Nag Panchami 2023 Date, History, Significance, Celebration, Images & More

Nag Panchami, one of the major festivals of Hindus, will be celebrated on 21st August in 2023 and according to the Hindu calendar, this festival is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Krishna Paksha of the month of Sawan.

It is believed that by worshiping snakes on the day of Nag Panchami, snake defects are removed from the horoscope.

According to Garuda Purana, worshiping snakes and offering food to Brahmins on the day of Nag Panchami brings good news in life.

How to celebrate nag panchami?

On this day, seeing snakes and bathing them with milk is also considered very auspicious, but many people make snakes consume milk, whereas in Puranas it is described to bathe them with milk.

On the day of Nag Panchami, Sheshnag and the snake present in the neck of Lord Shiva are also worshiped in all Hindu temples.

What is the history of celebrating Nag Panchami?

Many Hindu Puranas describe the history of snake worship and according to one legend, in ancient times there were seven brothers in a family, the youngest brother’s wife was very kind and gentle.

One day all the daughters-in-law of the family were digging yellow mud with a hoof to cover the house, when a snake came out fro  m there and seeing it, the elder daughter-in-law started killing him with the hoof, but the youngest daughter-in-law saved the snake.

Then the snake and the younger daughter-in-law started considering each other as brother and sister. After a few days, the snake took the form of a human and took his sister-in-law to his house.

After spending a few days at the snake’s house, the snake sent the sister back to her home after giving her a lot of money and diamonds.

When the queen of that state also came to know about this, she took the necklace of diamonds and gems from the younger daughter-in-law, due to which the younger daughter-in-law was very sad and prayed to her snake brother that when someone wears that necklace, that necklace becomes a snake.

When the queen wore that necklace, it turned into a snake and the queen was very scared, due to which the king called the younger daughter-in-law to his palace and asked what witchcraft you have done with the necklace.

The younger daughter-in-law replied that when someone other than me wears this necklace, it becomes a snake.

The king did not believe this and ordered her to wear that necklace.

When the younger daughter-in-law wore the necklace, it became in demand again and the king returned the necklace and gave her a lot of money.

Seeing a lot of money with the younger daughter-in-law, the elder daughter-in-law became very jealous and started provoking her husband.

Then her husband also asked the reason for getting so much money and started doubting & seeing this the snake appeared and said- I will eat the one who doubts my religious sister.

After knowing the truth about the snake, the younger daughter-in-law’s husband was very happy and respected and worshiped the snake.

From that day the festival of Nagpanchami is celebrated.

Second Story

According to another legend, King Parikshit of the Kuru dynasty was bitten by a snake king named Takshak, due to which he died and to avenge his father’s death, Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, performed a snake sacrifice known as Sarpa Satra to take revenge on the snake king.

To kill all the snakes of the world through this yagya, a powerful fire yagya was being performed by the learned Brahmin saints, due to which all the snakes were falling into the yagya kund.

To save his life, Takshak fled to Indra’s Patal Lok but the sages increased the speed of reciting mantras (mantras) to draw Takshak and Indra also into the sacrificial fire.

Takshak and Indra were being pulled towards the fire by the powerful force of the Yagya, due to which all the deities were very scared and appealed to Mansadevi to stop the snake session Yagya.

Accepting the request of the deities, Manasadevi sent her son Astika to Janamejaya to stop the snake sacrifice and on the request of Astika, the king stopped the yagya due to which the lives of Indra along with all the snakes were saved & since then Nag Panchami is celebrated.

FAQs

Q. When is Nag Panchami in 2024?

A. Nag Panchami is on 9th August 2024.

Q. What are the mantras recited by worshipers on the day of Nag Panchami?

A. There are three mantras recited by worshipers on the day of Nag Panchami.

First mantra- ॐ भुजंगेशाय विद्महे, सर्पराजाय धीमहि, तन्नो नाग: प्रचोदयात्।।

Second Mantra- ‘सर्वे नागा: प्रीयन्तां मे ये केचित् पृथ्वीतले, ये च हेलिमरीचिस्था ये न्तरे दिवि संस्थिता:, ये नदीषु महानागा ये सरस्वतिगामिन:, ये च वापीतडागेषु तेषु सर्वेषु वै नम:।।

Third Mantra- अनन्तं वासुकिं शेषं पद्मनाभं च कम्बलम्, शंखपालं धार्तराष्ट्रं तक्षकं कालियं तथा, एतानि नव नामानि नागानां च महात्मनाम्। सायंकाले पठेन्नित्यं प्रात: काले विशेषत:। तस्मै विषभयं नास्ति सर्वत्र विजयी भवेत्॥