Mansa Devi

#NaagPanchami Mansa Devi

Mansa Devi is the Goddess of Siddhas & Yogis,  the Great Goddess of Serpents, the reliever of Naga Doshas, healer of snake bites and poisons. As per the Bramha Vaivarta Purana, She appeared from the mind of Rishi Kashyapa, Mansa means who plays with or controls the mind. Rishi Kashyapa regarded her as the Mantradhisthatri, or the mother of Mantras as out of his tapas/intense mediation he received divine knowledge in the form of mantras in his mind, so she came to be known as Mansa. As when mind is under control of the consciousness the snake like movements of the prana Shakti or the Kundalini can be experienced, so she is adorned with snakes. 

Mansa Devi is also known as Nageshvari and Siddhayogini. She was the one who protected the serpents from perishing in the Nagayeshthi Yagna performed by King Janmejaya, after the death of his father parikshit. She is regarded as the sister to Nagas/serpents as she holds the secrets behind all forms of poisons & venoms and has the power to remove the ill effects from them. As a Siddhayogini, she is the master of all forms of Yogas and possesses the immense wisdom of vedas. She is also aware of the Great Secrets of Mritasanjeevani, a method which can revive the dead back to life. She is a master of mind, body and all actions which can take one forward to attaining the greatest awareness. 

She was the wife of a Great Sage known as Jaratkaaru, who was considered as an amsha of Lord Vishnu. She is the Mother of Astika, the ruler of Nagas, with whose efforts Janmejaya ended his Yagna sacrifice of serpents. 

To relive one from Danger of Snakes and to attain her blessings, one must recite the twelve names of Goddess Mansa.

ॐ नमो मनसायै । जरत्कारु जगद्गौरी मनसा सिद्धयोगिनी । वैष्णवी नागभगिनी शैवी नागेश्वरी तथा ॥ १॥ जरत्कारुप्रियाऽऽस्तीकमाता विषहरीती च । महाज्ञानयुता चैव सा देवी विश्वपूजिता ॥ २॥ द्वादशैतानि नामानि पूजाकाले च यः पठेत् । तस्य नागभयं नास्ति तस्य वंशोद्भवस्य च ॥ 

ōṁ namō manasāyai . jaratkāru jagadgaurī manasā siddhayōginī . vaiṣṇavī nāgabhaginī śaivī nāgēśvarī tathā ..  ॥  jaratkārupriyā’’stīkamātā viṣaharītī ca . mahājñānayutā caiva sā dēvī viśvapūjitā ..  ॥  dvādaśaitāni nāmāni pūjākālē ca yaḥ paṭhēt . tasya nāgabhayaṁ nāsti tasya vaṁśōdbhavasya ca ..  ॥ 

Mansa Devi is worshipped on the first day of the month of Ashada and the Panchmi/fifth day of the lunar month. The day of Naga Panchmi is also specially attributed for her worship. May the blessings of Nagabhagini Nageshvari Devi grant us intelligence for transcendence, and that mental stability to realize the true nature of oneself. 

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