SrI:
Dear Sriman Sadagopan Iyengar :
Members of the many lists missed your
writings during the past few weeks .
Thanks for the delightful article on Nooouram
of the dhivya dampathis.
Welcome back !
V.Sadagopan
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Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 4:12 AM
Subject: [Oppiliappan] Noopuram
> Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
>
>
>
> Noopuram
>
>
>
> There are a number of ornaments women are fond of wearing. Jewels
> embellish and enhance a lady's beauty and sometimes even bring out latent
> beauty. Ornaments thus serve as inseparable companions of womenfolk, who
> would rather be seen dead than without their adornments. Be it ear rings,
> nose-rings, chains of various designs and types, ranging from simple,
> single stranded ones to those with multiple strands and pendants, dazzling
> golden belts (Oddyaanam), anklets of shining silver-all these add
> considerably to women's looks.
>
>
>
> Jewels are thus an integral part of our lives and deserve occasional words
> of appreciation. However, have you heard of an entire work of epic
> proportions devoted to a single ornament? I am definitely not
> exaggerating, for a famous Tamizh poet has considered the jewel to be
> important enough to spin an engrossing tale around the ornament and the
> incidents it gives rise to. It is again no exaggeration to say that this
> single jewel was responsible for the death of an exalted monarch and his
> consort, apart from causing untold loss to life and property, flowing from
> the burning down of an ancient city by a wronged woman, whose property the
> jewel was.
>
>
>
> By now, readers would have guessed that I am talking about the Silambu or
> Noopuram as it is known in Sanskrit. There would be none who has not heard
> of Silappadhikaaram and the way it revolves around the ornament. The
> Kaavyam is considered among the five great ones of Tamizh literature, is
> avidly perused by the learned and unlettered alike, and is still the
> subject of hot debates at Patti Mandrams.
>
>
>
> Apart from its forming the subject matter of Silappadikaaram, does the
> Noopuram have any significance in the Sampradayam? The answer is Yes, and
> we shall see here a few occasions where the ornament comes in for
> appreciative mention in our spiritual lore.
>
>
>
> As with every thing else, we shall turn first to that eternal guidebook,
> Srimad Ramayanam, for inspiration. And the Epic doesn't fail us, for we
> find an extremely heartening reference to the Noopuram in the Kishkinda
> Kaandam. Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana reach Kishkinda, searching en route
> for the abducted Mythily. Sri Hanuman takes them to Sugriva, who promises
> to make all-out efforts for locating Sri Janaki. Some members of Sugriva's
> army then show Rama a bundle of ornaments cast off by a woman who was
> being dragged by Ravana in the skies. Sugriva requests Sri Rama to
> identify whether the jewels are those of Sita. Sri Rama is overwhelmed by
> emotion at the sight of these jewels and His eyes cloud with copious tears
> at the thought of beloved Sita, making it impossible for Him to look at
> the ornaments, much less identify them. He turns to the faithful Lakshmana
> and advises him to see if the jewels are those of Sita.
>
>
>
> It is here that Lakshmana comes out with an extremely moving speech, which
> amply demonstrates his devotion towards his brother's wife and his
> attitude of extreme rectitude and propriety. ''Since I have never looked
> at my respected sister-in-law in the face and have always had my head
> bowed with devotion while in front of Her, I have never had occasion to
> see the ornaments adorning the upper portion of Her tirumeni. However, I
> can readily identify the Noopuram which She wore on Her feet, since I
> prostrate before Her daily. That is, in fact, the only ornament I am
> familiar with, my glances being forever concentrated on Her holy feet, in
> devotion and propriety'', says Lakshmana. Here is the beautiful slokam of
> Sri Valmiki-
>
>
>
> 'Naaham jaanaami kundale, naaham jaanaami keyoore
>
> Noopure tu abhijaanaami nityam paada abhivandanaat'
>
>
>
> It is not only Sita Devi who wears a Noopuram-even Sri Goda Devi's feet
> are adorned with gem-studded Silambu. And when She walks gracefully, these
> Noopurams emit a sweet sound that is nectar to the ears of Her Divine
> Consort, says Swami Desikan in Goda Stuti-
>
>
>
> 'Tvat preyasa: shravanayo: amritaayamaanaam
>
> Tulyaam tvadeeya mani noopura sinchitaanaam'
>
>
>
> For those who wonder whether the sounds of a Noopuram could be as sweet as
> all that, here is confirmation from Sri Valmiki, who describes Sri Hanuman
> as being impressed by the strong and sweet resonance emanating from the
> Lankan women's ornaments, when they moved-
>
>
>
> 'Sushraava Kaanchee ninaadam, noopuraanaam cha nissvanam'
>
>
>
> 'Noopuraanaam cha ghoshena Kaancheenaam ninadena cha
>
> Mridanga tala ghoshaischa ghoshavadbhi: vinaaditam'
>
>
>
>>From all the aforesaid, you would arrive at the conclusion that the
>>Noopuram is an entirely feminine ornament, serving as an adornment for
>>ladies' tender feet. However, you would be entirely mistaken, for many are
>>the instances in our religious lore which describe the Lord's feet too to
>>be adorned with the Silambu. Here is a beautiful slokam from Srimad
>>Bhagavatam, attesting to this-
>
>
>
> 'Shanka chakra gadaa padma vanamaalaa vibooshitam
>
> Noopurai: vilasat paadam koustubha prabhayaa yutam'
>
>
>
> Here is another couplet from the same source, painting a glorious portrait
> of Sri Krishna, adorned from head to foot with various ornaments-among
> them the Noopuram-- and gladdening the eyes and minds of onlookers beyond
> measure-
>
>
>
> 'Kaanchee kalaapa paryastam lasat kaanchana noopuram
>
> Darsaneeyatamam shaantam mano nayana vardhanam'
>
>
>
> The Adhyaatma Ramayana tells us that not only Sri Krishna, but Sri Raghava
> too was adorned with Noopuram-
>
>
>
> 'Noopurai: katakai: bhantam tathaiva vanamaalaya
>
> Lakshmanena dhanu: dvandva karena parisevitam'
>
>
>
> Even at SriVaikunttam, the Lord's feet are adorned with Noopuram. This we
> come to know from Sri Ramanuja's Gadyams-'Peetaambara kaanchee guna
> noopuraadi aparimita divya bhooshana', says the Bhashyakara, reserving for
> the Noopuram a pride of place among the innumerable ornaments fortunate
> enough to adorn Emperuman's tirumeni, by reserving its mention at the end
> of a long list of jewels.
>
>
>
> Lest you think of the Noopuram as just another ornament, Swami Desikan
> tells us that it has a glory all of its own, having been responsible for
> originating a magnificent river known as the Silambaaru or Noopura Ganga.
> All of us know that when, during Trivikramaavataram, the Lord's feet
> reached Satyalokam in the process of measuring the second foot of land
> promised by Mahabali, Brahmaa performed Tirumanjanam for the Tiruvadi, the
> resultant flow becoming the holy Ganga. However, a part of the water which
> touched the Noopuram on the Lord's feet became a separate stream and fell
> atop the Tirumaalirum solai hills, attaining the name Noopura Ganga. Swami
> Desikan tells us that this Noopura Ganga is much holier than the famed
> Ganga, as the former is unpolluted by the touch of other Devatas. While
> Ganga, on its way from the worlds above to earth, had to be borne by Sri
> Rudra in his matted locks, to lessen its destructive speed, the Noopura
> Ganga fell straight from the Lord's Noopuram to earth, thus making it more
> sacred and pure. And the waters of the Noopura Ganga are sweeter too (I
> can personally attest to this, having spent some time on the banks of the
> Ganga at Varanasi). This episode is chronicled by Swami Desikan in Hamsa
> Sandesam thus-
>
>
>
> 'Yasyotsange Bali vijayina: tasya manjeera vaantam
>
> Paatho divyam Pasupati jataa sparsa soonyam vibhaati'
>
>
>
> The Hamsa Sandesam has another interesting tale to tell about Sri Sita
> Devi's Noopuram, the only ornament with which Sri Lakshmana is familiar.
> The Noopuram found by the Vaanara veeras at Kishkinda was the one worn on
> Sita Devi's right foot. Once She reached Lanka and was imprisoned at
> Ashoka vanam, Sri Janaki removed the other Noopuram on Her left foot and
> kept it, along with the other ornaments, tied in a piece of cloth to the
> branch of the Simsupa tree, underneath which She was forced to spend Her
> time, watched constantly by the demoniac minions of Ravana. Though She was
> unmindful of the other jewels, Sita used to take out the Noopuram
> frequently and heave a sigh of sorrow at the plight of the ornament, which
> was personally fitted on Her foot by Sri Raghava. At the other end, Sri
> Rama too fondly looks at the other Noopuram, seeing Sri Mythily in it,
> finding it as sweet-sounding as a swan's song, eagerly awaiting the day
> when He would be able to restore it to its rightful place on Sri Janaki's
> left foot. Here is the beautiful slokam, which establishes Swami Desikan's
> credentials as a poet par excellence, much superior to Kalidasa-
>
>
>
> 'Vaktum maargam kilava sumateem jagmusha: tat padaabjaat
>
> Manjeerasya tvat upama rute: dakshinasya asya tulyam
>
> Ankaaroode charana kamala mat karena upadeyam
>
> Vaamam shaakha shikara nihitam veekshya gaadam vishannaam'
>
>
>
> The Noopuram has made me wax rather long. We will wind this up with a
> quote from Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatam, which tells us to surrender to
> the lotus feet of Sri Srinivasa, adorned by Noopurams which are covered by
> fragrant flowers-
>
>
>
> 'Aa noopura arpita sujaata sugandhi pushpa
>
> Sourabhya sourabha karou sama sannivesou
>
> Sowmyou sadaa anubavanepi navaanubhaavyou
>
> Sri Venkatesa charanou sharanam prapadye'
>
>
>
> Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri
> Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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