eras) in the past. Interestingly, in Sanskrit texts; especially in those
relating to mathematical calculation; the term "Shesha" implies the
"remainder" - that which remains, while all else ceases to exist.
In the Bhagavad
Gita, Lord Sri Krishna declares, "Anantaascha Asmi Naagaanam". This
means, "Of the Nagas, I am Ananta (or Shesha)". This is proof enough of
Ananta's importance in the Hindu pantheon.
Vishnu is often shown reclining on Shesha. The latter is considered to be
his loyal servant and a manifestation of Vishnu himself. According to
Hindu mythology, he had descended to Earth in two human forms, namely,
Lakshmana (Lord Rama's brother) and Balarama (Lord Krishna's brother).
According to the Mahabharata, Shesha was born to Rishi Kashyapa and his wife Kadru, one of the daughters of Daksha. In due course of time, Kadru gave birth to a thousand snakes, of which Shesha was the eldest. After him, Vasuki, Airavata and Takshaka were born in that order. Many of Shesha's brothers were cruel by nature and took great pleasure in inflicting harm upon others. Kashyapa also sired Garuda through Vinatha, Kadru's sister. Shesha's brothers were unkind to him as well.
Disgusted with the bad behavior of his brothers, Shesha left his family
and decided to undertake severe austerities and penance. He lived merely
on air and meditated in a number of places, including Gandhamadana,
Badrikashrama, Pushkara, Gokarna and the Himalayas.
Pleased with his dedication and devotion, Brahma
appeared before Shesha and told him to ask for a boon. The former
requested that he should be able to keep his mind under control, so that
he could continue with his ascetic practices. Brahma gladly bestowed the
boon upon him.
Brahma then asked a favor of Shesha - to go beneath Earth and stabilize
it. The latter was only too happy to be given the new responsibility. He
immediately went to Patala (the Netherworld), raised his hood and balanced
the Earth over it. It is believed that he supports the Earth even today.
The serpent is often viewed as one of the most feared creatures in the world. It usually stands for the evil and demonic aspect of the world. Lord Shiva wears Vasuki and other serpents around his neck, wrists and ankles. This is symbolic of Lord Pashupatinath assuring his devotees that no evil can come anywhere near them, once they surrender to him and seek his protection.
Snakes are also, in a way, a representation of mystery and mysticism, and
deep and dark passions and feelings of human beings. By wearing them
around his neck, Shiva states that he has reached the heights of siddhi,
by overcoming all forms of desire. Hence, he is in total control of the
forces of Prakriti, maya and samsara.
As mentioned earlier, Shesha is most often portrayed as floating in the Ocean of Milk, forming the bed and the protective roofing canopy on which lies Sri Maha Vishnu. This form of Vishu is referred to as Anantashayana, that is, the one who reclines on Ananta or the Sheshanaga. Interestingly, the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the Southern State of Kerala is named after Lord Ananta, the Infinite One.
In the Bhagavata Purana, Shesha is named Sankarshana, the tamasic energy
of Vishnu himself. He is believed to live deep within the inner reaches of
Patala, where one can find several hundreds of serpents, each having a gem
on its head. Sankarshana, who is considered to have been alive even before
the creation of the Universe,
is the ruler of this place. Toward the end of each epoch, he creates 11
Rudras from himself, in order to destroy the current Universe and create a
new one.
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Sankarshana is the foremost
manifestation of Lord Vishnu himself. Also called Ananta, he has no
beginning or end and is the kaaranakarta (the prime reason) of the
material world as we know it. Before Vishnu manifested as Krishna, the
original Sankarshana took the form of Balarama,
just to please the Supreme Brahman with his many leelas.
At the very beginning of the Universe, Sankarshana expanded himself as
Garbhodakshayi-vishnu, in order to create Brahma. In other words,
Sankarshana is an aspect of Lord Sri Maha Vishnu himself. According to
some chapters the Purana, Lord Sankarshana narrated the Bhagavata to the
Four Kumaras, who in turn reached it to everyone. Sankarshana constantly
waits upon Vishnu and is always ready to serve the Supreme Godhead. He is
the first expansion of Vasudeva. Due to the fact that he appears by his
own will, he is called Svarat - the One who is completely Independent. He
is also totally transcendental and the limits of time and space do not
apply to him.
Sankarshana is also one of the four vyuha (army formation of troops while
in battle) forms of Vishnu or Krishna.
The other three vyuhas include Vasudeva, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
At the very start of creation, Vishnu was in the Yoganidra (sleeping)
position on the Ksheerasagara (Ocean of Milk). So, how did Shesha become
the bed for Vishnu to lie on and what is the philosophical significance of
this? While there are no actual records of this, the phenomenon could
probably be interpreted as follows:
The serpent, in Indian philosophy, is often associated with the Kundalini
energy, which usually lies dormant within the seven chakras of the sukshma
sharira (subtle body) of every person. The Kundalini is often represented
as a figure of a coiled serpent Goddess, which is believed to be residing
in a slumbering state in the first of seven Chakras; near the base of the
spine.
Different schools of spiritual thought teach different methods of
awakening this kundalini shakti, for the purpose of reaching spiritual
enlightenment; thereby helping the seeker attain several siddhis. Once
this serpent is roused, she lifts her head and slowly rises up through the
chakra channel of the spine, till she reaches the Sahasrara Chakra, which
is situated at the crown of the head. Interestingly, the Sanskrit word
"kundalin" means "circular" or "coiled", forming a sort of ringlet.
Sri Maha Vishnu symbolizes the Supreme Brahman in its entirety - the One
who rests on the Kundalini Shakti, in the form of Adishesha. This
represents the kundalini of the whole Universe. As per the Bhagavad
Gita, the entire creation stemmed from the Swabhava (nature) of the
Atman (Supreme Self). Vishnu rests on that shakti and harnesses it to
manifest the creation that he imagines.
Goddess Earth
being balanced on Adishesha's hoods represents the Earth's own Kundalini
shakti, which is stabilized by the forces of nature.
Adishesha, Sri Maha Vishnu's prime devotee, saw to it that he accompanied
his Lord even during his Avataras. When the latter came down to the Earth
as Rama; Shesha accompanied him as his ever-devoted, ever-loving younger
brother, Lakshmana.
Lakshmana's
devotion and dedication to Rama was exemplary. He selflessly served his
brother, never once thinking of his own comfort. When Rama went on exile,
Lakshmana left his wife behind and accompanied his brother to the forest.
There, his main mission was to serve and protect Rama and Sita at all
times.
When Vishnu manifested as Krishna, Shesha came along with him as his
elder brother, Balarama. One lesser-known legend of the Mahabharata
claims that Adishesha was present along with Krishna even during the Great
War of Kurukshetra. According to this story, the Divine Serpent supported
the wheels of Arjuna's chariot; thereby also protecting the Pandava Prince
from harm while on the battlefield.
After the end of each of Vishnu's avataras, Shesha returned back to his
abode in Patala.
Acharya Ramanuja
(1017-1137 CE), was a Hindu theologian, philosopher and one of the
foremost exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition. Born into a
traditional Tamil Brahmin family in the Sriperumbudur village of Tamil
Nadu, his philosophical thought lay the foundation for the Bhakti
movement.
Ramanujacharya is famous as the main exponent of the Vishishtadvaita
school of Vedanta. He penned several influential texts, such as a bhashya
on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, in Sanskrit. His disciples too
were considered to be the authors of texts such as the Shatyayaniya
Upanishad.
Considering his great service and contribution to Vaishnavism, Acharya
Ramanuja too is considered to be a reincarnation of Adishesha.
One of Ramanujacharya's prime followers, Acharya Manavala Mamunigal
(1370-1450), went on to become a Sri Vaishnava
leader. With the help of his eight disciples, he worked tirelessly to
spread Sri Vaishnavism during the 15th century. These disciples later
established institutes to teach the Sri Vaishnavite Vishishtadvaita
philosophy in Tamil Nadu.
Manavala Mamunigal too dedicated his life to the selfless service of
Vaishnavism. His only aim was to propagate the Vishishtadvaita philosophy;
thus helping people lead a meaningful life, finally attaining moksha
(liberation) at the Lotus Feet of Lord Vishnu.
While Ramanujacharya had written bhashyas in Sanskrit, the latter wrote
the same in Tamil. It is believed that the older Acharya
reincarnated as Manavala Mamunigal in order to fulfill his desire to write
in Tamil. So intent was he to complete his mission, that he continued to
write even when he was unwell and nearing the end of his life.
Manavala Mamuni was known by various other names such as Varavaramuni,
Sowmyajamatru Muni, Ramyajamatra Muni, Sundarajamatru Muni, Periya Jeer,
Yatheendra Pranavar, Vichatavak Shikhamani and so on.
His utter devotion toward Vishnu; especially toward the Lord's form as the
presiding deity of Srirangam, left an indelible influence on several
millions of followers through India and the world over.
In view of all of the above points, Manavala Mamunigal is also considered
to be an incarnation of Adishesha himself.
Once, Vishnu watched Shiva's Tandava or the Cosmic Dance. So rapt did he
become in the joyous dance of Nataraja,
that he completely harmonized with the Lord of Dance. This created a
heavy, pounding sort of vibration, which put an immense strain on Shesha.
When the dance of Shiva ceased, Vishnu came back to normal and the weight
upon Shesha instantly lifted.
Shesha then queried his Lord about the sudden weight and how it had
suddenly left him. Vishnu smiled and replied that he had enjoyed Shiva's
dance so much that he had harmonized with his great, unending cosmic and
Yogic energy.
In the meantime, deep in a forest called Daruvanna lived a community of rishis.
These rishis had achieved great spiritual knowledge and siddhis, but did
not fully realize the true power of Divine Grace. Shiva wanted to
enlighten them and requested Vishnu to accompany him on this mission. The
latter agreed and the two deities disguised themselves as Bhikshatanas
(mendicants) and entered the vast ashrama of the rishis.
Spotting Shiva, the wives and daughters of the rishis immediately fell for
him and followed him wherever he went. Vishnu then transformed himself as
the beauteous Mohini
- the Divine Enchantress. As soon as Mohini started dancing, the rishis
fell in love with her. They lost all sense of rationality and surrendered
their hearts to her.
Some rishis were more powerful than the others and soon realized what
exactly was happening. They decided to start a yagna (sacrificial fire
ritual) to curb Shiva-Bhikshatana. They called forth a tiger from the
sacrificial fire. When it tried to attack Shiva, he merely laughed and
killed the animal with his bare hands; tearing off its skin and wearing it
as a loincloth. Next, the rishis sent poisonous snakes at him. Shiva
effortlessly subdued them and draped them around his neck as his
ornaments.
He then prepared to perform his Tandava. His two other arms appeared,
along with a Third Eye on his forehead. This time, the rishis summoned a
terrible dwarf, Apasmara. Shiva continued to dance unperturbed. Finally,
he stepped onto Apasmara and danced on him as if the dwarf were a mere
pedestal for him.
Shiva then took the sacrificial fire and held it in his left hand. He also
took the mantras that the rishis hurled against him and used them as his
anklets and continued to dance unabated.
Shiva's Tandava shook the whole world and frightened all the Devas,
including his own wife Parvati.
They all assembled there, fearing the worst. Shiva, however, merely smiled
and showed the rishis his raised left foot. The sages immediately
understood their folly and, falling at his feet, completely surrendered to
him. In that instant, they understood what Divine Grace was all about and
attained realization at the Lord's feet.
Having experienced pure joy and salvation from this samsara, they too
began dancing joyfully. All of creation joined them and there was
happiness and harmony everywhere.
Now, Adishesha was intrigued and asked Vishnu if he could learn this dance
too. Vishnu blessed him, saying that he would one day attain the grace of
Shiva and learn the art from him. He also predicted that Shesha would
incarnate as a human being and would shower the entire humanity with peace
and wisdom.
Much later, humanity was suffering and devotees sincerely prayed to
Vishnu, The Divine Preserver, to restore dharma and order on Earth. As the
Lord had predicted, it was now time for Adishesha to reincarnate as a
human being and give people the knowledge of yoga, to end their suffering.
Accordingly, Shesha took the form of Patanjali
and descended from the Heavens. The word "Patanjali" consists of the two
words "Pata"(to fall) and "Anjali" (mudra or gesture of salutation or
prayer).
As per Shiva's advice, Patanjali went to a place called Vyaghrapuram to
meet rishi Vyaghrapada, an ancient and powerful sage, who was half-human
and half-tiger. The former sought his blessings and told him of his desire
to watch the Shiva Tandava.
In due course of time, Shiva appeared before them and performed his
Tandava, thus fulfilling Patanjali's desire. Even today, Patanjali and
Vyaghrapada are depicted together, offering homage to Nataraja, the God of
Dance.
The Sheshnaag Lake is a high altitude oligotrophic lake, which is located
at the track leading to the Amarnath
cave in the Anantnag District of Jammu and Kashmir. Situated at a height
of 3590 meters, it has been recorded to have a maximum length of 1.1
kilometers and a maximum width of 0.7 kilometers. According to Hindu
mythology, the lake was dug by Shesha himself - it is believed even
today that he stays in this very location.
Sheshnaag Lake features many types of fish, among which one can find the
brown trout. The lake witnesses heavy snowfall during winter and freezes
over, which makes it inaccessible during this season. A popular tourist
destination, it is mostly fed by melting snow and streams traveling down
from mountain tops. The best time to visit the lake is from June to
September.
A temple called Kukke Subramanya in Karnataka had been in the news some
time ago. Visitors to this temple had sighted a five-headed serpent, which
they were certain was none other than Shesha manifesting himself. So, is
the presence of Adishesha in this temple a myth or reality?
There are medical possibilities of snakes having 2 or 3 heads, due to a
genetic deformity called polycephaly. However, it is considered to be
scientifically and medically impossible for snakes to have 5 or more
heads. Besides, the fact remains that there is no official record of
anyone actually sighting that type of snake. So, the answer to the above
question still remains unclear. While it would seem like an undeniable
fact to the believer, science finds no way to support the theory.
Irrespective of whether this is myth or reality, the concept of Sheshanaga
continues to fascinate believers around the world. It has inspired several
works of art, literature and sculpture in India and abroad. Even today, we
can find numerous dance, music, theater, film and other productions in
praise of the Ananta Shesha - the Infinite One!
This article was written by:
Priya Viswanathan, a teacher/performer of Bharata Natyam, Classical Music and Classical Instrumental Veena. A recipient of several awards for both music and dance, Priya is also a freelance writer online. She currently writes for About.com, a subsidiary of the New York Times Company (http://mobiledevices.about.com)
