Name
Naga
Hindu / Buddhist
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Dragon Myth Entry
Hindu / Buddhist
Naga
India & South Asia
Not all dragons fly. Some coil beneath rivers, thresholds, and sacred memory. The Naga guards water, wisdom, and the boundary between the human and divine worlds.
Associated With
Rivers, thresholds, sacred memory, protection
Atmosphere
Not all dragons fly. Some coil beneath rivers, thresholds, and sacred memory.
Region
India & South Asia
Vedic antecedents to living South Asian tradition
Atlas Context
This entry is part of Where Dragons Dwell, an interactive atlas of dragon myths and sacred serpent traditions across world cultures.
Sources & Further Reading
Every reference below was verified against a live URL or a standard published edition. Primary texts and foundational ethnographic records are marked primary; modern academic studies and museum resources follow.
attrib. Vyāsa · c. 400 BCE – 400 CE (trans. 1883–96)
Contains the origin of the nāgas, Śeṣa and Vāsuki, and Janamejaya's snake sacrifice.
Pāli canon · c. 3rd c. BCE
Canonical episode of the nāga king Mucalinda sheltering the meditating Buddha beneath his hood.
J. Ph. Vogel · 1926
Foundational scholarly study of nāga cults in text and iconography.
Encyclopaedia Britannica: “nāga”
Scholarshipcurrent online edition
Reference entry on nāgas as semidivine serpent beings across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions.