Of Serpents and (Holy Cow!) Pies

We all know how the blissful mornings of monsoon ask for rest and a warm cup of black coffee in bed. While I was enjoying this delicacy, my grandfather made me get out of bed, and in a city full of modern conveniences, asked me to bring “Gobar (cow dung)”.  

As early as seven, my quest for Gobar hunting began, because apparently, I needed fresh Gobar and mornings were the times for that. I was completely grossed out, which was understandable because I was roaming the streets haphazardly in search of cow dung, as if I had no better work to do. When I reached a cow farm nearly 20 kms away from home as directed by my google search, I asked the person there for “a packet of Gobar”. He laughed as if I gave him the best laugh in his entire life ever. He, unlike me, saw no disgust in the task at hand. With a nonchalant demeanor, he wrapped a polythene bag around his hand, delved into a pile of Gobar without a hint of hesitation, and presented me with a parcel that he seemed to handle with ease. 

I struggled to take that bag because I was so busy covering my nose. He understood my nasal struggle and wrapped the Gobar multiple times with polythene bags. It was sort of smell-proof now. When I asked him how much it cost, he said, “I can’t take money for Gobar on Panchami. Take it.” I insisted because I was in complete awe of his bravery to shove his hand in the pile of Gobar while I was standing there puking in my mouth. He then said, “You can remember me while doing Naag (serpent) Pooja today”.  

To be honest, I had no idea what my grandfather asked Gobar for. When I reached home, everyone was downstairs with milk, water, ghee, flowers, tika and a Naag poster. Gobar was the adhesive to paste that poster. I, being the Gen Z I am, said, “We could’ve just used actual glue”, rather proudly. In my head, it was a cleaner, safer and non-smelly alternative. To this, my grandpa looked at me with utter disappointment in his eyes. Additionally, those layers which he had to walk through to reach Gobar were a lot. We pasted the poster on the entrance and my grandpa and mom did the required Pooja. My grandpa's hands were all Gobar-y. It was brave of him too, I thought. Later, as he was washing his hands, I asked him, “Why Gobar?” to which he replied because it’s pure. I wanted to quip, “Yes, the ‘excreta’ of a mammal is pure. Wow”. But I had already disappointed him today, so didn’t bother further. I did ask him another question though. I asked him which snake was in the picture. I thought of answers like cobra, python, rattlesnake but surprisingly enough, he said it was “Sheshnaag”. And, just seconds after, he said, “Did you know? The concept of Ananta (Infinity) originated from Sheshnaag (the king of serpents according to Hindu mythology)”.  

I was baffled and logically thrown off a cliff. The idea of infinity was simple; it rested on the pure base of mathematics. What is it about a snake depicting infinity? I further questioned him, and he mentioned how Sheshnaag, with its endless coils and absence of a discernible beginning or end, represents the eternal aspect of existence. Sheshnaag’s coils, stretching into the horizon without a clear origin or conclusion, encapsulate the essence of the infinite. In mathematics, infinity is not a finite number, but a state where numbers continue indefinitely without reaching a defined endpoint. Sheshnaag, thus, was a living symbol of that boundlessness, an embodiment of eternal cycle. While I was taking plenty of time to process this, he also mentioned how the coils of Sheshnaag are also used in Hindu mythology to justify the cyclical nature of time.  

Everything he said was certainly new to me, and to validate his answers, I scrolled through numerous pages. I found out that Sheshnaag was, in fact, considered to be a symbol of endlessness. It is also said that when Sheshnaag uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place and when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist (Prakash, Siddharth. (2021). According to Hindu mythology, Sheshnaag, also known as Ananta Shesha which translates to “endless serpent” is where Lord Vishnu rests. It is said that Lord Vishnu sits atop of the heads of Sheshnaag and sustains the entire cosmos and its boundlessness, keeping the universe in proper equilibrium (Story of Sheshnaag, The Snake).  

Further, there is the concept of “Ouroboros” which stems in multiple cultures and in Hindu culture, it is often associated with Sheshnaag. It is an image of a serpent or a dragon consuming its own tail. The Ouroboros has been found throughout the world appearing in Greek, Roman, Hindu, Serbian, Norse, African and South American mythologies holding meaning in religious, occult and alchemic traditions where it represents time, the cosmos, death and rebirth, beginning and end, unity with nature and/or God (Ancient Ouroboros Symbol). Sheshnaag is the Hindu representation of Ouroboros, intricating the everlasting existence.  

Looking at this interconnectedness in mythological concepts with infinity was a very nuanced experience for me. I never thought a serpent’s coil would relate to the boundlessness of time and energy. That explained to me why Naag Panchami was such an important aspect of Nepali culture. We worship Sheshnaag because it is eternal and infinite, and since it has this connection with timeless and boundless aspects of the universe, it serves as a divine being transcending time and space, something beyond human comprehension. Naag Panchami meant harnessing that and thanking Sheshnaag for that divinity.  

While I felt thoroughly enlightened that morning, the “Gobar” thing was still pretty weird to me. The sustainability and eco-friendly aspect of Gobar is understood but using them in every Pooja due to its purity was still a conundrum. When I questioned my grandpa further, he said, “Gobar is the gift from Gau Mata (cow).” He also mentioned that when cow dung cakes are dried, they burn very evenly with a purifying and fragrant smoke that reaches heaven and is loved by deities. I thought to myself how in heaven can they like the smell of Gobar. “We worship Gods because they are divine, and if the divine energy calls for it, we offer”, he added. That reply certainly seemed like a gentler way of ending the conversation.  

It's not that I have never had conversations about these traditions and culture with my grandpa. But this one was different because modernity had induced ignorance in me, because of which I dismissed the little aspects of my culture as archaic or unimportant. This quest for Gobar unfolded those little things. I still don’t have a crystal-clear comprehension of how Gobar can have such fragrance or why it is so important for rituals, but I do know that it’s pure. I’ll say that’s still a good start. 

References:  

Prakash, Siddharth. (2021). Cosmic Serpents. Comparative Mythology  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350213204_Cosmic_Serpents 

Who Is Sheshnaag? Story of Sheshnaag, The Snake. - InstaAstro 

Ancient Ouroboros Symbol | History, Significance & Examples | Study.com 

Ouroboros: A Timeless Symbol of Unity and Continuity - Mythologis 

 


Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 25, 2023 at 10:26 PM

    Just love your writing skill, the way you have arranged the words is like I'm watching a movie, everything forming an images infront of my eyes.

    ReplyDelete

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