[This is a little story to explain why snakes are around Shiva's neck.]
As I know and guess; snakes got fed up being used as beds for Mahaprabhu Vishnu. And they complained with Kailashpati Shiva expecting rival power centre to Vishnu would work towards their expectations. Debadeb Mahadeb Shiva as usual being very assuring agreed to fight with Vishnu and promised to make snakes free.
But crafty Jadupati Vishnu immediately agreed to Shiva's proposal to avoid fight with Shiva that might cause destruction for which Shiva had been known with the dance of destruction 'Tandab Nrutya'. Vishnu freed all the snakes with a condition that they would have to stay away of his creation. Shiva with a huff agreed to the proposal and allocated a vast space on Kailash Parvat to snakes.
Snakes from all over world gathered there to stay. But, to their dismay the cold was unbearable and they didn't like to be in long hibernation. The clamor for warmth was so much that to utter disgust of Parvati, Shiva had to agree to share his body warmth to Snakes.
And you know the rest. Snakes are a kind of creatures known to cling and cling on. Shiva being a simple God, assuring and enduring, has been allowing Snakes around his neck since then.
Do you know anything else on this issue ? Please educate me too.
8 comments:
Very interesting story Sir.
Regards
Bijaylaxmi
It's excellent. It nicely integrates the classical and the folk elements. A very persuasive narrative.
Sir both snakes are different. Used as bed By Lord Vishnu is SheshNag while worn by Lord Shiva is Vasuki. So i think there should be another story.
The Snake primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically "reborn". And also it represents worldly desires And Lord is beyond these things which is symbolized by 3 coils of Vasuki around His neck.
Bharat
dear Bharat
Thanks for an interpretation of Snake and bringing out difference between snakes of Vishnu and Shiva.
Actually, my knowing on this issue is essentially out of ignorance.
Please let me know the full story on why snake is around Shiva's neck.
Cheers
hm
Dear Rushi,
Thanks for such an interesting story and the knowledgeable comments on it.
Now I would tell you two more stories.
One that was told by a tribal old lady that Basuki was used as rope in Samudra-Manthan.
Thereafter it had asked for its reward and Lord Shiva gave it an eternal place by coiling it at His neck.
The other one was told by a Brahmin that Lord Shiva knew that by coiling Basuki at His neck,
there would be the required pressure on His spine which would constantly keep His Kundalini awakened.
Rushi, apart from these stories, I always think that there must be some connection with Lord Shiva's
drinking poison for which he was also known as Nilakantha and the the snake having its own source of poison.
If I come across this connection, I would surely let you know.
The story as well as the comments are really interesting to go through. An everyday sight, but we never cared to know why snakes used to be around the neck of Lord Shiva always. Thanks for the insight given by the author and the commentators.These knowledge could be authentic, could be myth but the fact that we were not aware of anything gives us some confidence that at least we are aware about few school of thoughts on this SNAKE AROUND LORD SHIVA'S NECK issue.
So far the story behind Shiva being known as NILAKANTHA, my knowledge goes like this: It refers to the same Samudra Manthan where Vasuki was used as the rope and was coiled around Mandara Parvata for churning the sea. because of this severe grinding/churning of sea with a hill under her belly, Vasuki vomited her venom/poison which was very dangerous for the fellow Devatas/Asuras to take easily. Hence, Lord Shiva drank the whole of the poison/venom and so his neck turned into green and since then he was also called as Nilakantha.
I am not an authentic source of this information but merely aware of this story. It is upto the prudence of the readers to go by this story.
Thanks
Ratan
Sir,the story behind Lord Shiva & snake is very interesting..but the story is only confined to the Hindu cult & comments\remarks given by readers are equally interesting...but in my opinion Hindus worship Lord Shiva because he could control even the most poisonous snake keeping on his head, that shows his power to control all the creatures on the Earth,how powerful they maybe..!!
Ankita
Any one knows about story of Brahma kapala. Shiva wears snake around his Neck for cooling his body parts including neck. Due to removal of one of head of Brahma Shiva gets dosha which forms burning sensation. One more thing the name of serpent is not vasuki.
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