Ophiology in Ancient India: A Source of the Indian Knowledge System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.5.5.17Keywords:
Ophiology, India’s knowledge system, Vedic and Ayurvedic texts, cultural preservationAbstract
Ophiology, the study of snakes, was a vital component of ancient India’s knowledge system, seamlessly integrating scientific inquiry, medicinal practices, and cultural reverence. This article explores the role of ophiology in ancient India, focusing on its scientific foundations in Vedic and Ayurvedic texts, its ecological insights, and its cultural significance, particularly through the Buddhist deities Janguli and Tara. Drawing from primary sources like the Atharvaveda, Susruta Samhita, and Charaka Samhita, as well as secondary scholarship, it examines how ancient Indians studied snakes, their venoms, and their symbolic roles. The inclusion of Janguli, a protectress against snakebites, and Tara, a compassionate Buddhist goddess associated with serpent motifs, highlights the intersection of ophiology with Buddhist spirituality. This study underscores ophiology’s contributions to the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) and its relevance to modern science, ecology, and cultural preservation.
Downloads
References
Bhishagratna, K. L. (1907). An English translation of the Susruta Samhita (Vols. 1–3). Author.
Cowell, E. B. (Ed.). (1895). The Jataka: Or stories of the Buddha’s former births (Vols. 1–6). Cambridge University Press.
Dutt, M. N. (1891). The Ramayana (Vols. 1–7). Elysium Press.
Ganvir, S. (2016). Buddhist caves of Ellora. Sahapedia. https://www.sahapedia.org/buddhist-caves-ellora
Griffith, R. T. H. (1895). The hymns of the Atharvaveda. Luzac & Co.
Gupta, A. (2011). Environmental ethics in the Indian knowledge system. Indian Journal of Philosophy, 23(1), 34–50.
Gupta, A., & Singh, R. (2024). Artificial intelligence and Indian Knowledge Systems: Ethical frameworks for the future. Journal of Technology and Society, 10(2), 112–125.
Hoernle, A. F. R. (1893). The Bower Manuscript. Archaeological Survey of India.
Jain, P. (2018). Indian Knowledge Systems in modern education: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Indian Education, 44(4), 22–35.
Jamison, S. W., & Brereton, J. P. (2014). The Rigveda: The earliest religious poetry of India. Oxford University Press.
Kapoor, K. (2005). Texts and tradition: Essays on Indian philosophy. Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan.
Keith, A. B. (1914). The Yajurveda: Taittiriya Samhita. Harvard University Press.
Kenoyer, J. M. (1998). Ancient cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. Oxford University Press.
Khan, A., & Sharma, R. (2024). Indian Knowledge Systems in the National Education Policy 2020: A critical analysis. Educational Policy Review, 15(3), 45–60.
Kumar, A. (2021). Reviving the Indian Knowledge System: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Indian Education, 47(3), 15–28.
Marshall, J. (1951). Taxila: An illustrated account of archaeological excavations (Vols. 1–3). Cambridge University Press.
Ministry of Education. (2023). Thematic session: Indian Knowledge Systems. Government of India.
Mitra, R. (1971). Buddhist monuments. Sahitya Samsad.
Mukherjee, P. K., Harwansh, R. K., Bahadur, S., Banerjee, S., Kar, A., Chanda, J., & Katiyar, C. K. (2017). Development of Ayurveda: Tradition to trend. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 197, 10–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.09.024
Murthy, K. R. S. (1997). Astanga Hrdaya (Vols. 1–3). Chaukhambha Krishnadas Academy.
Nair, S. (2016). Indian Knowledge Systems and sustainable development: A case study of traditional agriculture. Journal of Sustainable Development Studies, 9(2), 88–102.
Narayana, A. (2002). Ayurveda and the medical knowledge in ancient India: Shadows and realities. Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine, 32(1), 15–30.
Patel, R. (2024). Indian Knowledge Systems: A holistic approach to modern challenges. Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(1), 56–72.
Raju, C. K. (2007). Cultural foundations of mathematics: The nature of mathematical proof and the transmission of the calculus from India to Europe in the 16th c. CE. Pearson Longman.
Shah, U. P. (1995). Jaina iconography. Abhinav Publications.
Sharma, P. V. (1981). Charaka Samhita (Vols. 1–4). Chaukhambha Orientalia.
Sharma, R. (2023). Digital preservation of Indian Knowledge Systems: A roadmap for cultural heritage. Journal of Digital Humanities, 12(1), 45–60.
Shaw, J. (2006). Buddhist goddesses of India. Princeton University Press.
Shaw, J. (2007). Naga sculptures in Sanchi’s archaeological landscape: Buddhism, Vaisnavism, and local agricultural cults in central India, first century BCE to fifth century CE. Cambridge University Press.
Sinha, K. (2019). Cultural heritage and the Indian Knowledge System. Journal of Indian Culture, 15(2), 78–92.
Stevenson, J. (1901). The Samaveda. Trübner & Co.
Timane, R., & Wandhe, P. (2024). Indian Knowledge System. SSRN. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4742285
Ven Murthy, M. R., Ranjekar, P. K., Ramassamy, C., & Deshpande, M. (2010). Scientific basis for the use of Indian Ayurvedic medicinal plants in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders: Ashwagandha. Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 10(3), 238–246. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871524911006030238
Verma, S. (2022). Indian Knowledge Systems and modern pharmacology: Bridging ancient wisdom with contemporary science. Journal of Integrative Medicine, 20(4), 301–315.
Vogel, J. P. (1926). Indian serpent-lore: Or, the Nagas in Hindu legend and art. Arthur Probsthain.
Warrell, D. A. (2010). Snake bite. The Lancet, 375(9708), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61754-2
Whitaker, R., & Whitaker, S. (2012). Venom, antivenom and traditional knowledge: The case of India’s snakebite crisis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 144(2), 234–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.09.013
Wilson, H. H. (1840). The Vishnu Purana: A system of Hindu mythology and tradition. Trübner & Co.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Animesh Manna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
10.55544/ijrah
editor@ijrah.com | 
+91-8874396939
This work is licensed under a 