karko.taka

[N. Ganesan]

>NG>Does the MBh. or some other text tell about karkoTaka
>NG>and gemstones?

<<
According to my favourite search program (Examine 32), MBh mentions
KarkoTaka ten times. No gemstones (maNi) in vicinity (up to twenty
lines, 1600 characters).
Six times KarkoTaka appears in lists enumerating the names of great
serpents (I,31.5;  I,114.60; II,9.9; V,101.9; VIII,30.45; XVI,5.14).
Four times in a narrative context (Story of Nala - III, 63.4,9,13;
III, 70,27). Interestingly - in connection with Kali. Conscious
word-play -kal/r-koTa(ka)~kali?
>>

Is maNimat also a nAgam appearing in the MBh. lists?
maNimat = jewel-ful?? Perhaps, jives with 'gem-giver' explaining?

   "The close connection between the various classes of evil
   demons and spiritual powers not exactly evil and yet not
   divine enough to be regarded as gods will often be a subject of
   special remark. This is sufficiently illustrated by the
   interchange of the same name among various groups. Thus
   in MBh. the RAkSasa MaNimat is a friend of Kubera, and
   MaNimat is also a name of a YakSa, of a Naaga; and of a
   king who is reborn as such after existing as vRtra, while
   MaNimat designates a Daitya-town (in both epics MaNimat
   is a mountain). It seems that certain characters stood
   out more as individuals than as fixed members of a group
   and that such individuals are sometimes considered as
   belonging to one and sometimes to another group."
   (Hopkins, Epic mythology, p. 38)

Appreciations on data on nAgas giving out jewels in Hindu, Jain
or Buddhist sources.

Kind regards,
N. Ganesan

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