| Manasa | |
|---|---|
Goddess of Serpents | |
 An 20th century art of Manasa | |
| Bengali / Hajong | মনসা / কাণি দেউও (Kānī Dīyāʊ) |
| Affiliation | Devi, Nāga |
| Mantra | Ōṁ hrīṁ śrīṁ klīṁ aiṁ manasādēvyai svāhā |
| Mount | Serpent |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Shiva or Kashyapa (father) |
| Spouse | Jaratkaru |
| Children | Astika |
Manasa (Sanskrit: मनसा, romanized: Manasā) is a Hindu goddess of snakes.[1] She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, South Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and prosperity. In Hinduism, Manasa is the sister of Shesha and Vasuki, king of Nāgas (serpents), and wife of sage Jaratkaru. She is the mother of the sage Astika.[2] She is also known as Vishahari (the destroyer of poison), Nityā (eternal) and Padmavati.[3]
In regional tradition, her stories emphasise her bad temper and unhappiness, due to rejection by her father, Shiva, and her husband ( Jagatkaru), and the hate of her stepmother Chandi (Shiva's wife, identified with Parvati in this context). Manasa is depicted as kind to her devotees, but harsh toward people who refuse to worship her.[4] Denied full godhood due to her mixed parentage, Manasa's aim was to fully establish her authority as a goddess, and to acquire steadfast human devotees.[5]
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 June 2012). "Manasa Devi, Manasā Devī: 1 definition". www.wisdomlib.org. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ Wilkins 2004, p. 395.
- ^ Dowson 2003, p. 196.
- ^ McDaniel 2004, p. 148.
- ^ Radice, William (2001). Myths and Legends of India. Viking Penguin Books Ltd. pp. 130–8. ISBN 9780670049370.