Here's Why Every Yogi Must Know The Link Between Them
-byKirti Tarang Pande
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Have you ever noticed that logo of modern medicine has two snakes intertwined, just like the symbolism of yoga (representing Ida, Pingala wrapped around Sushma)?
Anyway, those who know me are aware of how vocal I am about protecting snakes. They think I am drawn towards them. Little they know it's the other way around.
The home I was born in was next to a lake full of blooming lotuses. Snakes were therefore our regular visitors. My family would simply escort them out to grassland nearby. A place where they wouldn't cross path with humans. We never hurt the snakes and they reciprocated the same gesture.
The story continues till this day. I have had various homes in various cities since. They all have one thing in common- serpent visitors. Even the home that I had in concrete jungle called Bombay! In fact, the garden of my previous home in Pune was inhabited by three of them. One was a copper colored cobra, another was a black colored cobra and third was special. It was a gift to me by my dog.
One night my dog, a golden retriever, retrieved a green color viper! He was standing near stairs with tail of the viper in his mouth. Shockingly, the viper didn't dig his venomous fangs in my dog. Thankfully, my dog had the wisdom to keep its teeth off too. He was holding it in the soft part that's typical of a retriever mouth.
You see snakes respond to our thought processes. If you are scared and make sudden movements, the snake will be scared too. Either its flight or fight that follows fear. If snake has opportunity to flea, it will. If it's cornered then it will fight with the only weapon that it has.
However, if you are calm, the snake will be calm too. A student of mine was so meditative in Vrikasana, that a snake came and coiled at her leg. The student remained calm and after some minutes it left. Haven't you seen, snake cuddle Shiva? They coiled around his neck, weaved in his man bun.
What's the point I am trying to make here?
Snakes are sensitive to vibrations. Vibrations help them survive. They don't have ears. You must have noticed this. Also, that their entire body is connected with earth, as they crawl. This makes them perceptive of energies. They are drawn to certain energies.
What is energy that draws snakes? How does it connects with Patanjali?
Thanks to Einstein, we know that the universe consists of various wormholes. Through these worm holes or channels, subtle currents flow.These currents are termed as Nagas (snakes) in yogic texts. To understand why yogis chose this particular metaphor, we need to understand worm holes.
The concept of worm holes came as a result of Einstein, Flamm and Rosen's works on General Theory of Relativity. Don't let the name dropping scare you. It's easy to understand. Worm hole is a passage through space-time continuum. Its USP is that it creates shortcuts for long journeys across the universe. Ah! I caught your attention now. Therefore, this is the time when I must caution you. These wormholes come with dangers of sudden collapse, high radiation and fatal contact with exotic matter.
Much like snake, isn't it. A meters long snake rolls itself into a small coil. The snake venom can kill you but can also be used as a drug against heart attack. Also, in ancient India snakes were found everywhere. So, the yogis thought, 'Why not use snake as metaphor? To make it approachable to a common man, let's make this simple. Let's use a metaphor that people come across daily." There couldn't have been a better metaphor than Naga (snakes) for Kundalini (the fundamental force).
This is the reason why Patanjali is symbolized as half-snake. His understanding of seen and unseen life processes was mystifying. It was apparent to people that the Kundalini fundamental force is him. At least, partly. As I have discussed in my previous article that one can't have completely awakened Kundalini and hold on to this physical body at the same time. So, they gave him a half-snake body.
But why Naga Panchami?
Naag Panchami comes in the month of Sravan- monsoon. It's a month dedicated for worshiping Shiva- Naga Bhushan. This also a month when rain water floods the homes of snakes and they seek shelter in ours.
Therefore, in ancient Indian culture this month was set aside to honor snakes. One can't honor and hurt something at the same time?
Why honor the snakes?
Snakes are called farmers' friends. They eat mice and other rodents that hurt the harvest. India was an agricultural economy. It was a simple treaty. You protect our crops, we protect you.
This the talk in materialistic terms, which may not be relevant to all of us today. However, its spiritual significance can't be ignored.
Spiritual significance of honoring snakes:
On Nag Panchami we honour all forms of Nagas (snake). Bowing to an ordinary snake or its image is just a metaphor for surrendering to Kundalini (transformation force within us) and to Lord Shiva (master of all the manifested and unmanifested energies of the universe)
What not to do in Naga Panchami?
Offer milk to snakes: I have no clue which Pundit started it, but none of Vedas mention offering milk to snake. Anywhere. Moreover, snakes don't like it. Every time I had put a bowl of milk out for a snake, it has gone in opposite direction. My dog is the one who would polish it off.
Don't give money to snake charmers. Snakes hate captivity. They don't eat in captivity. By paying to snake charmers, you're bank rolling a business model of torture. Moreover, Kamasutra strictly warns against it. The curse of a tortured snake is bad for sex life- that's what Kamasutra says.
Don't pour milk on an image or sculpture of snake/Shiva. There are children in our country dying of starvation. The milk that you're pouring is also food of cow's child. Please don't waste it. If I take your child's food, make your child starve to rub that food over your body, will you pleased? Then, why do you think that it will peace Shiva. The milk of your love, devotion and dedication is all that Shiva craves for and rewards for.
What to do on Nagar Panchami?
- Let go of your fear of snakes. Please don't imprint your fears on your children. We must understand that fear is root of all our misdoings. Don't believe me? Investigate for yourself. Moreover, fear hails from ignorance. So understand that snake are not interested in hurting you. So many people die in road accidents. Everyone I know has fallen off a vehicle at least once. Yet, I don't see them screaming at the sight of a car. Then why snake? How many snake bite events you have personally witnessed? Most of the Indian snakes are not even poisonous.
- Take time out to meditate on Ajnaya Chkara- eyebrow center. Sit in a comfortable posture with spine erect and surrender your awareness to the Ajnaya Chakra. Don't concentrate or focus, you will have a headache. Just as you offer flower at feet of a deity, pour milk at Shiva, with same emotions offer your awareness to Ajnaya Chakra.
- Understand that Nagas (snakes) represent energy current. This current has potential to transform us and hurt us. It depends how we use it.
Electronic energy ruling our era of Informational Technology is also an energy. If ancient yogis were alive today, they would have put it in category of Nagas. We must be careful that we are using it for our transformation and not becoming a slave to it.
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