Surasa
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| Surasa | |
|---|---|
Mother of Snakes | |
.jpg) Hanuman flies into the mouth of Surasa. From the mural of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand. | |
| Texts | Ramayana |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Daksha |
| Spouse | Kashyapa |
Surasa also Siras is a Hindu goddess, who is described as the mother of the Uragas (primordial reptilians).[1] Her most popular tale appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where she is tasked to test the god Hanuman on his way to Lanka.
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Surasa is one of the 12 daughters of Daksha, who are married to the sage Kashyapa. She became the mother of the uragas (a class of serpents), while her co-wife and sister Kadru gave birth to nagas, another class of snakes.[1] Vasuki, Takshaka, Airavata and other sons of Surasa are described to live in Bhogavati.[2]
The epic Mahabharata describes her being born from the wrath of Krodhavasha, another wife of Kashyapa. Surasa has three daughters: Anala, Ruha and Virudha. The serpents descend from the daughters of Surasa. She is thus called the mother of uragas and also cranes; another snake race Pannagas descends from Kadru.[1][2]
The Matsya Purana and the Vishnu Purana describes Surasa as one of 13 wives of Kashyapa and daughters of Daksha. The Vishnu Purana says that she gave birth to a thousand multi-hooded serpentine and non-serpentine reptilian entities, who could both crawl on the ground and fly in the skies; while Kadru also gives birth to a thousand multihooded serpentine entities, they were mostly incapable of flight and were instead tethered to the ground. As the Matsya Purana, she is the mother of all quadrupeds, except cows (who are descended from a divine form of Mother Earth herself); the serpents are described as Kadru's children. The Bhagavata Purana portrays her the mother of rakshasas (cannibals, demons). The Vayu Purana and Padma Purana lists do not mention her as a wife of Kashyapa; and Anayush or Danayush take her position as mother of snakes.[3][4][5]
The Devi Bhagavata Purana mentions that Rohini as Surasa's incarnation; his son Balarama was incarnation of the naga Shesha, Surasa's son.[1]
As per the Matsya Purana, when the god Shiva as Tripurantaka sets off to the three demon cities, various deities aid him. Surasa and other goddesses become his arrows and spears. When drops of the demon Andhaka blood multiplying into many demons, Surasa and other mother goddesses called matrikas aid Shiva to slay the demon, by drinking the blood.[3]
