Nag Pacham

When:
Fifth day after No moon (Sud Pacham) in the month of Shravan as per the Gujarati calendar.

The Background

India is home to several poisonous snakes. Death due to snakebite was a common cause of death in India until recent times. Fear led to the killing of snakes. However, our ancestors believed that every creature had a place in the ecosystem, even the ones they feared, and hence they started worshipping the snake to overcome fear and to stop their killing.

But fear is not the only reason snakes are worshipped. Snakes are part of several myths, beliefs, legends and scriptures in Hinduism. (For more information visit – https://www.hinduwebsite.com/buzz/symbolism-of-snakes-in-hinduism.asp) A snake is commonly depicted around Lord Shiva’s neck. Lord Vishnu rests on a snake called Sheshnag or Ananta.

The snake primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically “reborn”. It symbolizes the three processes of creation, preservation and destruction. Worshiping the snake is like worshiping Lord Shiva.

According to the Garuda Purana, offering prayers to the snake on this day is auspicious and will usher good tidings in one’s life. The Snake brings to life our good desires.

On the day of Nag Pacham, believers eat cold food cooked the previous day and avoid moving or digging the earth. Cold food is had because it is believed that activities like chopping, cutting, frying emit waves that obstruct the working of the deity-like element present in the atmosphere on that day. Simply put, it was to keep the mind calm and cool while avoiding any activity involving heat and aggression. Probably because when you encounter a snake you have to be calm and cool. Another reason for cold food is because the same was offered to snakes and one cannot offer hot foods to snakes. However, consumption of cool food also has digestive system benefits. Moving or digging the earth was not allowed as it would possibly harm snakes.

It is believed that the festival began when Takshak, the king of snakes, stalked King Janamejaya’s father Parikshit and killed him. To avenge his death, King Janamejaya conducted a yagna (sacrificial fire) to eliminate the entire snake clan. The day the yagna (sacrificial fire) was stopped due to the intervention of the Astika Rishi is celebrated as Nag Panchami. It is also believed that on the day of Nag Pacham, Lord Krishna killed Kaliya snake in the Yamuna River to save the lives of the people of Gokul.

The Story

There was an old man and an old woman. They had seven sons who were married. All the six daughters-in-law were favored whereas the seventh daughter-in-law was not appreciated in the house. She had no one in her parental house; at in-laws house everyone taunted her as orphan. Every day the whole family used to finish their dinner together happily; after all in the last the youngest daughter was eating the remaining morsels of the food stuck in the pot. Above all every day after taking meal she alone used to clean heap of utensils. The month of ceremonial offerings to the ancestors or relatives had started. The delicious Kheer was cooked. The youngest daughter was an expectant mother, so naturally her craving to eat kheer became strong but who would give her?

All finished their meal and very few morsels of kheer were stuck in the pot. She thanked God that at least a few morsels of kheer were left. After thinking so; she peeled off morsels of kheer that were stuck in the pot and tied them in a sieve. She thought of eating them at ease after going out of the village. She kept in a sieve the waste morsels of kheer that she peeled off and put the sieve near one mole hill. She went to take bath. She thought that she would eat after taking bath. As soon as lady went to take bath, soon after her departure, one female serpent came out of a mole hill. She was also an expectant mother, so she too craved to eat kheer. She came and ate everything. After eating she hid herself in one corner. Female serpent decided, “If the owner of the kheer would curse me then I would bite.”

After taking bath a daughter in law hopefully opened a sieve; unfortunately she did not find a single morsel of kheer. ―Oh! As it was not in my destiny, I could not eat at home, so I brought it here, here also I couldn‘t eat them! No problem, some unhappy soul like me might have eaten them. Whosoever had eaten may they get satisfaction!

Soon the female serpent came out of a mole. In a human voice she asked, “lady, who are you?” “Mother, I am unhappy woman. I am expecting. I craved to eat kheer. But when I went to take bath somebody ate away my kheer.”

Sister, I ate your kheer. If you had cursed me then I would have bitten you; but on the contrary you had blessed me! So now tell me what you wish for and I will grant your wishes.

The Serpent then took human forms and presented herself as the lady’s parents to her in-laws. Ever since the in-laws treated her well and lived happily thereafter.

The Message

A reminder to preserve nature and be compassionate towards other creatures, even when they could potentially harm us. The story tells us to be compassionate towards others even when we are unfortunate ourselves.