clinking, silent and slipping bangles

[Dominic Goodall]

As with images of bangles, there must be hundreds of literary passages  
to which one could refer.  But does "bangle" in this project include  
all the various ornaments that can be worn on an arm or a leg  
(keyuura, valaya, a"ngada, nuupura, parihaa.taka, ma~njiira, ka.taka,  
ka"nka.na, etc.) and all their various associations ?

Hearing the delicious clinking of bangles is clearly widely regarded  
as a very high pleasure, as, for instance, this verse of the  
Vairaagya"sataka attests.

agre giita.m sarasakavaya.h paar"svayor daak.si.naatyaa.h
pa"scaal liilaavalayara.nita.m caamaragraahi.niinaam|
yady astv eva.m kuru bhavarasaasvaadane lampa.tatva.m
no cec ceta.h pravi"sa sahasaa nirvikalpe samaadhau||

And such clinking is very often erotic ("S.r"ngaara"sataka):

etaa"s  
caladvalayasa.mhatimekhalotthajha.mkaaranuupuraparaajitaraajaha.msya.h|
kurvanti kasya na mano viva"sa.m taru.nyo  
vitrastamugdhahari.niisad.r"sai.h ka.taak.sai.h||

Conversely, when bangles fall off and are silent, this can be full of  
poignant sadness (e.g. Siitaa's anklet in the Raghuvam"sa (13.23)):

e.saa sthalii yatra vicinvataa tvaa.m bhra.s.ta.m mayaa nuupuram ekam  
uurvyaam|
ad.r"syata tvaccara.naaravindavi"sle.sadu.hkhaad iva baddhamaunam

And when they slip off this is likely to be a symptom of emaciation,  
often the fifth stage of love (smarada"saa).
I wonder whether this last topos of bangles slipping off women and men  
as a result of love first appears in Old Tamil poetry or in Sanskrit.   
The following verse of Kaalidaasa (in act 3 of "Sakuntalaa) describes  
King Du.syanta:

idam a"si"sirair antastaapaad vivar.nama.niik.rtam
ni"si ni"si bhujanyastaapaa"ngaprasaaribhir a"srubhi.h|
anabhilulitajyaaghaataa"nka.m muhur ma.nibandhanaat
kanakavalaya.m srasta.m srasta.m mayaa pratisaaryate||

But when does that topos first make its appearance in Sanskrit  
literature?



Dominic Goodall
Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient ("French School of Asian Studies"),
Pondicherry



On 19 Mar 2009, at 10:32, Mary Storm wrote:

> Dear Indologists,
>
> I am writing on behalf of a student who is doing a research project  
> on the place of bangles in Indian society. She is looking at images  
> (plenty, not a problem!) and she is also searching for poetic  
> references (not so successful). I hope that one of you could offer  
> up some possible poetic references. I can only think of the poem by  
> Sarojini Naidu.
>
> Any help would be most appreciated.
>
> Thank you so much for your thoughts!
>
> Mary
>
>
> Mary Storm, Ph.D.
> Academic Director
> North India Arts and Culture
> and
> Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture
> SIT Study Abroad
> School for International Training
> www.sit.edu
>
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