The Sanskrit term Nāgaśarīra can be transliterated into English as Nagasarira or Nagasharira, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Nāgaśarīra (नागशरीर) refers to the “bodies of the Nāgas”, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly [as the Buddha addressed the four great kings], “O Great Kings, there are the impelling heart-dhāraṇī-mantrapadas called Completely Blazing Thunderbolt. Merely upon hearing, all residences and bodies of the Nāgas (nāgaśarīra) will be ablaze. It shakes the heart of all hostile Nāgas. The head of all Nāgas will split into seven. Their eyes and heads burst. They crumble to small pieces. O Great Kings, grasp them for the sake of destroying the hostile and malevolent and for the sake of protecting all beings”

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: The University of Sydney: A study of the Twelve Reflections

Nāgaśarīra (नागशरीर) refers to the “body of a snake”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “The pleasures that are cherished, like the poison of a snake [com.—nāgaśarīra-sadṛśa—‘resembling the body of a snake’], are the thieves of life immediately and they are produced in the cycle of rebirth by the 30 gods”.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Sharira, Naga.

Full-text: Naga.

Relevant text

No search results for Nagasharira, Nāgaśarīra, Nāga-śarīra, Naga-sharira, Naga-sarira, Nagasarira; (plurals include: Nagashariras, Nāgaśarīras, śarīras, shariras, sariras, Nagasariras) in any book or story.