What does the serpent represent physically? What does it embody in the material world?
The vibration of evolution.

I don't mean symbolically, but physically, materially: the animal itself.
A formidable concentration of vitality - of all animals, the serpent has the most vitality. It's tremendous! And energy ... progressive energy, energy of movement (progressive in the mechanical sense). Its meaning has been changed to a psychological one, but it's a force of movement.


page 62 , Mother's Agenda , volume 2 , 4th Feb. - 1961
One could almost say that of all animals, the serpent is the most sensitive to hypnotic or magnetic power. if you have it (magnetic power comes from the most material vital), you can easily gain a mastery over snakes; all the people who like snakes have it and use it to make snakes obey them.... That's how I got out of my encounter with the cobra at Tlemcen [[Tlemcen: a town in northern Algeria. ]] - do you know the story? Theon had told me about this power and I was aware of it in myself, so I was able to make the cobra obey and he left. Afterwards (I've told this story, too), I was visited by the King of Serpents - I mean the spirit of the species. He came to me in Tlemcen after this and another incident when I helped a cat overpower a little asp (there are asps over there like Cleopatra's, very dangerous) - a big russet angora cat. At first it started to play with the asp, but then naturally grew furious. The asp struck at the cat, but the cat leapt aside with such swiftness that the asp missed it (I watched this going on for more than ten minutes, it was extraordinary). Just as the snake darted by, the cat would swat at it with all his claws out - and the asp got scratched each time, so that little by little it ran out of energy, and at the end.... I stopped the cat from eating it - that part was disgusting!

Then after these two incidents, I received a visit one night from the King of Serpents. He was wearing a superb crown on his head - symbolic, of course, but anyway, he was the spirit of the species He had the appearance of a cobra, and he was wonderful! A formidable beast, and ... wonderful! He said he had come to make a pact with me: I had demonstrated my power over his species, so he wanted to come to an understanding. 'All right,' I said, 'what do you propose?' 'I not only promise that serpents won't harm you,' he replied, 'but that they will obey you. But you must promise me something in return: never to kill one of them.' I thought it over and said, 'No, I can't make this promise, because if ever one of yours attacks one of mine (a being that depends upon me), my pact with you could not stop me from protecting him. I can assure you that I have no bad feelings and no intention of killing - killing is not on my program! But I can't commit myself, because it would restrict my freedom of decision.' He left without replying, so it remains status quo.

I have had several experiences demonstrating my power over snakes (not so much as over cats - with cats it's extraordinary!). Long ago, I often used to take a drive and then stop somewhere for a walk. One day after my walk, as I was getting back into the car to drive away (the door was still open), a very large snake came out, right from the spot I had just left. He was furious and heading straight towards the open door, ready to strike (luckily I was alone, neither the driver nor Pavitra were there, other-wise ... ). When the snake had come quite near, I looked at him closely and said, 'What do you want? Why have you come here?' There was a pause. Then he fell down flat and off he went. I hadn't made a move, only asked him, 'What do you want? Why have you come here?' You know, they have a way of suddenly falling back, going limp, and prrt! Gone!

page 63-64 , Mother's Agenda , volume 2 , 4th Feb. - 1961

The Darshan went rather well, much better than I was expecting; but the following two days it was difficult here [in the body]. Then one night (I don't remember which), I ... I can't say 'grumbled,' but ... (it wasn't my body 'grumbling,' it is very docile and doesn't protest), but I sometimes find that ... well, I found it a little exaggerated that day. 'All the same,' I said, 'this may be demanding a bit too much of it!' And then (Mother laughs) the whole night through, each time I awoke and looked (not with my physical eyes), I saw serpents! They were drawn up straight in a circle - magnificent cobras with white bellies, pearl gray backs and flecks of gold on their hoods! They surrounded me, watching, exactly as though they were saying, 'All the necessary energy is there! You needn't worry!' So I concluded that this whole affair [[The physical disorder that had principally attacked Mother's legs. ]] must have its utility - it can't be simply the body's lack of plasticity and incapacity to receive. It must have a usefulness - but what? ... I haven't understood. Perhaps I will get the explanation later, once it's over.

And the next afternoon, I closed my eyes while I was bathing and what did I see but an enormous, magnificent cobra! It gazed at me, almost smiling, and stuck out its tongue! 'Good,' I said, 'then everything is all right! (laughing) I have only to hold on.'

So, that's all I have to say.

page 96 - Mother's Agenda , volume 2 , 25th Feb 1961
According to Theon, the serpent wasn't the spirit of evil at all: it was the evolutionary Force. And Sri Aurobindo fully agreed; he used to tell me the same thing: the evolutionary power - the mental evolutionary power - is what drove man to gain knowledge, a knowledge of division. And it's a fact that along with the sense of Good and Evil, man became conscious of himself. Naturally, this ruined everything and he couldn't stay: it was his own consciousness that drove him out of Paradise - he could no longer stay.

page 124 - Mother's Agenda, volume 2, 14th March - 1961