Manasa

Manasa is a Hindu serpent goddess worshiped primarily in Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and Bihar. Her name derives from the Sanskrit word 'manas' (mind), and she is revered as the goddess of snakes, poison, and healing. She is also known as Viṣahari (the remover of poison), Nāga Devatā (serpent deity), and Jagatgaurī (world goddess). Her origins are found in both Vedic and Puranic traditions. In the Rigveda, the term 'manasa' appears in hymns related to healing, and later texts like the Mahabharata (Adi Parva) narrate her birth from the mind of the sage Kashyapa or as the daughter of the serpent king Vasuki. The Puranas, including the Skanda Purana and the Devi Bhagavata Purana, describe her as a powerful goddess who controls snakes and cures snakebite.

According to the Manasa Mangal Kavya, a medieval Bengali narrative poem, she is the daughter of Lord Shiva or the sage Kashyapa, and she struggles for recognition among humans, eventually becoming a popular household deity. Iconographically, Manasa is depicted as a four-armed goddess seated on a lotus or a snake. She holds a snake, a lotus, a water pot, and a fruit. Often she is shown with a veil over her face, symbolizing her mysterious and protective nature. Her vahana (mount) is a snake or a swan. Her consort is the sage Jaratkaru, and she is the mother of the sage Astika, who saved the serpent race from destruction during the snake sacrifice of King Janamejaya, as recounted in the Mahabharata.

The principal myth associated with Manasa involves her conflict with the merchant Chand Saudagar, who initially refused to worship her. After she killed his seven sons, he eventually submitted, and she became a widely venerated deity. This story is central to the Manasa Mangal Kavya. In Hindu cosmology, Manasa governs the realm of snakes and is invoked for protection against snakebites, as well as for fertility and prosperity. Regional worship traditions include the Manasa Puja, celebrated in the Bengali month of Shravan (July–August), and Nag Panchami, a pan-Indian festival dedicated to snakes. Devotees offer milk, flowers, and prayers to snake idols or live snakes.

Temples dedicated to Manasa are common in rural Bengal and Assam, where she is seen as a benevolent mother goddess who cures diseases and grants children. Her worship reflects the deep connection between humans and the natural world, particularly the reverence for serpents in Indian culture.

Four-armed goddess seated on a lotus or snake. Holds snakes, lotus, water pot, and fruit. Often depicted with a veil over her face.