Naga is a term that has different meanings depending on the context. Here are some of the meanings of the term:
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In various Asian religious traditions, the Nagas are a divine or semi-divine race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. They are described as a powerful, splendid, wonderful, and proud semi-divine race that can assume their physical form either as human, a partial human-serpent, or as a whole serpent. Their domain is in the enchanted underworld, the underground realm filled with gems, gold, and other earthly treasures called Naga-loka or Patala-loka.
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In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, Naga is a member of a class of mythical semi-divine beings, half human and half cobra. They are a strong, handsome species who can assume either wholly human or wholly serpentine form and are potentially dangerous but often beneficial to humans. They live in an underground kingdom called Naga-loka, or Patala-loka, which is filled with resplendent palaces, beautifully ornamented with precious gems. The female nagas (naginis or nagis) are serpent princesses of striking beauty.
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In Sanskrit, a nāgá (नाग) is a snake, most often depicted by a cobra, the Indian cobra (Naja naja). Sometimes the word nāgá is also used generically to mean "snake".
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NAGA is also an acronym for the North American Grappling Association, which is an organization that hosts grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments for all ages and skill levels.
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Naga is also a term used to refer to a group of Tibeto-Burman peoples in the Naga hills, Assam, and in adjoining parts of Burma east of the Chindwin river and the Hukawng valley. It can also refer to any of the Tibeto-Burman languages of the Naga peoples.
