Mani Mekhala

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In Tamil literature ‘Mani-mekhalai’ or Manimekalai is one of the five great epics. The heroine of that epic is Manimekhalai. At the end of the story she finally comes to the town of Kanchi where she feeds the poor from her inexhaustible vessel (akshaya-pAtram). This work ‘Manimekhalai’ is slanted towards Buddhistic religion. Accordingly the heroine reaches salvation after getting the initiation from a Buddhistic Guru. But the incident of feeding the poor from an ‘akshaya-pAtram’ is a traditional story of the Goddess Kamakshi of Kanchi from age-old times. Even in the Sangam Age (of Tamil) there was a woman by name ‘KAmak-kaNNi’ which is nothing but the Sanskrit ‘KamAkshi’. Well, all this is a digression from my thought that ‘Mani-mekhalai’ finally comes to the town (Kanchi) which has the same name as hers!

By the mention of ‘KanchI’ the author has hinted at the deity of his devotion. There are scores of feminine deities in this country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. KshIra-bhavAni (in Kashmir), Bhagavati (in Kerala), ChamunDeshvari and ShAradAmbA (in Karnataka), JnAnAmbA, BhramarAmbA and Kanaka-durgA (in Andhra), TulajA BhavAni (in Maharashtra), ambAji (in Gujarat), Vindhya-vAsinI and anna-pUrNeshvarI (in Uttarpradesh), KALi (in Bengal), KamAkhyA (in Assam), VaishNavI (in Jammu) and finally, MeenAkshI, akhilANDeshvarI, dharma-samvarddhanI, KamalambAL, BalAmbAL, and Shiva-kAma-sundarI (in Tamilnadu).

The Paramacharya in this text does not seem to have mentioned the names of the regions in the above list. These names have been supplied by Ra. Ganapathi in a footnote. The Paramacharya seems to have just reeled off the names of the deities only. [1]

This epic mentions about Jats also.

On journeys by sea there were jalaniryamakas – guides who could predict the behavior of waters. In the sea coast town of Shurparak, there was an arrangement to train persons with the help of Niryamak Sutras. According to these, those person who traveled together in a ship were called sanyatrika. In the Mahajanaka Jatak, there is a dialogue between a person swimming in the ocean and Goddess Mani Mekhala who was the presiding deity of sea-journeys.

“Who is this person, who in an ocean which knows no bound is trying to swim with his hands? On whose reliance are you doing this exercise? “O Goddess, I believe that one should do the exercise as long as it is possible. So I am doing this exercise though I do not see the shore.”

In this way the dialogue continues with the swimmer continuing to gather courage hoping against hope. Mani Mekhala was the Goddess whose influence obtained from Kanya Kumari to the island of Katah. There was a huge temple dedicated to her in Puhara where the Kaveri joined the sea. [2]. [3]

The Story of Mahajanaka extolled perseverance in an episode from the story of King Mahajanaka, whose ship capsized in a storm on the ocean. All his men had died, and he survived alone on the ocean for seven days and seven nights before he met the goddess Mani Mekhala, the Goddess of Clouds and Rains. In their discussion on perseverance, he told her: "I see the way of the world and the merit of perseverance. Therefore, even without the shore in sight, I have to keep afloat on the ocean." Finally, the goddess Mani Mekhala carried King Mahajanaka to his city, Mithila.[4]

Jat Gotras

  • Ola - Word Ola is found in Tamil language. In Manimekhalai, one of the most ancient pieces of literature of the the Tamils, there is mention of word Ola. The waves of the sea were known to the tamils as Ola.[5]

References

  1. Paramacharyas discourses on Soundaryalahari
  2. source: Hinduism: Its Contribution to Science and Civilization - By Prabhakar Balvant Machwe Vikas Publishing House 1979 ISBN 0 7069 0805 8 p. 129
  3. http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Seafaring_in_Ancient_India.htm
  4. http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Seafaring_in_Ancient_India.htm
  5. Dr Naval Viyogi: Nagas – The Ancient Rulers of India, P.45

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