Serpent King (Nagaraja)

Central Tibet, Densatil ; 1350-1400

Bronze with gilding and semiprecious stones; H.39.4cm

The Kronos Collection

圖片取自  《Himalayas __An Aesthetic Adventure》P218

Nagaraja is a Sanskrit word from naga (snake) and raj (king) meaning King of Snakes. It is applied to two main deities, Vasuki & Takshak. Vasuki and Takshak are brothers, children of Kashyap and Kadru, who are the parents of all snakes. Vasuki, the eldest brother, was a devotee of Vishnu, and represents the friendly aspect of snakes, as they save food from rodents. Later, Takshak, who was famous for his cruelty and venom, became the king of snakes. He represents the dangerous aspect of snakes, as they are feared by all due to their venom.

At Nagercoil in Kanniyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, a temple dedicated to Nagaraja exists.

資料來源：From Wikipedia    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagaraja