God in Manipuri Literature
- Part 2 -
After this paper was delivered, Texas University included the subject Manipur Gods in its syllabus

Prof Th Ratankumar Singh *

Panthoibi Erat Thouniba

The pattern and the trends in Manipuri Literature are as follows:-

Manipur has got a rich cultural heritage because of its strategic location and being situated in the ancient land routes of the people having different cultures and religions. Manipur was one of the three silk routes in the 12th Century A.D. And Manipur shares a number of common features in its religious and cultural practices with a number of countries like China, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan and Korea etc. as well as India.

The almighty God is immortal and God has neither a beginning nor an end. So, God does not take birth but incarnates. A formless God can manifest in whatever form(s) He intends to do. He can also take some forms or many forms of different types simultaneously. As a result the several incarnations of God in separate entities embodying different qualities corresponding to the purpose of their incarnations appeared. Many of them possessed super-human qualities even though they acted like human beings or other creatures.

They always lived together with mankind in the ancient days. Many of the great myths of the Manipuris emerged during this period. They all described the incidents of the pre-historic times. However, as recorded in the Royal Chronicles of Manipur known as the Cheitha-rol Kumbaba which records the history of Manipur from 33 A.D. the Gods often took possession of a portion of the land in Manipur and ruled their shares as kings.

In course of time the Gods gradually disappeared from the world of mankind. There are a 11 number of interesting stories in this regard in the annals of Manipuri Literature. We find a lot of indisputable references to these theories of myths in the remarkable works of ancient Manipuri Literature.

One just prominent example is one of the ancient works named Panthoibi Khonggul composed in the 17th Century. However, the legend of Panthoibi in Manipuri culture had been in existence right from the beginning of civilization of Manipur. The oral tradition of literature which had handed down to successive generations as a legacy of the cultural heritage of Manipur has been crystallized in the written form of literature only in the later period of civilisation when we began to use the alphabets and letters.

But the history of the Goddess Panthoibi is intricately woven in our culture as the genesis of the Bible has become a part of Christian culture. According to the beliefs of the Manipuris the creation of the Earth and the Heaven by the God has been symbolically presented in the history of Panthoibi. Panthoibi was being chased by her husba-nd Nongpok Ningthou in the Panthoibi Khonggul. The-se Gods and Goddesses represented the elemental forc-es of air, water, fire and earth. There are various episo-des in their history which points to the eternal conflicts of the forces of evil and good too, more prominently reflected in the Leiharaoba (a religious ritualistic festival, depicting the re-enactment of the creation myth).

Another important work which is concerned with the appearance of Gods in the valley of Manipur [Manipur is not the original name of the land] is called Poireiton Khunthok, composed around the 1st Century A.D. Poireiton brought a great change in the history of civilization of Manipur even though he didn't becomes the king. The importance of this book is not in its historical accounts but in its artistic presentation of the historical facts and as a great and priceless treatise of literature. In 1969, this book was completely revised and rewritten in modem Manipuri with notes by a group of scholars. Since then people have been discussing it as a great work of literature.

Some important works that are concerned with the early periods of the land are Thawanthaba Hiran, Numit Kappa, Naothingkong Phambal Kaba, Totenglong and Chainarol. Thawanthaba Hiran gives an account of the people and the society of Manipur in the 12 Century A.D. when the Manipuris started having some relationships with the countries around her and began to worship the Gods from those strange places. There had been some gradual assimilation of the South-East Asian culture in Manipuri culture along with some Hindu traditions.

In Numit Kappa, another interesting book, we find an account of how a great archer, Kwai Nungjeng Piba had killed one of the two suns which had been shinning in the sky all throughout the day and night. Practically there was no darkness. But it was essential. So it was imperative that one sun should be shot down. Besides, it also gives us an idea of how the art of archery had been practised in ancient Manipur and India and its importance in war.

Perhaps that may be the reason why a number of Hindu gods and goddesses had been adorned with bow and arrow. The killing of one of the Sun gods, Taothuireng by the great archer Khwai Nungjeng Piba has been symbolically presented in the text. Allegorically, this book has also presented a truthful account of the society in the medieval period. Naothingkong Phambal Kaba deals with the coronation of King Naothingkhong in 763AD. It gives an account of all the religious rituals practised in Manipur. Some of these rituals are still observed by the Manipuris with great conviction.

Tutenglon is another important work of literature, where the two brothers started cleaning the rivers of Manipur with the help of the God in heaven. The god Soraren who rules the heaven was approached by the brothers Tauthingmang and Yoimongba [According to the Royal Chronicle, Taothingmanng is the king who ruled Manipur during the 2nd half of the 3rd Century AD] to help them in cleaning the rivers. The God agreed and they successfully completed the task. It shows the devotion of the rulers to the Gods. Chainarol is the art of combat.

The inevitable presence of god in the martial arts and the duels, which is very popular among the Manipuris, can be seen in this book. This is a very important treasure of Manipuri Literature. Although the book appears to have been composed in a later period, it gives an account of the tradition of fighting from the early period to the 17th Century, just before the advent of Hinduism in Manipur. There are ample evidences in the book, where the names of many places in Manipur had been given following the combats. These combats, in some way or another, were always instigated by the gods and they frequently made interferences in their combats.

With the arrival of Hinduism in the 17th Century there had been a tremendous change in the religious practices of Manipur. The forced conversions of the majority of the people to Hinduism and its aftermath had been narrated in many accounts of Manipuri Literature. The practices which had been adopted willy-nilly by the people in course of time became the established norms. These new traditions, along with the ancient indigenous traditions, were in existence simultaneously in Manipuri culture. In some aspects we find a beautiful amalgamation of pre-Hinduism and Hinduism elements in Manipuri culture.

Then with the arrival of the English and the establishment of British Paramountcy and the intrusion of Christianity, another dimension appeared in Manipuri religion and literature. The people living in the hills of Manipur adopted Christianity and there is a marked division between the literatures of the Christians and the Hindus. It is an interesting fact that the people of Manipur didn't have any connection with these religions in the past.

However, with the advent of globalisation and the fast-changing scenario of the world in terms of rapid progress in Information Technology, it can be concluded that no nation can remain in seclusion for a long time and we have to look forward to a world where interdisciplinary studies will be the only discipline of our learning and any place, a part of our mother earth, will be our native land as the poet James Kirkup wrote, "No men are foreign, and no countries strange."

Concluded ....

Also Read Manipuri gods in Texas syllabus