Hindu ritual of Pouring milk in Mound (anthills)
Pouring milk and placing eggs for the Nagamah (Snake Goddess) at anthills and praying for blessings for reducing sarpa dosha, marriage, children, etc. It involves humans, white ants, snakes, and anthills. Snakes don’t build the anthill and don’t drink milk but consume eggs. The eggs are for snakes and milk for other creatures. The white ants build the hill. Humans in the name sangiyum (rituals) are playing many roles behind such rituals, such as protecting underground water sources, to keep away the snake and white ants from villages. It is a multi-functioned ritual from spiritual to reality.
Significance of snake (Cobra).
The Snake primarily represents rebirth, death, and mortality, due to the casting of its skin and being symbolically "reborn". It also signifies the Kundalini (serpent power) in the individual body of each human. Sushma, ida, and pingala nadis were considered the serpents. If one looks at the image of Siva, there were snakes in the neck and both arms.
Naga Panchami is celebrated throughout India. As per Hindu scriptures praying snakes originated in Mahabharata, King Janamejaya killed many of Sarpas through Sarpa Satra for his father King Parikshita killed by Takshaka. To prevent the killing of Sarpas, Sage Astika requested Janamejaya to stop the Sarpa Satra Yagna. According to the Garuda Purana, offering prayers to snakes on this day is auspicious and will usher good tidings in one's life. This is to be followed by feeding Brahmins
Goa Inquisition and Anthill Ritual
It is believed to be popular the earliest in Goa, India in the 1500s AD. During the Portugal invaders in India, Goa genocide, 300 temples were destroyed in Bardez,1567, people were converted by force, so people turned to anthills to conduct rituals. Snake Puthu (Anthill, termite) is a manifestation of the Earth Goddess Bhoomika. She is given names such as Sateri (Santeri), Bhoomika, and Ela.
Fertility and Underground Water Source
The ability of the queen termite to produce 36000 eggs per day. It signifies fertility.
Termites are able to find a water source depth of 138 feet. They create water capillaries to make the underwater level raised upwards. So that the anthill signifies the fertility of the land for cultivation. Farmers appreciate the anthills as a sign of an underground water source. In order to protect the sign of underground water sources, they turned the anthills into ritual places. Same as trees as praying icons to protect water reservoirs and water catchment areas.
Longevity of Life
Among the earliest living creatures survived for 300 million years, this shows the longevity and sustainability of life by termites. Besides that in Puranas, Varaha the Vishnu Avatar carries earth from drowning. The anthills signify the raising of life from drowning or realign the path of life.
Pure Soil
Soil from the anthill is used for agamic rituals, whether to build a new temple or house, Hindus will bring some soil from the anthill because the soil is considered most clean among the soil as per agamic.
Anthill represents temple
Anthill also signifies a temple. In the villages far from temples, this anthill is considered the natural dwelling of the Goddess. So, any ritual is believed to be equivalent to pray in a temple. The pouring of milk is considered doing abhishekam to a Murthy in the temple. Snake Puthu (Anthill, termite) is a manifestation of the Earth Goddess Bhoomika. She is given names such as Sateri (Santeri), Bhoomika, and Ela.
One of a Hindu’s Duty
Pancha Mahayagna is a compulsory duty of a Hindu. Serving Brahman, serving Devas, serving Pitrus, serving Bhutas, and serving humans. Bhuta yagna is especially for underworld entities, Naga Loka, animals, and plants. Thus, the ritual of offering milk and eggs in an anthill is considered auspicious because it donates food for living creatures and appeases the underworld entities.
Different Opinions and Precautions.
Pouring milk into an anthill should be very careful, the milk should drain properly because if the milk is stagnant inside, and if it brings out the foul smell it is a sin. It can be a bad omen to the caretaker of the anthill as in Karana Agama and also to those who pour/devotee. It is better don’t pour but keep the milk without pouring and the temple committee can use the milk for abhishekam. But another view says that the omission of smell signifies the presents of a serpent or the Divine Goddess. Whatever is the truth, I leave it to the Divine to judge it. But in my personal opinion, nothing is wrong if your intention is divine.
Our ancestors did everything with deep research and development. The ritual at the anthills depends on your own conscience (manasatchi), do what is right as long as it is never against the dharma. Even scriptures had mentioned that the first reference is Vedas (Sruthi), followed by Shastras (Smrithi), the third is to follow a learned person (Guru Sampradaya).In case of the absence of those 3 sources of references, one needs to follow their own consciousness (Manasathci).
With the advice of Siva Sri Murugananda Gurukal, Kajang, Malaysia.
Om Namasivaya.
Sivasiddhi.
Sivasiddhi Spiritual Foundation.
19 October 2020
Reference
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