User:Haoreima/Salailen

Salailen or Salailel, also known as Soraren or Sorarel, is a Creator deity and King of the gods in Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism) of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). He is the High God of the world of living beings. He rules, with his consort Leimalel Sidabi, over the world of his divine subjects. Ancient Meiteis believed that to ascend to the abode of Salailen, the ascent of Mount Koubru is the first step.

Creation myth
The Sanamahi creation myth says that there exists a unit called "Ama" (ꯑꯃ ), beyond life and death, as a formless light or heat. It is believed to be the reason why ancient Meiteis refer the "ama" as the number one, as it precedes all the existing numbers. According to the Ancient Meiteis, existence did not start with void. The "ama" took incarnation in the form of the Supreme God. His name is "Salailen Sitapa Mapu". Salailen, himself, is the space, the sky. And so, he is also known as Soraren (Sorarel).

Relationship with Leimalel
According to the Wakoklon Hilel Thilel Salai Amailon Puya and the Sakok Puya, Tengbanba Mapu is the supreme being and he took two divine manifestations simultaneously. The right side of his body turned into the "Lainingthou" who is "Salailen". The left side of his body became Lairembi, who is "Leimalel Leishi Leipunbi". Salailen is the supreme "Pa" (ꯄꯥ ) and Leimalel is the supreme "Pi" (ꯄꯤ ) for the entire world. The divine couple live in the peak of the sacred Mount Koubru.

Salailel (also identified by the name "Atiya Sidaba") is the Father Sky and goddess Leimalel is the "Malem Leima". Salailen (or Atiya) is "Nongthou". Salailen is the supreme father and Leimalel is the supreme mother. Between "Nongthou" and "Malem", three mighty forces (tarrung) of fire (ꯃꯩ), air (ꯅꯨꯡꯁꯤꯠ) and water (ꯏꯁꯤꯡ) exist. According to the cosmic principle, the entire world is the product of the interactions between the three elements that again exist between the the sky and the earth.

Children
Among his many offsprings, Salailen's two foremost sons are Lainingthou Sanamahi and Pakhangba. Salailen decided to choose his successor among the two sons. He asked the two to compete for a race by going around (circulating) the world seven times and to come back to Him. Sanamahi, being strong and powerful, charged forward for the race. On the other hand, Pakhangba, being young, couldn't do anything. Goddess Leimarel Sidabi, being the consort of Salailen, knew the intimate knowledge of her husband. So, she advised Pakhangba to go around circulating his father's throne seven times. Salailen, being the Universal God, is equivalent to the entire world itself. So, it is equivalent to completing the task of circulating the world by Pakhangba first, before Sanamahi completes it. According to his words, Salailen enthroned Pakhangba to the universal throne.

Turning the damsels into Pleiades' stars
Salailen was once requested by the six damsels for refugee in his abode. The girls couldn't find their lovers. He felt pity for them. So, he turned them into the stars of the Pleiades (ꯈꯣꯡꯖꯣꯝꯅꯨꯕꯤ ) in the sky. He even allowed the damsels to descend down on earth to unite with their respective lovers for one day in a year. The offsprings born from the union of the damsels with their lovers are cicadas (ꯍꯔꯤꯅꯣꯡꯅꯥꯡ ).

Love with Tampha
In a legend, Salailen (or Soraren) has 1000 queens but none have any child. So, he thought to marry a lady who could bore him a child. In the meantime, Lady Huimu Leima, a mortal woman and wife of Lord Haorok Konthou Aremba, was pregnant. In a meeting, Salailen proposed to Haorok Konthou Aremba that the child (if born as a girl) be married to Him as his wife in the right time. Haorok Konthou Aremba agreed. Later, Huimu Leima gave birth to a daughter named "Tampha Wangamloi Leisang Shaphabi", who grew up into a young maiden. When the right time arrived, Salailen married Tampha, afterwards she came to be known as Konthoujam Tampha Lairembi. During the marriage, Salailen was asked by Lady Tampha to grant immortality as well as immunity (to diseases) to the people of her Konthou community. He agreed. After the marriage, Salailen was requested by Tampha to grant her 1000 eyes and 1000 ears, with which she could become omniscient. But such power could be possessed only by deities and since Tampha was born to human parents, she was not eligible to access such a boon. With the union of Salailen and Tampha, heavenly prince Khoriphaba (also known as Khoiriphaba) was born.

Once a pet dog, which costs dearly to the parents of Tampha, died in a hunting expedition. The death ceremony of the pet was held in a grand manner that it looks like if a son of the house was dead. Tampha's parents mourned over the death. The smokes of the funeral and the mourning sounds was sensed by Tampha from heaven. As she did not know the truth, she felt panicked thinking if her husband's promise of immortality and immunity to her community members weren't fulfilled. She approached to Salailen, explaining everything. Salailen assured her that it's just the death of a pet dog. But Tampha couldn't trust until and unless she witnessed the scene by herself. So, she requested him to allow her to visit her parental house on the earth. Being married to a God, Tampha, even though she is a human, isn't allowed to mingle with other mortal beings. Salailen was reluctant to agree to her request. However, at Tampha's continuous insistence, Salailen agreed but at certain conditions. Salailen instructed her not to consume any foods and drinks from the human world. Tampha agreed. He arranged a golden ladder, connecting heaven and earth, as a passageway for Tampha to go. Using the ladder, she reached her destination. After many years, Tampha finally united with her parents and the rest of people of her community.

Tampha was offered the foods and drinks by her parents. She refused the offerings, telling them about her terms and conditions she agreed to her husband. Her parents tried to outsmart the omniscient Salailen by arranging a seven layered canopy over the dining place, to block the vision of Salailen from heaven. Tampha consumed the earthly foods and drinks. No barrier could block Salailen's vision. He witnessed the acts. Getting furious, he immediately withdraw his golden ladder and the promises of immortality and immunity to the Haorok Konthou community. Tampha felt sorry for her misconducts and remained on earth forever, thus unable to meet neither her husband not her son. Salailen took care of his son Khoriphaba, with the help of other gods and goddesses, including goddess Leimarel Sidabi, god Thangching (Thangjing), among others.

Worship
In ancient times, the cult dedicated to God Salailen (Shorarel) was venerated by the people of Sorelsangbam clan.