Shankhapala
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Shankhapala (शंखपाल), meaning Conch shell protector, was a Nagavanshi King of Bastar in Chhattisgarh.
Variants
- Sankhapala (शंखपाल)
- Shaṅkhapālo (शङ्खपालो नागराजा)
Origin
History
Historian Shiv Kumar Tiwari believes that the Nagas ruled in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh since as early as 760 A.D. His take of historical events from the Nava-sahasanka-charita epic poem is as follows- the Naga ruler of Bastar, Sankhapala, sought help from the Shilahara ruler Aparajita when the ruler of the Mana tribe invaded his kingdom.[1]
Nāga panchami
The festival of Nāga panchami is celebrated in Hindus to pay respect to Nāgas. The five Nāgas worshipped on Nāga panchami are Ananta, Vāsuki, Taxak, Karkotaka and Pingala.
According to a Puranic myth Brahma’s son Kashyapa had four wives. Kashyapa’s first wife gave birth to Devas, second to Garudas, third to Nāgas and fourth to Daityas. [2]. The third wife of Kashpa was called Kadroo, who gave birth to Nāgas. So Nāgas are also known as Kadroojā. They were the rulers of Pātāl-Loka. There is a Sanskrit shloka to remember important nine Nāgas as under: [3]
- अनन्तं वासुकिं शेषं पद्मनाभं च कम्बलम् ।
- Anantam Vāsukim Shesham Padmanābham cha Kambalam
- शंखपालं धार्तराष्ट्रं तक्षकं कालियं तथा ।।
- Shankhapālam Dhārtarāshtram Taxakam Kāliyam tathā
- एतानि नवनामानि च महात्मनाम् ।
- Etāni navanāmāni cha mahātmanām
Dr Naval Viyogi[4] writes.... The great festival[5] in honour of the serpents in the Nagpanchami, which, as the name indicates, is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of savan, the first month of the rainy season. Ananta, Basuki, Shesha, Padma, Kambala and even so Nagas Karkotaka and the serpent Asvatara, Dhritrashtra, Sankhapala, Kaliya and like wise Takshaka and great Naga Pingla are lauded month by month.
In Mahabharata
Shankha (शङ्ख) Nagavanshi King is mentioned in Mahabharata (I.31.8), (I.35),(I.177.8), (1.188), (II.9.13),(V.101.12)/(V.103),
Shankha Tirtha (शङ्खतीर्थ) (Tirtha) is mentioned in Mahabharata (IX.36.19),
References
- ↑ Tiwari, Shiv Kumar (2002). Tribal Roots Of Hinduism. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. p. 206-234. ISBN 9788176252997.
- ↑ Dainik Jagran, 25 July 2006
- ↑ Dainik Bhaskar 30 July 2006
- ↑ Nagas, The Ancient Rulers of India, Their Origins and History, 2002, p. 32
- ↑ (a) Vogel JPH P.274-75 ; (b) Rao Gopalachari TA, "Element of Hindu econography" vol-II Nagpur university
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