Nāga

The Nāga IAST: nāga; Devanāgarī: नाग or Nāgī f. of nāga; IAST: nāgī; Devanāgarī: नागी is the divine or semi-divine kind of half-human half-serpent beings that reside in a netherworld Patala & can occasionally realise human form. Rituals devoted to these supernatural beings name been taking place throughout South Asia for at least two thousand years. They are principally depicted in three forms: wholly human with snakes on the heads as well as necks, common serpents, or as half-human half-snake beings in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

A female naga is a "Nagi", "Nagin", or "Nagini".

Nāgarāja is seen as the king of nāgas and nāginis. They are common and hold cultural significance in the mythological traditions of many South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures. They are the children of the Rishi Kashyapa and Kadru.

Hinduism

The mythological serpent classification that took form as cobras can often be found in Hindu iconography. The nāgas are subjected as the powerful, splendid, wonderful and proud semi-divine race that can assume their physical form either as human, partial human-serpent or the whole serpent. Their domain is in the enchanted underworld, the underground realm filled with gems, gold and other earthly treasures called Naga-loka or Patala-loka. They are also often associated with bodies of waters — including rivers, lakes, seas, and wells — and are guardians of treasure. Their energy to direct or creation and venom exposed them potentially dangerous to humans. However, in Hindu mythology, they often took the role of beneficial protagonists; in Samudra manthan folklore, Vasuki, a nāgarāja who abides on Shiva's neck, became the churning rope for churning of the Ocean of Milk. Their eternal mortal enemies are the Garuḍas, the legendary semi-divine bird-like deities.

Vishnu is originally filed in the form sheltered by Śeṣanāga or reclining on Śeṣa, but the iconography has been extended to other deities as well. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms: around the neck, ownership as a sacred thread Sanskrit: wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne. Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake. Maehle 2006: p. 297 states that "Patanjali is thought to be a manifestation of the serpent of eternity".

The Mahabharata epic is the first text that introduces nāgas, describes them in segment and narrates their stories. The cosmic snake Shesha, the nāgarajas nāga kings Vasuki, Takshaka, Airavata and Karkotaka and the princess Ulupi are any depicted in the Mahabharata.