SACRED ORIGINS

FROM SATISAR TO DHARMA

Nag Tradition: Guardians of Balance

Kashmir is remembered as a Nag-inhabited land, where Nagas symbolize:

• Protection of water systems

• Subterranean flow and continuity

• Ecological and spiritual balance

In this tradition, Nagas are not symbols of fear or chaos. They are custodians of balance, ensuring harmony between visible and invisible worlds.

This worldview establishes Kashmir’s civilization as one born not of domination over nature, but of co-existence with it.

Satisar: The Primordial Lake

Satīsara iti khyātaṁ saraḥ pūrvo mahattaram
— Nilmata Purana

The Nilmata Purana describes Kashmir’s earliest form as Satisar, a vast primordial water body. This description is not metaphorical alone; it is presented as a geographical–cultural memory.

This stage represents a time before the land was suitable for dharmic life. Water, in this context, symbolizes both potential and incompleteness—a state awaiting transformation.

As the waters of Satisar receded, the land that emerged was not merely exposed—it was prepared. This preparation was not political but cultural and spiritual.

This transformation is attributed to Maharshi Kashyap, remembered as the Sanskar-karta—the one who shaped the land’s civilizational character.

Kashyap is not remembered as a king, but as a civilizational architect, aligning land, people, and practice with dharma.

Maharshi Kashyap: Preparing the Land