Preah Vihear
Naga and Nagaraja
"The Naga is the guardian of the treasures of the Earth, the keeper of the energy stored in water, and the one who safeguards the prosperity of the region, traditionally linked with abundant water resources." (Roveda, p. 212) The Naga or Nagaraja (Naga king) is shaped like a cobra with many heads; Naga princesses can take human shape.
Naga kings have created Cambodia
SomaBy a legend from the 7th century, the great Brahmin Kauindinya from India landed at the mouth of the Mekong and met Soma, the Naga King's daughter and Queen of the land near the Mekong, and ‘celebrated for her virile force and her exploits'. The Naga King married them and swallowed the water and thus created their kingdom Kambuja.
The king rules as the spouse of the queen.
Mera
Later, Cambodian kings preferred to tell another legend: The Aspara Mera was the 'most renowned of beautiful deities'. Shiva had given her as a step daughter to the Naga King. To make the maharishi ('great sage') Kambu king of Cambodia, the Naga-king married him with his step daughter.
Now the queen has become just the beautiful spouse of the king. The Naga is left out of power.
Naga and Kings
Zhou Daguan, a Chinese envoy in the late 13th century, relates a legend:
"Inside the palace there is a gold tower [the Phimeanakas], at the summit of which the king sleeps at night. The local people all say that in the tower lives a nine-headed snake spirit which is the lord of the earth for the entire country. Every night it appears in the form of a woman, and the king first shares his bed with her and has sex with her. […] If for a single night this spirit does not appear, the time has come for this […] king to die. If for a single night he stays away, he is bound to suffer a disaster." (Zhou Daguan, p. 49.)
Bakong
Naga sprawling on the ground
At the Bakong, at Koh Ker, at Preah Vihear, partially at Beng Mealea, and last at Neak Pean, the Naga is lying on the ground, in touch with his elements, water and earth.
The Naga is guarding bridges and causeways, controlling the water and its evil spirits.
If there are only AK47s, but no Naga, it can be dangerous: In some South East Asian armies, including the communist ones, there is a rule: Crossing a river, the last soldier in the line has to call for imaginary comrades behind him. In this way the spirit of the river is diverted from catching him.
The Naga represents the ‘bow of Indra', the rainbow, the connection of heaven and earth, of gods and living beings.
Giant balustrades, South Gate of Angkor Thom
Giant balustrades
In front of the gates the Naga have to guard the causeways, escorting human beings from the secular world to the sacred area of the temple. (The city is seen as the outer space of the central temple.) Giant balustrades are at the entrances of Preah Khan, Angkor Thom, and Banteay Chhmar. Looking outside you see gods to the right and demons in equal number to the left. "The fifty-four deities are all pulling at the snake with their hands, and look as if they are preventing it from escaping." (Zhou Daguan, p. 47.) But lifting him from the ground, the Naga looses the contact with the earth, the source of his power.
Preah Khan
Naga and Garuda
Along the outer wall of Preah Khan Garuda shows up in 40 huge reliefs. Garuda, the King of the Birds and the mount of God Vishnu, represents light and fire, the male principle, the culture. He wants to get and keep the Naga under control. He holds the Naga by his hands and his claws.Traditionally Naga and Garuda are regarded as deadly enemies. But Garuda or Vishnu never kill a Naga. There is no known myth about a fight Garuda versus Naga.
Baphuon
Krishna subduing a Naga
But there is a myth (depicted in reliefs at the Baphuon and at Banteay Samré) about young Krishna, incarnation of Garuda's master Vishnu: A poisonous Naga polluted the water and made the cows and cowherds sick who drank the water. Krishna subdued the Naga and then - "as sign of his benevolence" - Krishna told the Naga to leave the pool. (Roveda, p. 79)
Thommanon
Vishnu, Garuda, and Naga
Controlling the Naga, Garuda makes the throne for a belligerent Vishnu.
Angkor Wat
Naga balustrades
In the Bayon era the Naga is lifted by balusters. He loses the touch with the ground, and he loses his tail. He loses his power. He has become just a decoration.
Naga balustrades are almost omnipresent in Angkor; they were also added to temples from the Angkor Wat era.
Preah Khan
Garuda on the heads of a Naga
Having lost his power, the Naga can be tamed. Garuda is sitting between his heads like a mahout at the neck of his elephant.
Links
Female & male power in Angkor - with references
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Buddha & the oppressed Naga
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DEVATA - The beautiful Goddesses of Angkor
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