Hare Krishna Centre - Leicester, UK - Ethiopian Nagas And The Town Of Shashamane

Transcription

1 In his book "the worship of the serpent" John Bathurst Deane writes " An Abysinnian ( Ethiopian ) monk named Gregory visited Germany and the way in which he accounted for the tradition of a serpent king is highly interesting. Being asked about King Arwe ( the first king ) he said there 1 / 6

2 was an ancient tradition amongst his countrymen that the very early Ethiopians worshipped a great serpent as a god, hence the name of the King, Arwe, a snake." Ethiopia was once known as the land of the "Nagas". Their kings beheld the title "Nagash" and their history was compiled in a book called the "Kebra Nagast" meaning the "history of kings". Famous as a great maritime race their sailors were known as "Bahr Nagast" meaning "kings ( nagast ) of the sea ( bahr )". Their lawbooks were known as "Fetha Nagast" meaning "lawbooks ( fetha ) of the kings ( nagast )". Compiled in the 13th century they remained the supreme laws of Ethiopia until 1931 and the reforms of Haile Selassie. All these names reflect an ancient history which was centred around the serpent race known as the "Nagas". "Naga" is a Sanskrit word meaning "serpent" "cobra" "snake" its etymology is "that which goes ( ga ) in the waters ( na )". "Nagas" are very much part of the ancient culture of India, their stories found throughout the Vedas and the ancient relationship between India and Ethiopia is accepted throughout academia. " Of the cursory observations on the Hindus, which it would require volumes to expand and illustrate, this is the result, that they had an immemorial affinity with the old Persians, Ethiopians and Egyptians, the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Tuscans, the Scythians, or Goths, and Celts, the Chinese, Japanese, and Peruvians." Indologist and Sanskritist Sir William Jones - Asiatic Researches, Volume I. 2 / 6

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4 The surname "Nagas" beyond Upon "Ananta radiance many Srimad In Ethiopia "Shashamane" the " migrated Christian In the "Nagas". that the arrival fearsome ancient verse reign Bhagavatam the palace Sesa" and was emenating is from scholar. "Sesamani" universe they "Mani" seem of once classic the which a was Amenophis eyes. word scene enter related country the to the meaning from to are "Srimad used be He land the described its huge reflected to all the resembled of two city for causal of lll illuminated the gems awe ( the Bhagavatam" "gem" words of the Sanskrit Indus Maha "Nagas" ocean inspiring mighty on "jewel" the Mount is "Sesa" his and "mani" by Visnu following "Sesamani" Ethiopian thousands dynasty its gems. settled serpent search "pearl". Kailasa the which reasonable who story verse. in town XVlll when of is refers The Ananta and which the of reclining the is hoods told Egyptian of name his valley we dead "Shashamane". refers Sesa. necks claim of "Ananta take describes upon and Lord sons of king into the that He and reflecting Krsna "Ananta a of Sesa" Nile shone consideration thousand ) the tongues a the grieving body " place In - the brilliantly thousand Sesa" Eusebius from India Arjuna of lord were headed name Brahman. Ethiopians twice a the of that common dark with travelling the hoods -lord as serpent blue the of of" lord "Kuyera" "ketu" surrounded "Abijatta" flamingos. names national and "The wisdom of "waters" surrounding Indi "asada" the have for of park. which may "Shashamane" are is such "Nagas" their Its home by their name In or "busa" is fathers." a in Sanskrit may regions wisest origin beautiful hardly to "Sarasvati". Rift 144 not "kula" the his Valley in of Philostratus. different and of species "sala" be lap Sanskrit the mankind. lake. "Shashamane" "adaba" from all lakes, sits ancient means straight Lake of from a the "abhijata" mongoose, water there The "tulama" in "Shala" Sanskrit "Kuvera". "water" Vit. from Ethiopians are bird are Apollon meaning a seven "sedika" along "Kuvera" as language. its abound Sanskrit symbolic This well related are with (Lib. major Vedic as "noble" "durami" with however, a dictionary. of "Abijata" the II) to colony lakes one Sanskrit god the great "handsome" Sanskrit who "shankula" of of "jara" form white wealth "Shashamane" them, conquers names, seems "dosha" "sarah" pelican and is Abijata "wise" all also one regions that they "lagu" and meaning known such appropriate "Nagas". - five is inherit Shala countless also which name "guna" of as these "lake" is 4 / 6

5 "Abaya" angry, were known the Lake "crossing" word "Kali". In assume same "Shala"" sources came of it Anacalypsis. Philostratus local the Alexander cannot "Galana" subject not related "Langano" from middle hungry pastor Sanskrit "Abaya" that of so interchangeable "rising" Ethiopias be the India, impressed to river, the of says who sure Persia, crocodiles Nile, word the "Langana" name great Appolonius "passing". popular decided once if that Zodiac Ethiopian descended second these meaning is it may and a again says and continuation with names and gymnosophists he "Galana" one have largest Its states an "India Rift would a "fearless" "kalla" tourists from drained of ever originally Valley Sanskrit came them that lake as perform "Hora" dwindling makes of a and by the jumped Brahmins from lies "peace" and whole name Egypt been ( the city Ethiopians "Avasa" Hindu the one a Sanskrit, "Hora mass "Galana" beginning supply and dwellers out peaceful "Avasa" "secure" automatically of of sect means of its the are Kalla" India. baptism. the of most what were ) Ethiopians "langana" of meaning the fish. lake from water "abode" Eustathius Ethiopia, Sanskrit river, we beautiful. support sent "W" This "Awasa". The the think do and the from "flowing" north crocs, is know ". "residence" names. of ate who "hora" Godfrey a "V" Its states India Sanskrit this the highlighted Its him. and being sadly pagan settled reasonable Vedic that its "dripping" is and embracing that "Abhaya" Higgins also waters "free". inhabited phonetically "Abijatta" word by near "Kala" the a the recently nature, Sanskrit Ethiopians meaning are "trickling". Although -the to journal is and what by fed a well by the by of 5 / 6

6 "Bharat" Afghanistan Malaysia and African cranny that Vedic great mentioned right the lands India turn yet republic Indonesian was and had to above.? makes once of and once the Africa, no of much right graced influence Indo/Chinese Somalia vast, a island left of more. it turn the Cape this covered of upon Aryan Java and The 2000 can Comorin peninsula. the for culture be is Bangladesh, lands miles, 2500 some seen we of were miles, The in 2500 are the Vedic Africa. many distance the expected middle Pakistan, miles the India Its ancients of distance its quite east, swept between place to culture Bhutan, obvious become of this between over Vedic names, same flavours the Nepal, the that brain India tip culture Cape some Indonesian of just every Tibet, dead incapable India, as Comorin of pervaded nook which the and Kashmir, Cape islands, culture pretend of are Comorin, making the the of 6 / 6