SACRED
SYMBOLS
Their Use In Sacraments And Worship |
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Early Sumerian, Egyptian and Greek seals
show serpents as symbols of healing. In all these cultures serpents
are citizens of the netherworld where gems and jewels of unparalleled
radiance are said to be stored. In the Indian artistic and cultural
heritage, the serpent in symbolic of the wealth and power of underworld
treasures, while also having certain sexual connotations and is worshipped
as the deity which bestows progeny on human beings. In Indian mythology
too, Ananta or Shesha the king of snakes, lies coiled in the cosmic
ocean and is the abode of the meditating Vishnu, the god who maintains
and nurtures the universe. The most imaginative symbolism of a coiled serpent, however, is found in later art forms where the coils represent the kundalini as the dormant energy in every human being. Serpents are known in mythology as guardians or Digpalas of various directions. They are: Ananta for the east; Abhoga for the south east; Padmaka or Padmanabha for the south; Shankhapala for the south-west; Kulika for the north-west; Vasuki for the south and Mahapadma for the north-east. |