Bestiary.us

In much of the world, Dragons are the most familiar of all mythological beasts; but they are rarely associated with India. However, long ago, things were different. The area around the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, in what is now Punjab and Kashmir, was once thought to have been a home to Dragons. They are mentioned in the works of several ancient Greek and Roman writers, whose descriptions of India were based in turn on the accounts of European or Persian travellers.

These dragons did not have wings, nor did they breathe fire. Instead they resembled oversized snakes. It’s possible that Western legends of the drakon indikos — the Indian dragon — are based on the Nagas of Hindu mythology.

The Roman author Aelian, writing in the 3rd century C.E., described a species of Indian dragon that preyed upon elephants. These dragons would climb up into large trees and hide there. When an elephant came to the tree to feed on its leaves and branches, the dragon would spring at it and bite out its eyes. Then, keeping its tail anchored to the tree, it would wind itself around the pachyderm’s neck and constrict it to death. Finally, it would swallow the animal whole.

According to Philostratus, a Greek author who wrote around the same time as Aelian, India was chock-full of dragons. He described three sorts.

Marsh Dragons were the smallest, around 30 cubits (14 meters) in length. They were also the most sluggish. They had large, black scales on their backs and smooth heads without crests.

The Plains Dragons were larger and very fast-moving. These were silver in colour. Young plains dragons started out with small crests on their heads which grew taller as they aged; a serrated dorsal fin developed as well. The plains dragons were said to have magical stones in their eyes and huge indestructible teeth.

Finally there were the Mountain Dragons, the largest of all. These had golden scales, bushy golden beards, and crests which flashed with a fiery light. Mountain dragons could burrow into the earth, making an incredible racket while doing so. In addition to their valuable eyes and teeth, the skulls of mountain dragons contained multicoloured gems which had tremendous magical powers (see Ichchhadhari Naag).

Abisares, a king who ruled part of the Punjab during the time of Alexander the Great, was said to have kept two captive dragons, one 140 cubits (64 metres) long, and the other 80 cubits (37 metres).

Philostratus wrote that some Indians knew the secret of charming mountain dragons. This was done by means of occult symbols woven in gold thread into scarlet fabric. When these cloths were waved at the entrance of a dragon’s burrow, the monster would come out to gaze on them and fall asleep, at which point the people would hack off their heads with axes in order to obtain the gems inside. Dragon hearts and livers were also harvested; eating these organs was supposed to give a person the power to speak to animals and to read their thoughts.

Perhaps it was these methods that eventually drove the Indian Dragon extinct.