Sadhguru: Wherever people observed, paid attention to, and experienced life the way it is, there were snakes. This was true across the planet. It is not about worship but about using them as tools to know aspects that are otherwise not accessible to you.
Question: Namaskaram, Sadhguru. What is Naga dosha?
Understanding Naga Dosha
Sadhguru: Generally, Naga dosha refers to certain types of ailments that do not respond to any treatment or medicine, but if you do certain things connected with the snake, they will just vanish.
Naga dosha may manifest as a chronic urinary tract infection. The person may see any number of doctors and take any amount of medication, but the infection does not get cured for some reason. When such an ailment does not respond to any treatment, we recognize it as Naga dosha, and there are specific things one can do about it.
Generally, Naga dosha refers to certain types of ailments that do not respond to any treatment or medicine, but if you do certain things connected with the snake, they will just vanish.
Today, many people have spinal problems because they do not have enough muscle in their body – that is a different matter. They are not using their body here but preserving it for the grave; such people have spinal problems. That is not Naga dosha. If an otherwise healthy, strong human being with no injuries suddenly has their spine bulging in places – that is Naga dosha. It could easily be fixed by doing certain things.
Manifestations of Naga Dosha
People just go to a temple or make an offering, and it is gone. You will see this with many people, particularly in South India. Certain types of psychological problems that are symptomatically very distinct could also occur due to Naga dosha. Another type of manifestation is certain skin ailments where you are almost molting, with layers of skin peeling off – that is Naga dosha.
Naga dosha could also manifest as calcification of joints and bones where, if you allow it to grow, your skeletal system will become like stone over time. This condition is called marble-bone disease because of excess calcification, as calcium is a key component of marble.
We have a brahmachari who came here with marble-bone disease, and there seemed to be no hope for a cure with modern medicine. Today, he is perfectly fine, doing many Surya Namaskars and other sadhana. From a medical perspective, they usually write off such cases; it is just a question of time. They can slow it down a bit, but calcification will occur across the skeletal system, which will become like stone and result in a very painful death. These are some expressions of Naga dosha.
Resolving Naga Dosha
One way to understand Naga dosha is that your vyana, or the preservative dimension of your body, is not functioning properly for some reason; it is in limbo. You can activate it in many ways: through the right kind of practices, certain types of worship, or by being in spaces with a certain energy, such as the Naga’s, the Naga dosha will go.
One way to understand Naga dosha is that your vyana, or the preservative dimension of your body, is not functioning properly for some reason – it is in limbo.
We have also established a smaller-scale version of Naga at Linga Bhairavi. People have told me how their Naga dosha went away and their lives changed after visiting; there are many stories of how people found relief from such conditions.
Naga’s Role and Nature
The Naga (at the Suryakund) will be a far bigger expression of the same aspect, slowly growing stronger and dominating the area. The Naga always has to be backed by something; it is a receptive perception, not an energy by itself. Only with a powerful mulasthana, an energy source, can he grow, because his nature is to perceive and receive, and through this, he becomes big.
Generally, we say the cobra is a reflection of Shiva. You cannot perceive ‘that which is not,’ but because the Naga has already perceived, you can perceive through him.
That is why, though his energies are essentially of the sun, we identify him with the moon, because like the moon, he is also a reflection. Generally, we say the cobra is a reflection of Shiva. You cannot perceive “that which is not,” but because the Naga has already perceived, you can perceive through him. Consequently, the Naga becomes very important.