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The Tales in Mahabharata
is Indra, he also must have helped him for the same reason. Only, Indra's helping.. Uttanka against Taksaka is strange. But he is shown to ride Airavata Nāgarāja, and Airavata is one of the families of Nagas Indra, thus, can be shown to be closely associated with the Nagas
There is a lot of confusion about the names of the serpents but a systematic analysis of them, a subject by itself for a separate investigation, is bound to lead to important results. The names of mythical serpents mentioned in the Atharvaveda are. Tak saka, Dhrtarastra and Airavat. The names in Tändya Mahäbrähmaṇa of serpents, performing the Sarpisatra are Taksaka, Dhṛtarastra, Airavata and Janamejaya. In the epic, the serpents are said to belong to the families of Taksaka, Dhṛtarastra, Airavata, Vasuki and Kauravya. The consistency The consistency with which with which the names occur is significant.
103
Now, the fact that Airavata is called a serpent in thes: places while in Puranas he is described as a white elephant with seven trunks churned out of the ocean is significant. A rāvāta as an elephant has become a vehicle of Indra From the chur ning of ocean, again, has come out a horse Uccaih-śravas who also is said to be taken away by Indra. The śravas' ending of the name indicates his bring a serpent i.e. a Naga. Now, Airavata and Uccaiḥ-śravas, both serpents, are associated with Indra in the Puranas. This fact accords well with Indra being presented as the protector of Takşaka and his Naga people at the Khandava forest.
we reconcile the facts that the serpents are presented as Lord Mahadeva's ornaments in the Puranas whereas are shown to be protected by Indra in the epics? We know that the most popu ar image of Lord Mahadeva is the 'Linga', the symbol of phallus in union.72 Indra also can be shown to have a definite connection with the fertility-rites as the celebration of Indra-dhvaja festival and Indra's role in the Tapo-bhanga stories would indicate. The common phallic symbol on the one hand of Indra-dhvaja and on the other hand of lord Mahadeva seems to be the common link of Nagas with both the gods. From this point of view, the connection of the Naga-tribes with the well-known Siśna-deväḥ of Ṛgveda must also
be investigated.
PE
It would also be worthwhile to explore the evidences of Tantra-sect from this point of view. Kundalini, for example, is ".hown, when asleep, as being coiled around a standing inner lingam at the centre centre of the cakra, covering its orifice with her mouth" 73 Its connection with Naga is particularly emphasised in the fact that "occa
72 The Art of Tantra, Philip Rawson, Vikas Publishing House, Delhi, 1973 p.165. Two illustrations in this book are Interesting Illustration No 68 shows a yogini with serpentine energy manifesting fro.n her yoai. No. 69 shows "Five-hooded serpent-power enclosing a stone-emblem of the original egg-lingam",
73 ibid.
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