Surasa also Siras is a Hindu goddess, who is described as the mother of the nagas (serpents). Her most popular tale appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where she is tasked to test the god Hanuman on his way to Lanka.
Birth and children
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Surasa is one of the 12 daughters of Daksha, who are married to the sage Kashyapa. She became the mother of the nagas (a class of serpents), while her co-wife and sister Kadru gave birth to uragas, another class of snakes. Vasuki, Takshaka, Airavata and other sons of Surasa are described to live in Bhogavati.
The epic Mahabharata describes her being born from the wrath of Krodhavasha, another wife of Kashyapa. Surasa has three daughters: Anala, Ruha and Virudha. The serpents descend from the daughters of Surasa. She is thus called the mother of nagas and also cranes; another snake race Pannagas descends from Kadru.
The Matsya Purana and the Vishnu Purana describes Surasa as one of 13 wives of Kashyapa and daughters of Daksha. The Vishnu Purana says that she gave birth to a thousand multi-hooded serpents, who fly in the sky; while Kadru also gives birth to a thousand snakes. As the Matsya Purana, she is the mother of all quadrupeds, except cows; the serpents are described as Kadru's children. The Bhagavata Purana portrays her the mother of rakshasas (cannibals, demons). The Vayu Purana and Padma Purana lists do not mention her as a wife of Kashyapa; and Anayush or Danayush take her position as mother of snakes.
The Devi Bhagavata Purana mentions that Rohini as Surasa's incarnation; his son Balarama was incarnation of the naga Shesha, Surasa's son.
As per the Matsya Purana, when the god Shiva as Tripurantaka sets off to the three demon cities, various deities aid him. Surasa and other goddesses become his arrows and spears. When drops of the demon Andhaka blood multiplying into many demons, Surasa and other mother goddesses called matrikas aid Shiva to slay the demon, by drinking the blood.
Encounter with Hanuman
Surasa's encounter with Hanuman in the Sundara Kanda Book of the Ramayana and its retellings, is the most popular tale related to Surasa. Hanuman, flies over the ocean to Lanka (identified with present-day Sri Lanka) in search of his master Rama's kidnapped wife Sita. When Hanuman leaves from land (identified with India), a mountain Mainaka appears in Hanuman's path, for him to rest but Hanuman considering it as an obstacle flies ahead. The gods, gandharvas and sages call Surasa, the mother of the nagas, and request her to assume a terrible rakshasi (demoness) form to test Hanuman. The reasons for her being called to test Hanuman as well as the abilities to be tested, differ in various Ramayana tellings. The Ramacharitamanas suggests that the test was meant to prove his greatness and establish that he is ideally suited for the task assigned to him. Conversely, the Adhyatma Ramayana says that the gods do not trust Hanuman's strengths; however both agree that the gods want to test Hanuman's strength (bala) and thinking power (buddhi). The original Ramayana states that his strength and valour are to be tested and does not state the reasons. Other texts find a middle path where though the gods are confident of Hanuman's abilities, they wish to "sharpen" them or warn him of impending dangers.