The Jina & His Serpents: Cults and Connections in the mythology and history of Pārśvanātha

Symbols have been utilized differently in differing contexts, denoting power in some, piety in others. In Jainism, symbols enjoy ceremonious sanctity, and carry multiple layers of meaning. Every Tīrthaṅkara possesses a unique representative symbol, which in essence, denotes crucial junctures of their canonical life-histories, their modes of veneration, their legendary narratives, and supernatural associations. The symbol of identification for Pārśvanātha is a serpent, while his sculptures too invariably include a seven/eleven hooded snake providing shelter to the valiant sage. Being a historically sanctified and popular Tīrthaṅkara next to only Mahāvīra, his legends and stories carry connotations of socio-cultural significance. In this paper, an attempt shall be made to evaluate the linkage between Jainism and Snake-cults, explore the factors of causation, explain the modes of interaction between the two contemporaneous cultic-systems, and elucidate larger bearing of this association upon the nature and history of Jainism.