The Mahoraga (Sanskrit: महोरग), also pronounced as Maha-Uraga ("Greater Dragons") are a race of deities in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. They are the exalted ones among the Uragas, a race of primordial reptilian beings who are cousins to the nāga. Like the nāga, they are often depicted as anthropomorphic beings with reptilian bodies from the waist down. However, their appearance can differ depending on artistic tradition, sometimes having serpent heads with humanoid bodies.[1]
Buddhism
The Mahoraga are one of the eight classes of deities (aṣṭasenā) that are said to protect the Dharma. They are described as huge subterranean serpents who lie on their sides and rotate the earth, which occasionally causes earthquakes.[2]
Like the kinnara, the mahoraga are also associated with music. They are understood as being associated with large serpents such as pythons, while the nāgas are more closely related to the cobra.[3]
According to the Śariputraparipṛcchā Sūtra (T. 1465), one is reborn as a mahoraga as a result of practicing generosity and upholding the Dharma, while being inclined toward anger.
Cultural Impact
The manga Jujutsu Kaisen features a character often translated as Mahoraga, but that is a mistranslation. The correct one, Eight-Handled Divergent Sword Divine Sila General Makora, is inspired by one of the Twelve Heavenly Generals. In the series, it is a powerful spirit called a "shikigami" which can be summoned by its user; it is depicted with a wheel similar to the Dharmachakra, (Wheel of Dharma) above its head, referencing its origin.
References
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This page was last edited on 1 June 2024, at 00:28