Ubiquitous animal imagery and symbolism can be identified in diverse cultures worldwide, particularly within those that actively participate in spiritual pursuits. The symbolic significance of animals holds paramount importance, which weaves intricate narratives and spiritual beliefs on cosmology and the relationships between humans and the natural world. There are parallels found in the Asian Indian and Native American cultures, which is unsurprising given the scientific theories of migration, which indicate peoples’ movements from the Indian Subcontinent through Japan, toward Alaska, and to Native American lands during the Ice Age (Vachula et al., 2019; Pauls, 2023). Everyday rituals, practices, and spiritual philosophies overlap and exist within each culture, and one such aspect is the approach to understanding and interpreting human evolution. Among these commonalities, wolves, birds, and serpents are potent archetypes representing each culture’s spiritual dimensions of existence.
Within the paradigm of human evolutionary development, the Yogic framework discerns three distinct stages of advancement that hold profound significance, and similarities are observed in Native American practices as well. From the primordial one-celled organism to the present complexity of our existence, vestiges of three primal animals—referred to as Swana, Kaka, and Naga—linger within the human psyche. These three are understood as the Swana or canine-dog in India, the wolf in Native American tradition, the Kaka or Avian – bird in both traditions, and the Naga or the Serpent in Asian Indian and Native American traditions. Each of the three animals embodies distinct facets and is seen as pivotal points in the trajectory of human evolution.
The First Stage: Swana (Canine) – Embodiment of Survival Intelligence
The Swana could be understood as the mammalian archetype, receptive to the sense of smell and hearing. The symbolic role of the dog in yogic culture and the wolf in Native American culture represents the survival process. Dogs are mentioned in various spiritual aspects in the Puranas and are mainly depicted as trusted companions for humans and historical figures and deities. From the yogic perspective, the idea of the Swana stage of evolution is that the canine enhances the faculties of respiration and cognition and therefore bolsters instincts and awareness, leading to a state of enhanced survival (Sadhguru, 2022). A particular way of breathing is supposed to activate the Swana dimension, which works on the survival aspects of the brain, given that the breath and brain are connected.
The relationship between the Native Americans and wolves is understood as profoundly reverential. This canine is ingrained within the spiritual framework, and the wolf is almost always seen as the divine essence that traverses the earthly realm and is associated with the welfare of the tribe. Wolves are seen as guardians and teachers, and their skills as a hunter reflect their role in maintaining sound natural and ecological balance (Pierotti & Wildcat, 2000). Wolves are thus spirits or even Gods believed to be on earth in the form of canines and represent the interconnectedness of all living beings. In Native American cultures, the canine is usually the wolf that serves as a spirit guide. This entity represents magical realism in literature and is often misunderstood only as fierce and menacing, especially in post-colonial narratives (Hogan, 1996).
Wolves are also associated with healing and medicine, and dreams and sightings of wolves denote strength, courage, loyalty, and success. Wolves are also linked with the concept of mortality in Native American culture representing the transition between life and death. For example, the wolf in Navajo and Hopi culture means being wary of the negative behavior of humans as the wolf’s powers could be used to influence other people. The Lakota, however, see the dog or wolf spirit associated with war, hunting, companionship, and loyalty, similar to the depictions in the Puranas. The color of the wolf is symbolic as well, for example, a white wolf means inner peace or a time of peace sans war. The wolf’s howl represents the connection or bridge between the physical and spiritual realms (Narotzky, 2021). In the Indian yogic culture, the kalas, or transition time in Sanskrit, especially around sunrise and sunset, are considered essential for seekers (Sivananda, 1998), and this range of time is regarded as the best time to meditate. Similarly, the transition state between wakefulness and sleep is stressed in Asian Indian culture, as is the transition from life to death.
The Second Stage: Kaka (Avian) – A Realm of Wisdom and Perceptive Acuity
The Kaka encompasses another phase in human evolution, and the avian reference goes beyond the literal crow. The Kaka focuses on the olfactory and auditory facilities and thus emphasizes visual acuity and heightened perception. Birds are inherently visually acute due to their aerial nature, and therefore, the Kaka stage augments the human faculties of insight, observation, and discernment of subtleties and sensations. One must activate the Kaka aspect when a seeker wants to enhance spiritual wisdom and dimensions. In Indian culture, crows, considered beings of ancestral wisdom, are offered food during Pitru Paksha or Shraadh – 16 days associated with the lunar calendar, which pays honor to one’s ancestors. Folks believe that the deceased ancestors visit their progeny during this time, and making offerings to the crow is considered an act of peace and honor for the ancestors.
Birds in Native American culture are cosmological beings and messengers that traverse the realms of the Earth and Sky. The flight of birds is often seen as symbolic transcendence, a journey of the non-physical life that will continue living beyond physical limitations. Feathers are considered gifts from the Great Spirit and are thus involved in prayers to the Creator. Think about the birds and how they are covered in feathers – the feathers though technically not alive, have tremendous sensation ability. In Native American spiritual practices, bird feathers are treated as sacred artifacts. They are often utilized in rituals, ceremonies, and part of traditional regalia connecting humans to the spirit world and evoking divine guidance.
The color of the feathers holds significance as well, and the eagle, hawk, and falcon are primarily held sacred; the feathers are a connection between the Creator, the bird from which the feather came, and the person who owns the feather. For example, in Native American culture, red is associated with chiefs and deities; thus, red feathers are utilized for religious rites. A black feather is related to spiritual ascension and a move toward the Creator. Also, the flight patterns of the birds are studied to discern omens and interpret messages from the beyond. For example, the red-tailed hawk, a protective spirit of the Cherokees, is sacred, and the tail feathers are utilized for ceremonies and hold particular meanings. Feathers falling from the Sky are considered a gift from the Sky.
Finally, each culture has iconic avian beings with supernatural powers. For example, the great Thunderbird is considered a powerful spirit in Native American lore (Nabokov & Easton, 1990; Nabokov, 1999; Geertz, 2017) that protects human beings from opposing forces according to Hopi, Navajo, and Pueblo traditions. In Indian historical texts, Jatayu, Suparna, or Sampati are mentioned to play significant roles in the Ramayana, depict wisdom and loyalty, and the birds, such as Swana or Hamsa, are symbols of wisdom (Mishra, 1999; Chopra, 2017) and the discrimination faculty associated with the Vignanamaya Kosha. Birds are also depicted as being vehicles for Goddesses and Gods.
The Third Stage: Naga (Serpentine) – Transcendence into a Subtler Dimension
The snake symbolism exists in various places worldwide; the serpent symbolizes going beyond the five senses and into the mystical and spiritual realms; much of the discussion here is based on Sadhguru’s writings and discourses (2022). The Serpentine symbol represents the transition from the mundane to the spiritual in yogic and Native American cultures. Nagas in Hinduism and Buddhism are depicted as divine and powerful entities who possess both human and snake-like characteristics, and the Naga race is considered to have made significant contributions to human evolution and survival. In Native American culture, serpents are seen to serve as intermediaries between life, death, and rebirth domains – the cyclical nature of existence. They are considered to be associated with ancient wisdom.
Serpents were and still are linked to shamanism, medicine, and spirituality in Native cultures. Snake venom is used for various rituals and spiritual purposes in each culture, and families are trained in these medicinal arts generation after generations in both cultures – an intriguing aspect worth studying. Different Native American tribes interpret the serpentine presence differently. Still, the serpent is associated with the creation belief and has the supernatural ability to shape creation and the natural world. Snakes are significant in rituals and ceremonies as they protect, heal, and provide spiritual guidance. However, pottery and other art and symbolism are found along with stories and lore. The Great Serpent Mound is about 1,348-foot-long, three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound in Peebles, Ohio (Craig, 2019). It is the most enormous ancient effigy mound in the world – an intriguing archeological site is shaped like a serpent’s undulating body, and the serpent’s jaws are aligned with the summer solstice sunrise, making it significant for spiritual seekers from the past and present.
Pilgrimages, rituals, and ceremonies on this site were probably common as they might have been perceived to be associated with spiritual power. Throughout many of the tribes, a common belief is that the serpent connects the Earth and the Skies and is seen as a protector of the natural elements. Even to the south of the United States, the revered feather serpent deity – Quetzalcoatl was revered as the deity of creation, knowledge, and enlightenment (Harris, 1994; Florescano, 2002; Anaya, 2012; Austin, 2015). Similarly, in yogic culture, while the canine and avian are associated with sharpening the senses, the serpentine aspect is meditative as it represents the transformative process of the rise of energies which might lead to freeing one from the cycle of life and death.
The serpent is often discussed as the Kundalini energy, which resides as coiled snake imagery and, when activated, ascends through the spine via the central channel or nadi – Sushumna, activating the energy chakras, which are part of yogic physiology. The “remainder” energy, which resides at the base of the spine, is the residual essence that persists after the culmination of creation, though harboring the potential to catalyze subsequent creations depicted by the uncoiling of energy. There are twelve dimensions of the serpentine in yogic texts (Sadhguru, 2022). The snake associated with Deity Vishnu – symbolizing the element of maintaining creation is named Shesha, literally, the remainder. In contrast, the serpent associated with Deity Shiva is portrayed around his neck, and on par with the Deity is Vasuki, a mighty snake who has mastered control over energies, symbolizing the transcendence principle. Thus Vasuki is given importance by being as good as the Supreme Yogi Shiva himself (Sivananda, 1980).
The serpentine aspect also plays a role in horoscopes, and those afflicted with naga-related challenges in life can participate in rituals that ease suffering. Nagar Panchami or Naga Panchmi is celebrated throughout India as a reverence to the serpentine (Kurian et al., 1977; Nair, 2017), capable of knowing life beyond physicality and the senses. India, often known as the land of seekers, the naga aspect plays a crucial role in “knowing” and going beyond. Though more comparative research is needed to map the position of the serpentine in each of the two cultures discussed here, the naga aspect is not just limited to the Asian and American continents. The pervasive influence of yogic principles and the role attributed to the nagas are evident across diverse archaeological sites worldwide, thus rendering this topic fertile for scholarly, historical, and indigenous investigations.
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