Noopuram

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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: