Snake metaphor in Indian mythology and Cham sculpture

The divine bird Garuda controls the snake Naga.

Symbol of authority and power

In the wild, cobras are fearsome creatures. When threatened and ready to attack, cobras raise their head and spread their necks, creating a very fierce hooded appearance.

That ferocious and dangerous nature has made the cobra a symbol of power capable of intimidation, not only emanating from the snake itself but also from those who are able to control the snake or be subdued by the snake.

This metaphor is used extensively in Indian mythology. The images of the two powerful Hindu gods Siva (Rudra) and Vishnu are often emphasized with the characteristic of taming snakes or being obeyed and protected by snakes.

Snake head decoration on Dong Duong Dharma Protector statue.

In the Mahabharata epic, there is a story of the evil Asura gods building three citadels of gold, silver and iron to fight against the gods. The gods tried every way to destroy the three citadels of the Asuras but failed.

Finally, Lord Siva gathered the power of the gods to attack Asura. The gods transformed into weapons, in which the snake Vasuki was used by Lord Siva as a bowstring, shooting arrows of fire (the incarnation of Lord Agni) that burned down three Asura strongholds.

The sash has a snake head, a sign of the Siva statue. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Cham Sculpture.

From this legend, the image of the snake is used to represent the power of the god Siva. An easily recognizable sign of the god Siva in Cham sculpture is the rope carved with snake scales and snake heads (one or three heads) from the shoulder to the chest. This sign is extended to become a symbol of authority and power on the guardian statues, which are also considered an incarnation of the god Siva.

In the guardian statues at Dong Duong Buddhist Temple, in addition to the snake robe around the chest, there are also bands worn on the arms, waist, ankles and earrings shaped like snake heads. These are signs showing the strong, intimidating nature of the guardians protecting the temples of the gods.

Profound philosophy of instinct and desire

Indian mythology also has a story about the Shesha snake, a sacred creature in the ocean during the formation of the universe. At that time, the Shesha snake was the support and guardian of the god Vishnu.

The multi-headed snake Shesa protects the god Vishnu (Brahma Birth Relief).

The Birth of Brahma relief found in My Son E1 tower (displayed at the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, recognized as a National Treasure) depicts the god Brahma being born from a lotus flower growing from the navel of the god Vishnu, while the god Vishnu is protected by snakes stretching their heads high. Another relief found in Phu Tho (Quang Ngai) also has a similar theme and expression.

In addition, Cham sculpture also has reliefs depicting the god Vishnu or Buddha sitting on a coiled snake body, above which are stylized snake heads rising up and spreading out to form a protective canopy. There are also cases where the image of the god Vishnu is replaced by the image of the divine bird Garuda, the mount of the god Vishnu, protected by a canopy of snakes.

Notably, in Cham sculpture, there are round statues depicting the Naga snake being controlled by the Garuda bird. Garuda holds the snake's tail in his mouth, his left hand tightly grasps the neck of a one-headed snake, and his right foot steps on a two-headed snake. This image seems to contradict the symbol of the power of the Naga snake and is explained by the legend of the enmity between the Naga snake and the Garuda bird.

However, this can be understood as a profound metaphor, symbolizing the control of the aggressive energy of instinct and desire. Instinct and desire are a powerful source of energy in every human being and it is the subjugation and control of this source of energy that creates the authority of the divine.

In other words, the natural characteristics of the cobra with its ferocious venom have become a symbol with a double meaning in Indian mythology and Cham sculpture, it is both a sign of threatening destructive power and an expression of submission to a supreme authority.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/an-du-ran-trong-than-thoai-an-va-dieu-khac-cham-3148357.html