nāgaṁ

mountain SN.i.195 Cnd.136#a (nagassa passe āsīna, of the Buddha); Snp.180 (= devapabbata royal mountain Snp-a.216; or should it mean “forest”?); Thag.41 (˚vivara), Thag.525; Pv.ii.9#61 (˚muddhani on top of the Mount, i.e. Mt. Sineru Pv-a.138; the Buddha was thought to reside there); Mil.327 (id.); Vv.16#6 (˚antare in between the (5) mountains, see Vv-a.82).

Sk. naga tree & mountain, referred by Fausböll & Uhlenbeck to na + gacchati, i.e. immovable (= sthāvara) more probably however with Lidén (see Walde under nāvis) to Ohg. nahho, Ags. naca “boat = tree”; semantically mountain = trees, i.e. forest

1. a serpent or Nāga demon, playing a prominent part in Buddh. fairy-tales, gifted with miraculous powers & great strength. They often act as fairies are classed with other divinities (see devatā), with whom they are sometimes friendly, sometimes at enmity (as with the Garuḷas) DN.i.54; SN.iii.240 sq. SN.v.47, SN.v.63; Bu. SN.i.30 (dīghāyukā mahiddhikā); Mil.23 Often with supaṇṇā (Garuḷas); Ja.i.64; Dhp-a.ii.4; Pv-a.272. Descriptions e.g. at Dhp-a.iii.231, Dhp-a.iii.242 sq.; see also compounds
2. an elephant, esp. a strong, stately animal (thus in combination hatthi-nāga characterising “a Nāga elephant”) & freq. as symbol of strength & endurance (“heroic”). Thus epithet of the Buddha & of Arahants Popular etymologies of n. are based on the excellency of this animal (āguṃ na karoti = he is faultless, etc.): see Mnd.201 = Cnd.337; Thag.693; Pv-a.57
   1. the animal DN.i.49; SN.i.16; SN.ii.217, SN.ii.222; SN.iii.85; SN.v.351; AN.ii.116; AN.iii.156 sq.; Snp.543; Vv.5#5 (= hatthināga Vv-a.37); Pv.i.11#3. mahā˚ AN.iv.107, AN.iv.110
   2. fig. hero or saint: SN.ii.277; SN.iii.83; MN.i.151, MN.i.386; Dhp.320; Snp.29, Snp.53, Snp.166, Snp.421, Snp.518. Of the Buddha: Snp.522, Snp.845 Snp.1058, Snp.1101; Mil.346 (Buddha˚).
3. The Nāga-tree (now called “iron-wood tree,” the P. meaning “fairy tree”), noted for its hard wood & great masses of red flowers (= Sk. nāgakesara, mesua ferrea Lin.): see cpds ˚rukkha, ˚puppha, ˚latā.

• -āpalokita “elephant-look” (turning the whole body) a mark of the Buddhas MN.i.337; cp. BSk. nāgâvalokita Divy.208;
• -danta an ivory peg or pin, also used as a hook on a wall Vin.ii.117 (˚ka Vin.ii.114, Vin.ii.152); Ja.vi.382
• -nāṭaka snakes as actors Dhp-a.iv.130;
• -nāsūru (f. (woman) having thighs like an elephant’s trunk Ja.v.297
• -puppha iron-wood flower Mil.283;
• -bala the strength of an elephant Ja.i.265; Ja.ii.158;
• -bhavana the world of snakes Mnd.448; Ja.iii.275; Dhp-a.iv.14;
• -māṇavaka a young serpent Ja.iii.276; f. -ikā ib. 27