The shade of peepal trees (aswatta vriksha) are the preferred abodes of naga spirits and, hence, the natural site for naga worship. Above, the author (center) with Sri Lankan devotees at Subramanya Temple, Ghati, near Bangalore in Karnataka state.

Lord Subramanya (popularly known as Lord Muruga in Tamil Nadu and Lord Karttikeya in North India) who is widely worshipped as the serpent deity and as forgiver of all doshas connected with serpents normally called “Naga Dosha”, “Sarpa Dosha” and “Kalasarpa Dosha”. In South India, especially in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, this Lord is very widely worshiped in the serpent (naga) form.

Lord Subramanya is called Sarpa Dosha Nivaraka (remedier). In the Southern part of India, almost in all temples and also under the peepal tree (aswatta vriksha) along the road sides, Naga idols are installed on platforms. You can see such platforms built at the entrance of every village with different type of idols duly installed on it. Each type of idol is earmarked as a remedy for a particular type of dosha or fulfilling a particular wish of the devotee.

What then are these Naga Dosha, Sarpa Dosha and Kalasarpa Dosha? Astrologically, when Rahu-Ketu conjuncts other planets or, in other words, the other planets are under the nodal influence of Rahu and Ketu, it is treated as “Sagraha Sarpa Dosha”.

Kalasarpa Dosha is said to be caused when all the planets are hemmed on one side between Rahu and Ketu. Depending upon the position of Rahu-Ketu and the planets, twelve different types of Kalasarpa Dosha are said to exist. This Dosha is believed to emanate by harming or killing a serpent (intentionally or otherwise) and thereby hurting Lord Subramanya.

A look at the planetary movements during the last three decades show a great influence of Rahu-Ketu on the planetary positions, resulting in this dosha and sufferings to a large majority of the populace. Without going into the complications of the formation of different kinds of Sarpa Doshas and Kalasarpa Dosha, I would like to detail the effects of these doshas and the various remedies suggested in overcoming these effects.

Many great personalities, who have performed wonderful deeds during their lifetime are said to have suffered from Kalasarpa Dosha. To name a few: Abraham Lincoln, Kitoor Rani Chennamma, Jhansirani Lakshmibai, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Emperor Nero, Chengiz Khan, Jesus Christ, Mussolini, et al. Although all these great personalities achieved great things in life, their end was terrible. The point to note here is that among the great personalities mentioned, five were killed.

Kalasarpa Dosha is said to cause several difficulties during the course of one’s life: unhappiness in the family, continuous loss in business, miserable married life, childlessness, ill health, skin diseases, trouble in eyes, ears and throat, poverty and financial difficulties, delay in marriage, improper development of body organs, loss and litigations, striving very hard to progress in life, always worried. People, who have built their houses on plots after demolishing the snake pits, are found to face ill health as long as they live in that house.

The remedial measures or poojas, suggested to overcome these doshas are Nagaprathistha, Nagabali, Nagathambula, Naga Puthalika Vidhi, Navagraha Shanthi and Kalasarpa Shanthi depending upon the type of Dosha. These poojas have to be performed through people who are well versed in performing such Shanthis. Kukke Subramanya temple in Karnataka, Sri Kalahasti temple in Andhra Pradesh, Tirunageshwaran Kovil in Tamil Nadu are known places for performing these Shanthis. Reciting the “Kanda Shasti Kavacham” and performing pooja to the Five/seven-headed idol of Naga would mitigate the sufferings to a great extent.

A person who kills a serpent invites serious Dosha onto himself. Such persons often see cobras both in reality and in dreams. The effect of this particular dosha is very severe. The remedy for this is to perform “Sarpa Samaskara”, similar to the “Samaskara” (ceremonies) done after the death of a person. Kukke Subramanyaswami Sannidhi, near Mangalore in Karnataka is considered sacred for conducting “Sarpa Samskara” and other shanthi poojas.At Ishta Siddi Subramanyaswamy Trust, Bangalore, Shree Subramanya Swamiji invokes remedial measures to the devotees. Large numbers of devotees have benefitted and mitigated of sarpa doshas by Swamiji’s blessing and directions.