278 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Sept. 



III. — The Vastu Yaga and its bearings upon Tree and Serpent-worship 

 in India. — By Babu Pratatachandra (§hosha, B. A. 



(Abstract.) 



The Vastu Yaga and various other forms of Serpent and Tree- 

 worship are traceable as much to a feeling of fear as to other causes. 

 It is evidently a sacrifice, invented by the ancient Aryan con- 

 querors with a view to propitiate the aborigines or primeval 

 owners of the land. Vastu is the principal god, and though the 

 aborigines themselves are not worshipped by name, the Naga is no 

 doubt the ostensible object of worship. The several gods, properly 

 pitris (ancestors, predecessors, former owners) that occupy the 

 several mandalas, are also the names of Nagas. The Vastu is the 

 God Earth, quite distinct from Dhara (Terra) and in the prayer he 

 is represented as the supporter of the world. 



The Vastu Yaga, therefore, appears to be a memorial of the 

 foundation of the new Aryan home and of the Nagas, a power- 

 ful race of aborigines. In the ceremony for dedicating a tank, 

 a stick is planted on its banks. This stick is the Naga-yashti, 

 or the Naga-pole. The application of the term Naga to the reptile 

 class is without doubt of comparatively recent date, and since that 

 time may be noted the double meaning of the word applied to the 

 Naga aborigines as well as to the Naga serpents. Ananta is wor- 

 shipped not as a snake, but as a form of Vishnu. It literally 

 means eternity. The Anantachaturdas'i, Nagapanchami, and such 

 other minor vratas, though connected with the Nagas, have nothing 

 to do with the actual reptile. 



The aborigines of India bore a peculiar relationship to the first 

 Aryan settlers. Many of the aborigines were held in high estima- 

 tion, and in a legend the goddess Sarasvati is described as imparting 

 the art of music to two of the Nagas (Ifamvala and As'vatara,) and 

 the name of Karkotaka, another Naga, is enjoined to be uttered 

 every morning. There are again several fruits, trees, and things 

 which are named after the Nagas, and these are all derived from 

 the N. E. frontiers of India. 



From the above, it would appear that the Nagas as a race of power- 

 ful aborigines were respected for their prowess and also hated for 



