Snakes

[Robert Zydenbos]

Am Montag, 12. Juli 2004 02:40 schrieb Stephen Hodge:

> L.S. Cousins wrote:
> > kukku.ta + ada 'eating chickens'.
> > Could this be confused with aadi ?
>
> Possibly, but kukku.ta + ahi is attested and Skt definitions say
> "kukku.ta-cara.na-tulye sarpa-bhede".  [...]

For what it's worth (or perhaps: to confuse matters further): in Jaina 
iconography the kukka.ta-sarpa is the vaahana of Padmaavatii, the 
yak.sii or protective goddess of the Tirthankara Paar;svanaatha (about 
Padmavati and other Jaina goddesses I may advertise myself and refer to 
items 16, 16a, 19 and 29 in my 
http://ca.geocites.com/zydenbos2001/publikationsliste.html). I have 
seen this vaahana depicted as a hen with the neck and head of a cobra 
(usually) or as a snake with a hen's head (sometimes).

So if the snake is question is not a wholly biological creature (or if 
its ontological status is doubtful), this iconographical angle may be 
worth considering.

RZ

-- 
Prof. Dr. Robert J. Zydenbos
Department für Asienstudien - Indologie / Philosophie-Department
Universität München
Deutschland