Manasa
Manasa (Sanskrit: मनसा, romanized: Manasā) is a Hindu goddess of snakes.[1] She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, South Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and prosperity. In Hinduism, Manasa is the sister of Shesha and Vasuki, king of Nāgas (serpents), and wife of sage Jaratkaru. She is the mother of the sage Astika.[2] She is also known as Vishahari (the destroyer of poison), Nityā (eternal) and Padmavati.[3]
| Manasa | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Serpents | |
| Bengali / Hajong | মনসা / কাণি দেউও (Kānī Dīyāʊ) / চেংমুড়ি কানী (Cēṅmuṛi Kānī) |
| Mantra | Ōṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ klīṁ aiṁ manasādēvyai svāhā |
| Tree | Cactus |
| Mount | Swan, Serpent |
| Texts | Manasamangal Kāvya |
| Gender | Female |
| Festivals | Naag Panchami |
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Shiva or Kashyapa (father) Kadru (mother) |
| Siblings | Vasuki, Shesha, Kaliya, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Irāvatī |
Manasa Media
Manasa with her husband Jaratkaru and son Astika flanked by Nagas, 11th century Pala period statue from Bengal
Kalighat painting of goddess Manasā standing on a snake with a few wrapped in her hand, Cleveland Museum of Art
Mud idol of Manasa in the Sundarbans, West Bengal, India.
A scene from Manasa Mangal.
Manasa puja on the day of Dashahara at a bedi of Euphorbia neriifolia, in West Bengal.
Women with the Manasa Sila (murti) during puja at Birbhum in 2021
Snake Idol of Goddess Manasa
References
- ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (2012-06-29). "Manasa Devi, Manasā Devī: 1 definition". www.wisdomlib.org. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
- ↑ Wilkins 2004, p. 395.
- ↑ Dowson 2003, p. 196.