Naga Kings and Their Symbolic Meaning
Naga Kings and Their Symbolic Meaning
As previously discussed, Sivanolipatha Malai (Sri Pada/Adam’s Peak) is interpreted as an ancient Ayyanar shrine of the Pandyan rulers of Eelam. It has also been argued, based on various sources, that the ascetic scholar Madurai Olaikkadaiyaththanar Nalvellaiyar, also known as Pūrana Venkasibar, came there to prevent a war between the Pandyan kings. In remembrance of his teaching of the path of righteousness (aram), those Pandyan rulers are said to have established rituals of worship at the shrine.
Likewise, another Ayyanar temple of the same period is identified with the Abhayagiri complex in Anuradhapura. This site is also dated to approximately the 6th century BCE and is presented as the oldest temple in ancient Anuradhapura, with the remaining religious structures belonging to later periods.
The Mahavamsa itself is said to acknowledge that this was originally an ancient Ayyanar shrine. It records:
“Gāmaṇi vāpiyāso paribbājakārāma kārāpesi, tath’eva ca Ājīvakānaṃ.” (Mahavamsa, 10:101–102)
The chronicle further states that it was established by King Pandukabhaya. According to this interpretation, the element Pandu in his name refers to the Pandyan rulers. This is supported, it is argued, by inscriptions bearing the fish emblem traditionally associated with the Pandya dynasty. These inscriptions are also interpreted as expressing Ajivika doctrines, and internal evidence is cited to identify them as Ajivika inscriptions. The Mahavamsa itself refers to these Ajivikas as Paribbajakas (wandering ascetics).
Evidence for this interpretation is drawn from practices traditionally associated with the Ajivikas, including dance, music, ascetic initiation for both men and women regardless of their social status, astronomy, astrology, Siddha medicine, and an egalitarian ascetic tradition embracing bards, performers, rulers, mendicants, and others without social distinction. Their emphasis on charity is also regarded as characteristic.
It is therefore argued that neighbouring peoples referred to these Pandyan rulers as Nagas because of their adherence to the Ajivika faith. From this perspective, Ajivikism is interpreted as a continuation of the ancient Naga tradition. Those who attained its seven stages of spiritual development were believed to have reached the state of Kazhiven Pirappu(liberation from the cycle of rebirth) and were honoured with the title Ayyanar.
This interpretation is further reflected in the sculptures of the Pandyan rulers, above which appears the image of a seven-headed serpent (Naga). The serpent is understood not merely as a royal emblem but as a representation of the rulers’ role as guardians of the Ajivika tradition. Hence, the Pandyan kings themselves came to be known as Nagas.
Moreover, it is argued that not only the Pandyan rulers but also the Ajivika Ayyanars attained extraordinary spiritual realization through ascetic discipline. By mastering the primordial energy—identified with the Mahā Kundalini—and raising it through the body’s seven chakras, they achieved the state symbolized by Nalvellai (Supreme Purity or Enlightenment). Those who attained this highest spiritual state were honoured with the title Ayyanar, while the seven-headed serpent represented these seven spiritual centres or chakras.
This interpretation highlights the exceptional spiritual stature attributed to the Ajivika Ayyanars.
According to this tradition, three great masters attained these seven stages:
- Makkhali Gosala, also identified here as Bhagavatha Gothama Samanaputha, was the first.
- Kani Nandasiriyar Iyakkanwas the second.
- Purana, also known as Venkasibar, was the third.
The seven-headed serpent depicted above the sculptures of the Pandyan rulers of Eelam is therefore interpreted as a symbolic representation of these seven stages of spiritual attainment.
Translation by Hari
0 Comments