Shesha

Shesha, also known as Sheshanaga or Adishesha, is a prominent figure in Hindu mythology regarded as the king of the nagas (serpents). In many traditions he is described as the first serpent and a progenitor of the naga race, often said to be the son of Kashyapa and Kadru. The name Shesha is usually interpreted as “that which remains,” and he is frequently identified with Ananta, meaning endless or infinite, underscoring his association with eternity and time.

In cosmology, Shesha plays a central role in the cycles of creation and dissolution. He is depicted as a colossal serpent that rests on the cosmic ocean, upon which Lord Vishnu reclines between the cycles of the universe. Shesha’s many heads form a protective canopy over Vishnu, and his coiling body is said to support the entire cosmos. He is thus both a bed for Vishnu in Vaikuntha and an axis around which the universe unfolds.

Iconographically, Shesha is typically shown as a mighty serpent with multiple heads, sometimes with jewels or divine symbols along his body. In artwork and temple sculpture, Vishnu is often depicted reclining on Shesha’s coils, which symbolize cosmic stability and the endless cycle of creation. As a divine serpent, Shesha is honored in Vaishnavism and appears in various Puranic texts, including the Bhagavata Purana and the Vishnu Purana, where his role as the universal support and the bearer of time is described.

Overall, Shesha embodies the concepts of eternity and cosmic order within Hindu myth, serving as the primal serpent who upholds the structure of the universe and the resting place of Vishnu.