Mallanaga

Mallanaga is a name that appears in South Asian literary and traditional sources, used for several different figures across regions and eras. There is no single canonical Mallanaga; rather, the label is attached to various legendary, semi-legendary, and historical figures in Hindu, Buddhist, and Tamil-Sinhala narratives. The identity and attributes of Mallanaga thus vary considerably from source to source.

The etymology of Mallanaga is not fixed in surviving texts. It is commonly interpreted as a compound involving malla, meaning fighter or wrestler in Sanskrit, and naga, a word with multiple senses including serpent, lineage, or noble status. Depending on the tradition, this can suggest meanings such as “one associated with the Malla clan” or “serpent-noble.” However, there is no consensus on a precise linguistic derivation or a uniform symbolic reading applicable to all instances of the name.

In literature and chronicles, Mallanaga can function as an ancestral figure, a sage, or a ruler, with the role and significance of the figure differing by region and period. Because numerous sources are legendary or biographical rather than strictly historical, reliable identifications are often disputed, and details about deeds, origin, and geography do not always align across texts.

Scholarly treatment of Mallanaga typically emphasizes the name’s cross-cultural circulation and its use in constructing dynastic or religious legitimacy. The figure illustrates how names are repurposed within different mythological and historical frameworks to serve varied narrative purposes.

See also: Malla (dynasty), Naga, Tamil literature, Sinhala chronicles.