Panchami of Shukla Paksha of Shravan month is known as Nag Panchami. Snakes are worshiped on this day. On this day, snakes are fed with milk. On this holy festival, women worship the serpent god and offer milk to snakes. On this day, women also pray for the safety of their brothers and family. It has been suggested in the Garuda Purana that on the day of Nagpanchami, the idol of Nag should be worshiped on both sides of the house. According to astrology, the lord of Panchami Tithi is Nag. That is, Panchami should be worshiped in Sheshnag etc.
Significance of Nag Panchami
On this day, the Lord of Nagalok is worshipped. Apart from India, it is celebrated in many countries around the world including our neighbouring country Nepal. On hearing the name of the snake, a feeling of fear comes into our minds. Moreover, Snake is also considered a direct form of Kaal. But, worshipping the snake on the day of Nag Panchami removes all the fears. On the day of Nag Panchami, worshipers offer milk to the snake deity. At the same time, in many regions, a picture of a snake is hung or made at the entrance of the house.
On the day of Nagpanchami, women worship Nag as their brother. You will find about the reason in the story of Nag Panchami. Also, worshipping Lord Shiva on this day offer many benefits. The worship of Mahadev in the month of Sawan is considered to be of greater importance. It is also believed that if someone in your house has died due to a snake bite, then you should fast on Panchami for a year i.e. twelve months. Hence, there will never be any fear of snakes in future.
There are also temples of Nag Devta in many parts of our country including Maharashtra, Karnataka, where devotees offer special worship to Nag Devta on the day of Naga Panchami. This festival is also known for protecting serpents. This inspires us to save snakes from unruly trade, where they are either illegally traded to different lands or killed for various reasons.
Nag Panchami Puja Vidhi
– On the day of Nag Panchami, wake up early in the morning and take a bath.
– Sprinkle Ganges water in your house.
– Fasting on the day of Nagpanchami is also considered very important.
– In order to worship, either take the portrait of the Snake god or make a statue of a snake from clay and stand it on the wooden platform. Also, at the same time, you can make a picture of a snake on both sides of the door of the house.
– After that, offer turmeric, roli (kumkum), rice, and flowers.
– Mix ghee and sugar in raw milk and offer it to the snake.
– Perform the aarti of the snake deity, and send him away by giving Dakshina to a snake charmer.
– You should listen to the story of Nangpanchami.
– Apart from this, Rudrabhishek is also an important part of the Nag Panchami.
– This day is also known as Garuda Panchami, hence Garuda should also be worshipped on the day of Nag Panchami.
Nag Panchami Katha
Many stories related to Nag Panchami are prevalent in different parts of India. It is believed that after worshipping Nagpanchami, listening to its story gives more benefits. We tell you about the most popular of these stories.
In ancient times a rich man had seven sons. Among them, the wife of the youngest son had no brother. One day their wives had gone to get the soil to cover the house. While digging the soil, the eldest daughter-in-law saw a snake, on seeing the snake, she started killing it. Then the youngest daughter-in-law stopped her and said that this is an innocent animal. Hearing this, the elder daughter-in-law did not kill her and the snake crawled away at one side and sat down.
The youngest daughter-in-law told the snake not to go anywhere until she comes back. The snake remained in its place, but the daughter-in-law forgot everything and went home. When she realised this the next day, she ran to the snake, addressed him as her brother and apologised. Snake told her that as she called him brother, he would forgive her, and said that as she has saved his life, she can ask for anything she wants. Thereafter, the daughter-in-law requested the snake to become her brother. The snake, fulfilling her wish, accepted to be her brother.
The snake took her to his house to give her presents. The daughter-in-law was too surprised to see the wealth and opulence, as the house was full of diamonds and jewels. The snake sent the sister away by giving her many ornaments and a necklace studded with diamonds. When she returned home with the necklace, the word spread like fire throughout the state.
The news of the necklace of the younger daughter-in-law reached the queen of that kingdom. The queen expressed her desire to have that necklace. On getting the king’s order, the servants brought a necklace studded with diamonds and pearls from the younger daughter-in-law. The younger daughter-in-law became very sad when the king snatched away the necklace gifted by his brother. She called out to his brother, saying that whenever the queen wore the necklace, the necklace should become a snake, and when removed, it should return to its original form when she took it off.
Now whenever the queen tried to wear the necklace, it would become a snake. When the king came to know about this, he immediately sent a word to summon the younger daughter-in-law, and asked her what’s the reason behind the necklace’s transformation. Then the younger daughter-in-law politely informed me that the necklace is made like that only when it is around someone’s neck other than her, it becomes a snake. The king asked her to show her practically. So, when the younger daughter-in-law wore the necklace, it remained as a necklace only.
The king believed her and returned the necklace. When the family members of the younger daughter-in-law got to know about this, they also expressed their desire to know about the reason. She daughter-in-law told about her snake brother. But, unfortunately, no one believed her. So, she called her brother. Hearing the call of his sister, Nagraj appeared and told the truth to everyone. Since then, the festival of Nag Panchami has been celebrated.
Nag Panchami From the Scientific Point of View
The festival of Nag Panchami is not just celebrated for religious reasons. There is also a scientific reason behind it. There are many species on our planet, which are becoming extinct nowadays. So, we need to protect and save them. Many people kill snakes out of fear of their attack. Whereas, it is seen that as long as you do not tease a snake, it does not bite.
Furthermore, farmers also benefit from snakes. Usually, in fields, snakes destroy pests like rats that damage the crops. Hence, crops are not destroyed. Worshipping snake deities on Nag Panchami can create awareness among people and spread awareness about trying to save them.