Naga Sak Yant: The Two Naga Yantra and the Khmer Naga
In short
A naga sak yant is a Khmer sacred tattoo of the naga, នាគ (neak), the serpent of Cambodian legend, framed by Khmer script. The design we tattoo most is the Two Naga Yantra, worn for protection, for preventing and avoiding enemies, and for power, peace and good luck. It goes down the spine, across the back or on the arm.
The naga is the sacred serpent of Cambodia, and one of the animals we tattoo most often as a sak yant. For the tiger, Hanuman and the other animals, see sak yant animals.
What is a naga sak yant?
A naga sak yant is a yant built around the naga, នាគ (neak) in Khmer, framed by Khmer script, as in every Khmer sak yant. The crested naga looks much like a dragon, so it is sometimes called a Khmer or Cambodian dragon tattoo. In our work it takes four forms:
- two naga twined down the spine, the Two Naga Yantra;
- two naga heads either side of a column of Khmer script;
- a single naga with a Naga Mantra underneath;
- a naga coiling round the upper arm.
What does the Two Naga Yantra mean?
The Two Naga Yantra is for protection and for strength against enemies. It is worn for protection, for preventing and avoiding enemies, and for power, peace and good luck.
In Khmer culture, as Cambodianess put it in 2026, the naga carries "water, fertility, protection, ancestry, sacred space" at once. The Khmer origin story tells of Preah Thong, a foreign prince, marrying Neang Neak, daughter of the Naga King (Cambodianess, 2026). For what the other Khmer designs are for, read what Khmer tattoos mean.
Is the naga a Khmer design?
Yes. The naga we tattoo is an original Khmer, Cambodian design. The naga is everywhere in Cambodia. Nagas line the causeways and stairways of Khmer temples, Angkor Wat among them (Cambodianess, 2026). Our designs come from the elder masters who taught Chantha: meet them on Chantha and the masters.
Where does a naga sak yant go on the body?
Down the spine, across the upper back, as the centre of a full back, or on the upper arm, in our work. The naga's long body follows the line of the spine or wraps round the arm.
Animals are the designs most often allowed on the legs, but not every animal may go there, so ask Chantha before you plan a naga below the hip. The full rule is in where a sak yant may go.
Women wear the naga as well as men: read sak yant for women.
Can a naga be tapped with bamboo?
Yes. We have tapped a naga with traditional bamboo, and one client's Two Naga Yantra, on the upper back, was tapped with bamboo too. We tattoo by hand with bamboo or by machine: rod or machine explains the difference.
How do I ask for a naga sak yant?
Send us a message on WhatsApp with the form you like, where you would like it and roughly how large. Large pieces need a first consultation to talk through the details, while small designs, about the size of a hand, can be done in a single visit. The naga is given with a blessing.
How we price a sak yant, and how to find us, is on our visit page, and what happens at a session is set out step by step.
