Manimekhala () is a goddess in the Hindu-Buddhist mythology. She is regarded as a guardian of the seas, namely the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea as part of the mythology of Southeast Asia. She was placed by Cātummahārājika to protect virtuous beings from shipwreck.[G.P. Malalasekera. Dictionary of Pali Proper Names: Pali-English. Asian Educational Services, 2003] She appears in several Buddhist stories including the Mahanipata Jataka (Mahajanaka Jataka), in which she rescues Prince Mahajanaka from a shipwreck.[Anne Elizabeth Monius. Imagining a place for Buddhism: literary culture and religious community in Tamil-speaking South India. Oxford University Press US, 2001, pages 111-112]
Etymology
In
Pali,
maṇīmekhalā refers to a girdle or belt of jewels. In Southeast Asia, she is known by various indigenized appellations, including as
Mani Maykhala (မဏိမေခလာ) in
Burmese language, as
Moni Mekhala (មណីមេខលា) or
Neang Mekhala (នាងមេខលា) in
Khmer language; as
Mani Mekkhala (มณีเมขลา) in
Thai language.
In Mainland Southeast Asia
Archaeological evidence of Manimekhala in the form of reliefs has been found in Zothoke,
Myanmar (near Bilin), dating to the first millennium AD.
Manimekhala is seen in wat paintings across Mainland Southeast Asia depicting scenes from the Mahajanaka.
Manimekhala and Ramasura
The story of Manimekhala and Ramasura is mentioned many times in the classical literature of Cambodia and Thailand. It depicts Manimekhala along with Ramasura (usually considered a depiction of
Parashurama) and
Arjuna. According to legend, the phenomena of
lightning and
thunder is produced from the flashing of Manimekhala's crystal ball and the sound of Ramasura's axe as he pursues her through the skies.
In Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, she is considered to be the sea goddess. In the
Tamil language epic poem, the
Manimekalai, she puts the eponymous heroine to sleep and takes her to the island Maṇipallavam (
Nainatheevu). In the mythic cycle of the god Devol, when the latter approaches Sri Lanka and his ship founders, it is Manimekhalai, on the instructions of the god Śakra, who conjures up a stone boat to save him.
Dance
In the classical dance traditions of Thailand and Cambodia, sacred dramatic dances depict the story of Manimekhala and Ramasura.
Cambodia
Robam Moni Mekhala (, also known as
Robam Mekhala-Reamesor) is a Khmer classical dance that portrays the story of Moni Mekhala and Reamso. It is part of the
buong suong dance suite that is among the most sacred of Khmer classical dances, serving a ceremonial purpose to invoke rain upon the land.
[Cravath, Paul. Asian Theatre Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Autumn, 1986), pp. 179-203 (The Ritual Origins of the Classical Dance Drama of Cambodia) University of Hawai'i Press]
Thailand
In Thailand, the Mekkhala–Ramasun dance was performed as a
boek rong ('prelude dance') introduction before main performances of
lakhon nai or
khon dances.
In modern usage
-
The popular Burmese pop singer Maykhala derives her stage name from Manimekhala.
-
Her name was contributed by Thailand for tropical cyclone names occurring as Tropical Storm Mekkhala in 2002, 2008, 2015, and 2020. Also, one award given to the television industry in Thailand since 1980 is called the Mekkhala Award.
See also
-
Manimekalai, a Tamil epic from India, about the titular character who becomes a Buddhist nun
-
Jataka tales, from Khuddaka Nikāya
-
Mahanipata Jataka
-
Robam Moni Mekhala
-
Mazu, Chinese Goddess of Sea
-
Nyai Roro Kidul, Queen of Southern Sea worshipped by Javanese and Sundanese in Indonesia
External links
