ManjaL : Srimathi Srinivasan's Question .

[Guest guest]

Dear Srimathi Srinivasan :

 

You had asked about the appropriateness of a tuber

like MajaL growing underground being recommended

for inclusion in our daily usage .Since no one else has

responded , I will attempt an answer as to why it is

sacred in our tradition . Besides its sacredness , it also

has medical applications in AayurvEdam and is referred

to in AtharvaNa Vedam as well . It is also a depilatory

agent from the herbal point of view .

 

Information points related to ManjAL

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1. Turmeric is one of the insignias of SoumAngalyam .

It is one of the five auspicious entities associated

with a Sumnagali being a Sumangali . Saint ThyagarAjA

salutes his Ishta Dhaivam in the PrahlAdha Bhaktha Vijaya

Krithi set in Raagam Kaapi ( Paahi KalyANa Raama Paavana GuNa

RaamA ) . Here, he identifies himself as the Sumangali married

happily to Sri RamachandrA and refers to himself being a

Sumangali with five insignias as his revealing wealth

associated with that status : naa vamsa dhanamu naathaithOdhanamu .

^^^^^^^^^^^

(Meaning ) : Oh My Kula dhanam RaamA ! You are the basis

for my SoumAngalyam ; You are my pentad of the insignias

of being married to You . He states : IthO dhanamu .

These five dhanams are : ThAli ( MangaLa sUthram ) ,

ManjaL , Kumkumam , Bangles and KaathOlai ( ear rings) .

The bard points out that the Lord is as indispensable

to him , just as the husband is for a Sumangali .

 

2 .The sight of Old Sumangalis with a yellow glow

on their face from years of using ground Turmeric root

is such an auspicious sight .

 

3. Around pongal paanais during SankarAnthi , the neck

of the pot is decorated with a string strewn with turmeric

tuber and ginger tuber , sugar cane cutitngs for

conferring an auspicious year as the first meal is cooked .

 

4. During BhagavAn's Thirumnajanam , Manjal PoDi

Thirumanjanam is one visEsha aspect ( NeerAttam ) .

The auspiciousness of Turmeric is indicated as

sObhana dravyam here ( SoorNAbhshEkam ).

 

5. PeriyAzhwAr's Paasurams enjoying the beauty

of her dear Bala KrishNan refer number of times

to the usage of the auspicious Turmeric powder .

 

6.Periya Thirumozhi :3.4.3 -- KaNNan ManjaLum mEniyum

Vadivum KaNDAL ( She saw the beautiful body of

the Lord with Turmeric toilet shining with yellow

hue ).This is a Gopi's anubhavam .

 

7.Periya Thirumozhi : Celebration of the Lord's birth

in AayarpADi ( YeNNai SuNNam yethirethir thUviDa ),

The joyuous cowherdesses and the Cowherds threw fragrant

oil and turmeric powder at the guests arriving

to see the new born baby .oil and manjal podi

are auspcious welcoming items .AzhwAr goes on to say

that the yard of NadagOpalan was a muddy field from

the spraying of the copious mixture of Oil and

Turmeric powder .

 

8.In another paasuram, AzhwAr describes the wonderful

experience of YasOdhA , when she witnessed all the seven

worlds as she attempted to open the mouth of the Lord ,

her child,to paint the tongue with young turmeric

tuber paste ( pasu ManjaL sAnthu )for extracting any

phlegm in the throat . She had already performed thirumanjanam

in tender warm water , strightened the tender limbs of

her dear baby by gentle pressing and then went on

to paint the tongue with pasu manjaL saanthu . To her

utter dismay , she saw the view of the seven worlds

inside that open mouth of the innocent looking baby of hers

( --pasunchiru manajaLal , iyya naa vazhitthALukku

angAnthiDa vaiyaam yEzhum kanDAL Pillai VaayuLE ).

 

9.In yet another pasuram , AzhwAr invites as YasOdhA one

and all to come and see the extraordinary beauty of

her child as it shines after its bath and treatment

of the tongue with the ManjaL paste :

( nOkki asOthai nuNikkiya manjaLAl naaku vazhitthu

neerAttum innampikki---).

 

10.In his Thirumozhi (2.4.4) on NeerAttam inviting

the Lord , her baby , to come and take his bath ,

YasOdhA endearingly informs her child :

 

manjalum senkazhu neerin vaasikaiyum

nARu saanthum anjanamum kondu vaitthEn

azhaganE ! nee neerAda vaarAi

 

(Meaning ) : Oh My Beautiful Child ! I have

assembled Turmeric , Red Lotus garland ,

fragrant sandal paste and colyrium for the eye .

Please come here for your enjoyable bath and

alankAram thereafter .

 

Thus Manjal's importance as sobhana dravyam

is celebrated very much in our sampradhAyam .

 

V.Sadagopan