Exploring the Cosmic Power of Shesha Naga: The King of Serpents in Hindu Scriptures

Hindus worship not just Devtas and Devis, but also their Vahanas, which are the animals or birds who always follow them. Hinduism also worships the deities' musical instruments, weapons, and the grahas and nakshatras that correspond to them. Indian folklore is full of exotic creatures, unbreakable curses, and enthralling stories about our Gods and Goddesses' great powers, beauty, compassion, and generosity. Hindu Dharma is also replete with semi-divine deities who are venerated by millions of people around the country. The Naga is a distinct race with superhuman divine powers and a prominent place in Hindu philosophy, mythology, art, literature, and culture. Shesha Naga is a massive snake who is the Nagaraja, or King of the Naga (snake) race and is thought to be one of the first beings created. 

Table of Contents:

1. Shesha Naga: The Cosmic Serpent
2. The Spiritual Significance of Shesha Naga
3. The Role of Shesha Naga in Hindu Cosmology
4. Stories and Legends of Shesha Naga
5. Shesha Naga and Kundalini Shakti
6. The Four Incarnations of Shesha Naga
7. Temples and Places of Worship for Shesha Naga
8. Festivals Celebrating Shesha Naga
9. The Spiritual and Practical Benefits of Worshiping Shesha Naga

Shesha Naga: The Cosmic Serpent

Shesha, also known as Sheshanaga or Adishesha, is the Nagas' supreme monarch. It is considered that all the planets in the cosmos are housed in a person's skull, regardless of their number of heads (5, 7, or 1000). It is said that shifting the Earth's position from one head to another produces seismic activity. Shesha Naga is considered to be responsible for the gravitational attraction that keeps planets and stars orbiting each other.
Lord Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha Naga. The gigantic serpent is thought to be a devotee or bhakt of Lord Vishnu. He is thought to have appeared on Earth in human forms or incarnations, such as Lakshman, the brother of Lord Vishnu's avatar Ram during the Treta Yuga, and Balaram, the brother of Lord Vishnu's form Krishna during the Dvapara Yuga. According to the Mahabharata, his father was supposed to be Sage Kashyapa, and his mother was Kadru.

The Spiritual Significance of Shesha Naga

According to Sanskrit scriptures, 'Shesha', particularly when associated with mathematical computation, refers to the 'Remainder' - what remains when everything ceases to exist. He is occasionally referred to as 'Ananta Shesha,' which means 'Endless Shesha' or 'First Shesha'. It indicates an endless or infinite one.
This is because Shesha exists at all times, even during the Pralayas (Great Floods), each of which had its own kalpas (eons) and yugas (eras). 

The Role of Shesha Naga in Hindu Cosmology

According to the Puranas, Shesha Naga is said to wear all of the planets of the universe on his hoods and constantly sings Lord Vishnu's praises from all of his mouths. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Shesha is known as 'Sankarshana', the tamasic essence of Lord Narayana. It is believed that when Adishesha uncolls, time begins to move forward and creation occurs. However, when he returns to his collapsed state, time stops and the Universe ceases to exist. He is supposed to reside deep within the inner strata of Patala, there are various serpents with gems on their heads, and Sankarshana is considered the ruler. Shesha Naga is thought to have lived there even before the universe was founded. When the cosmos is nearing its end, he creates 11 Rudras from them in order to destroy it and create a new one. It is assumed that Sankarshana evolved into Garbhodakshayi-Vishnu in the early stages of the universe in order to give birth to Brahma. In short, Lord Sankarshana is thought to be Lord Narayana himself. In a few prior chapters of the Purana, it was also mentioned that Lord Sankarshana discussed the Bhagavata with the Four Kumaras, who in turn communicated this lesson of the Bhagavata. At some time, the concept was conveyed to Sage Maitreya, who then informed Vidura.
Shesha Naga is generally depicted as a massive figure that drifts coiled in space or on the ocean of happiness, forming the bed on which Lord Vishnu rests, with Lakshmi Devi, the Goddess of Wealth, at his feet. Occasionally, he is shown as a snake with five, seven, or ten heads.
The most typical images are one thousand-headed, five thousand-headed, ten thousand-headed, fifty thousand-headed, one hundred thousand-headed, five hundred thousand-headed, or even a million-headed snake. They are occasionally shown with each head wearing a fancy crown.

Shesha Naga is also described as wandering on the ocean of the changing world, serving as Lord Vishnu's bed. This is because he is known as Adishesha (the snake's forerunner) and is regarded Anantashesha or simply Ananta (endless or infinite), as he is known to exist even after the end of the Kalpa, when the entire universe is destroyed. 

Stories and Legends of Shesha Naga

According to the Mahabharata, Shesha Naga was born to Sage Kashyapa and his wife Kadru, a daughter of Daksha. Kadru gave birth to a thousand snakes throughout the course of time, with Shesha being the oldest of them. After his birth, Kadru had Vasuki, Airavata, and Takshaka in that order. Several of Shesha's siblings were naturally evil, causing harm to others for their own fun. Rishi Kashyapa was also the father of Garuda through Vinatha, Kadru's sister. Shesha's brothers were also cruel to Garuda.
Shesha left his family and performed strict austerities and meditation due to his displeasure with his brothers' behavior. He lived on air and performed penance in various ways Candhamadna, Badarikashrama, Pushkara, Gokarna, and the Himalayas are all included. His dedication was so intense that his flesh, skin, and muscles dried up and welded to his frame. Lord Brahma was pleased with Shesha Naga's devotion and commitment, so he materialized before him and told him he might request any blessing. The huge snake needed a technique to keep his mind under control so that he could continue with his ascetic practices for an extended period. Lord Brahma kindly gave him the boon. Lord Brahma then sought a favor from Shesha Naga. He instructed the massive Nagaraja to travel beneath the Earth and stabilize it. The big snake was delighted to be given this new responsibility.
He immediately went to Patala (the Netherworld), lifted his hood, and balanced Earth on it. It is said that he wears the Earth on his hood until now, making Patala his permanent home. Ananta Shesha served as both the Earth carrier and the huge serpent in Lord Vishnu's cosmic water, where he rested between cosmos forms. It is said that Lord Vishnu glimpsed the universe in a dream while reclining on Shesha Naga. The massive Nagaraja also supported Lord Vishnu's incarnation as a pig by holding one of his feet when he emerged from the river.

Shesha Naga and Kundalini Shakti

Thus, Shesha Naga was known as the cosmic serpent in Hindu tales. He became known as the globe snake in post-Vedic literature because he is said to hold the earth on his hood.
Kundalini Shakti
When it comes to representing Kundalini energy, the image of a snake is frequently used. The serpent is thought to represent 'Kundalini Shakti' because when necessary, it can lift its hood and stand erect. According to Hindus, there are seven major chakras in the human body. Kundalini Shakti resides at the Muladhara Chakra (root chakra), which is positioned at the base of your spine. When Kundalini Shakti is ignited and travels to the Sahasrara Chakra, the individual awakens.
The Kundalini Shakti must be activated so that it ascends vertically and passes through all seven major chakras before reaching the Sahasrara Chakra (Crown Chakra), which is located in the uppermost region of your head. There's an odd similarity between Shesha. Naga, the King of Naga (serpents), is said to have 1000 heads, as does the Sahasrara Chakra, which is portrayed as a lotus flower with 1000 petals of various hues when fully opened and unblocked. When a person is awakened, he is considered a king because he has control over his inner senses.

The Four Incarnations of Shesha Naga

Shesha Naga underwent four incarnations. During the Satya Yuga, he descended in his natural form to serve as a seat for Lord Narsimha, who appeared to protect his child worshipper Prahalada from his father Hiranyakashipu. During the Treta Yuga, he was born as Lakshama, Lord Rama's (Lord Vishnu's avatar) brother. During the Dvapara Yuga, Adishesha assumed the identity of Balarama, Lord Krishna's brother. During the Kali Yuga, he appeared as Patanjali Maharishi and Ramanujachaya. This time he wasn't accompanied by Lord Vishnu. Instead, Vishnu appeared on his own to spread devotion among the people.
• Thiruvananthapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala, is named for Adishesha. It refers to 'The Sacred City of Anantha.

Temples and Places of Worship for Shesha Naga

Serpents are adored in Indian mythology and culture. Millions of people worship snakes. Naturally, there are numerous temples dedicated to them. Some of them are the - 

Kukke Subramanya Temple
Kukke Subramanya Temple, which is located on the banks of the Kumaradhara River in Karnataka and worships Lord Subramanya, the Vasuki serpent, and the Shesha serpent. It is said that Vasuki, Shesha, and other snakes sought refuge in the caverns. Worshippers suffering from Kal Sarpa Dosha come to the shrine to be free of the problem.

Naganathaswamy Temple
Naganathaswamy Temple, located in Thirunageswaram, Tamil Nadu, is known for its Lord Shiva temple. The ruling deity is Ketu. Lord Shiva is supposed to have been venerated by magical huge serpents such as Shesha Naga, Dakshan, and Kaarkotakan at this temple.

Sheshampadi Temple
Sheshampadi Temple, located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, is a Vaishnav (lyengar) temple dedicated to Shesha Naga.

Festivals Celebrating Shesha Naga

Nag Panchami.

Nag Panchami is thought to be one of the oldest ancient festivities celebrated in India during the rainy season. The day is fortunate for devotees of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. On this day, followers also worship Naga Devta, the serpent deity. Some of them include Anantha (Shesha Naga), Kaliya, and Vasuki. Snakes have been associated with Hindu deities in Indian tradition for many years. Shesha Naga was considered to be Lord Vishnu's bed, and according to particular texts, the world is sustained by Adishesha's head.

The Spiritual and Practical Benefits of Worshiping Shesha Naga

Shesha Naag Puja helps you win over your foes while also shielding you from the Kundali's malefic effects and harmful influences. This puja is said to help you remove the negative effects of the Kal Sarpa dosha from an individual's Kundali. It is stated that if you recite the mantras with absolute seriousness and dedication from sunrise to sunset, you would be able to remove all types of troubles from the afflicted person's Kundali. To achieve the finest results, perform this puja with the help of an experienced pandit. Worshiping Shesha Naga can help you overcome obstacles and live a more serene and problem-free life. It oversees and regulates the flow of wealth and helps to create assets. Venerating Shesha Naga can help prevent theft and accidents. Devotees maintain good physical health.