Nag Panchami 2023: The Festival Dedicated to the ‘Nag Devta’

Whenever people think of a snake, it is natural that their mind is filled with fear. However, apart from the fear attached to its physical form, there is a profound & divine element that is associated with a snake. Nag means a snake and in the Hindu faith, snakes also have a very prominent place among the Gods.

There is a divine form of ‘Nag Devta’ or the Snake God which is worshipped to get the blessings of the deity who dispels all fears, including the fear of death and provides divine protection from harm. Furthermore, various divine forms of snakes are seen associated with prominent deities in the Hindu faith. Lord Shiva adorns the ‘Vasuki Nag’ around his neck, Lord Vishnu rests on the bed of the giant ‘Shesh Nag’ and of course we cannot forget that Lord Krishna danced on the several heads of ‘Kalia Nag’ and later blessed him and assured him protection from Shri Garuda.

Interestingly, the female primordial supreme energy called the ‘Kundalini’ stays dormant in the form of a sleeping & coiled snake in the ‘Mooladhara Chakra’ or the Root Chakra in one’s subtle body and when awaken through meditation & yoga, rises to reach the ‘Sahastrar Chakra’ or the Crown Chakra and bring absolute enlightenment to the soul.

It must be noted that as per the holy scriptures of the Hindu faith, the beings dwelling in the ‘Nag Loka’ or the snake realm are known to possess incredible divine powers. In a nutshell, snakes have a very special place in the Hindu culture and the divine form of Nag Devta is worshiped with a devout heart to receive his kind & protective blessings.

Nag Panchami 2023: Date and Panchang based Timings

Nag Panchami is the festival on which people worship the ‘Nag Devta’ or the Snake God. They seek the protective blessings of the deity to lead a life that is free from fears. It is believed that one who gets the blessings of Nag Devata, triumphs over all his enemies.

Nag Panchami occurs on the ‘Panchami Tithi’ (Fifth Date) of the 'Shukla Paksha’ (Waxing Phase of the Moon) in the holy month of ‘Shravan’. 

As per the panchang which is the mechanism used by the Hindus to track time & events, Nag Panchami 2023 will be celebrated on 21st August.

The Panchami Tithi will start at 00:20 AM on 21st August 2023 and will end at 02:00 AM on 22nd August 2023.

Stories Associated with Nag Panchami

Janmejaya’s Revenge for His Father: There are a number of stories associated with Nag Panchami and have their references in the scriptures. One such story is that when Janmejaya who was son of Parikshit found out that his father died after being bit by a very powerful snake of the Nag Loka called ‘Takshak’, he vowed revenge against the entire snake species. Janmejaya started performing a ‘Yagya’ to kill all the snakes of the world. A Yagya is a Vedic Ritual done to harness what you desire through cosmic energies by preparing a sacred fire place and it involves powerful Vedic mantras being chanted by learned priests.

Soon after the Yagya reached an advanced stage, thousands of snakes living in various parts of the world got pulled towards the Yagya fire through the sky and they started dropping into the massive fire.

Witnessing this uncalled for act of revenge, some Sages rushed to the spot and urged Janmejaya to stop what he was doing as it was sinful to punish an entire species for something that was done by one of them. The aura & grace of those Sages was such that Janmejaya obliged and immediately stopped the Yagya and expressed deep regret for his barbaric act.

It is said that it was the Panchami Tithi of the Shukla Paksha of Sawan month when all this revenge stopped.

The Snake’s Necklace: Another story which finds its mention in folklore is that there was once a very kind hearted young daughter in-law in a household who rebelled against some of her family members who wanted to kill a snake which appeared in their fields. She strongly argued with her family members and protected the snake.

That snake was no ordinary snake as he came to the Earth from the Nag Loka in disguise of an ordinary snake. Being left alone with that young woman, that snake spoke to her and told her that he is very happy with her act of kindness. Upon hearing the snake, she happily addressed her as brother.

The snake then took her to a nearby cave where he resided and the woman was astonished to see piles of diamonds and precious jewellery inside. The snake asked to take whatever she wanted but she humbly refused and told the snake that she is content with what she has.

The snake insisted a lot and offered her a diamond necklace which she eventually accepted with immense gratitude. The snake told her that only she could wear this necklace and if anyone tried to wear it then the necklace would turn into a snake around the person’s neck.

Soon the word spread that the young woman has an incredibly beautiful diamond necklace. The king of that region ordered his soldiers to bring that necklace to him from that woman so that he could give it to his queen. Not knowing the condition of the snake attached to that necklace, the soldiers got that necklace from the woman and presented it to the king.

The king gifted that necklace to his queen but as soon as she wore that necklace, it turned into a living snake coiled around her neck. The queen screamed and there was panic everywhere. As soon as the snake was taken off the queen’s neck, it turned again into the same glittering diamond necklace.

Confused with what was going on, the king ordered the young woman to be brought to his court. The young woman came to the court and told the entire story. The king asked her to prove her story by wearing the necklace herself. The woman wore that necklace and everyone was surprised to see that she was telling the truth.

The king immediately apologized for his conduct and the woman graciously left the court with the diamond necklace glittering in her neck, for her home. That day was also the Panchami Tithi of the Shravan month that is Nag Panchami and further cemented people’s faith in the powers of divine snakes and their ruler- The Nag Devta or the Snake God.

Astrological Significance of Nag Panchami 

People who have their Janam Kundli or Nata Horoscope afflicted with the deadly planetary flaw called the ‘Kaal Sarp Dosha’, face extreme obstacles and repeated failures in their lives. However, by worshiping Nag Devta on Nag Panchami, they get rid of the negative effects that the Kaal Sarp Dosha brings in their life.

Furthermore, the Nag Devta and the Nagas are ardent devotees of Lord Shiva and are very dear to Him. Therefore, a Rudrabhishek Puja performed in your name on Nag Panchami in the holy month of Shravan, will bring the blessings of both Lord Shiva and in-turn- the Nag Devta in your life.

So, what are you waiting for?

Contact Future Point to book a Rudrabhishek Puja to be performed in your name on the auspicious occasion of Nag Panchami 2023!