Numit Kappa



The Numit Kappa is an ancient Meitei language classical epic literary text, composed around the 1st century CE. It tells about a hero archer shooting one of the two suns shining in the sky to create night time. It is an allegory of the political history of ancient Kangleipak civilization (early Manipur), in which once a slave serving two kings, conspired to abdicate one of his two masters to bring stability in the state. In modern days, many scientists opine that Numit Kappa is possibly related to the binary star system of our solar system, and is an advancement in the field of ancient Meetei astronomy ("Khenchanglon").

In Classical Meitei language, "Numit Kappa" means "One who shot the sun", or "He who shot the sun", or "Shooting the sun", or "The man who shot the sun", or "A shot at the sun", or "Shooting down the sun", etc.

Quotes

 * However, binary star systems, as depicted in Numit Kappa, are quite common in nature. Astronomers estimate that around half of all stars in our galaxy have at least one companion. Most stars in the universe are born with a brother and our own sun is likely to be no exception. ... Thus, scientists believe that our solar system once had two suns. They called the second sun as either Nemesis or Primary sun at the Asteroid belt. In Numit Kappa, the two bother suns were called Tauhuireng (elder) and Yoimayai Taudanba (younger) and Tauhuireng (elder sun) was shot down. This means that Tauhuireng was equivalent to the lost sun i.e. Primary sun or Nemesis. And Yoimayai Taudanba (younger brother) is equivalent to the Secondary Sun which is presently shining in our solar system. ... Today, nobody could ever find the second sun either Nemesis or Primary sun. Scientists believe the brother sun could have either split up over time like Nemesis or shrink to form tight binary systems like Secondary sun.
 * Raghu Ningthoujam, Decoding “Numit Kappa”: Shooting Down Of Extra Sun


 * As described above Meiteis do have beautiful songs depicting their highly philosophical thinking. The song associated with their ballet Numit Kappa is probably the best example of a song representing entire Meitei culture proving rich heritage of Meitei Civilisation since ages.
 * Narendra S. Bisht, T. S. Bankoti, Encyclopaedic Ethnography of the Himalayan Tribes. India: Global Vision, 2004. p. 1035


 * During the old period we get, inter alia, two very important works, viz. Poireiton Khunthok (Emigration of Poereiton) and Numit Kappa (Shooting the Sun).
 * L. Damodar Singh, Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. India: Sahitya Akademi, 1997. p. 325


 * In the early 1920s Grierson, having examined Hodson's version of Numit Kappa in 'old Manipuri' as well as some of Damant's papers, suggested to Pettigrew that he investigate, in cooperation with some Meetei scholars, the archaic Manipuri language and script, since no other Tibeto-Burman language was known to have a literary corpus.
 * Parratt, John. Wounded Land: Politics and Identity in Modern Manipur. India: Mittal Publications, 2005. p. 63, 64


 * Numit Kappa, a Meitei text from the 1st century CE, is particularly relevant and insightful in examining this peculiar relationship between power and violence. The text is recited as incantations during chupsaba, a cleansing ritual for 'violent' death.
 * Jelle J. P. Wouters, Tanka B. Subba, The Routledge Companion to Northeast India. India: Taylor & Francis, 2022. p. 473


 * Numit Kappa, a long narrative verse, with addresses to the Sun god represents one of the oldest specimens of early Manipuri poetry. The recital of the poem before king Taothingmang (264-364 A. D.) to the accompaniment of Pena is recorded in the work Tutoulon.
 * Glimpses of Manipuri Language, Literature, and Culture. India: Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, 1970. p. 14


 * There is a tradition to the effect that formerly there were ten clans and that two, if not three, have been extinguished (mut-khre). In support of this tradition, reference may be made to the favourite ballad of Numit-kappa or the man who shot the sun, where mention is made of the ten kings of the land.
 * Naorem Sanajaoba, Manipur: Law, customs, hill-men, language and religion. India: Akansha Publishing House, 2003. p. 435


 * Their traditional ballet, Numit Kappa, tells the story of two suns, who in due time became the sun and moon.
 * Prakash, Col Ved. Encyclopaedia of North-East India. India: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2007. p. 1554


 * Numit Kappa is a book which has religious significance in the Meitei society.
 * Chirom Rajketan Singh, Folklore Studies in India: Critical Regional Responses. India: NS Patel Arts College, 2023. p. 356


 * The oldest two books in Manipuri language are: Poireiton Khunthok and Numit Kappa.
 * Sen, Sipra. Tribes and Castes of Manipur: Description and Select Bibliography. India: Mittal Publications, 1992. p. 24


 * Old literary texts like Numit Kappa and Chakpa Khunda Khunthak recorded that Numit Sana Khomdon later known as Pakhangba fled to Moirang and settled here for many years after his defeat in the hands of Khwai Nungjengba Peba.
 * Joykumar Singh, N.. Ethnic Relations Among the People of North-East India. India: Centre for Manipur Studies, Manipur University and Akansha Publishing House, 2006. p. 44


 * In the ballad of Numit Kappa (shooting the sun) goddess Panthoibi is described as an errand girl. She was sent by the gods to request the sun god to come out of hiding.
 * Kirti Singh, Moirangthem. Recent Researches in Oriental Indological Studies: Including Meiteilogy. India: Parimal Publications, 1998. p. 180


 * According to Numit Kappa, the ancient epic of the Meiteis, nupi amaibi priestesses as we know now came much later, when after the creation of the universe, we reached a time when there were two suns in the sky. In this mythological story, Goddess Panthoibi was the first to take the form of a nupi amaibi.
 * Siddharth Haobijam, The Amaibis of Manipur: Gender-fluid Sanamahi Priestesses


 * Numit Kappa, as dealt with before, is an allegory and legend, portraying the exploitation of the people by the powerful and the great and the-courage of the people to rise against them. Two brothers were reigning over their kingdom as the star and the sun respectively, one in the day, another in the night, dazzling the kingdom with bright light giving no respite to their subjects. One of the subjects shot down the star, no longer able to carry the burden to work throughout the day and the night. The sun, in fear, hid himself for a long time plunging the world in darkness. At last the Gods sent Panthoibi, the goddess, who intervened and the sun came out and shone brightly. Apart from its literary qualities it has socio-economic and politico-religious significance.
 * L. Damodar Singh, Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. India: Sahitya Akademi, 1997. p. 332


 * Other genres include allegories such as Numit Kappa (Shooting the sun) which is reproduced with interlinear translation in Hodson (1908),...
 * Chelliah, Shobhana Lakshmi. A Grammar of Meithei. Germany: De Gruyter, 2011. p. 354


 * From their traditional ballet Numit Kappa we may know the story of two suns one of them which become pale due to injury and the other became moon.
 * Narendra S. Bisht, T. S. Bankoti, Encyclopaedic Ethnography of the Himalayan Tribes. India: Global Vision, 2004. p. 1032


 * The Lois continued to be worshippers of nature and natural forces, eg, sun and moon (as were the Meiteis during their pre-Vaishnav days), as revealed by the Numit Kappa, a legendary Loi book in the genre of the Epics.
 * Prakash, Col Ved. Encyclopaedia of North-East India. India: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2007. p. 1545


 * There are books like the Numit Kаррa, narrating some old Manipuri legends, and there is a rich literature of chronicles as well as works on the movements of the tribes, in Manipur, which are all preserved in the Old Manipuri language.
 * Problems of Modern Indian Literature. India: Statistical Pub. Society : distributor, K. P. Bagchi, 1975. p. 24


 * In the mythology of Numit Kappa, the two suns were even synonymously known with the two kings, ruling together in roster. This may be because of the fact that in the ancient time, kings were considered to be so powerful like sun. As the two kings rule throughout the day, the people on earth were suffering as if there was searing heat coming continuously from the two suns. While serving as a King’s man to the two kings, “Khwai Nungjengbam Piba aka Khwai Nongchengbam Naicha” could not spend any time with his son Haotang-khu and daughter Haotang-han. So, he decided to shoot down one sun (king).
 * Raghu Ningthoujam, Decoding “Numit Kappa”: Shooting Down Of Extra Sun


 * From the ballad of Numit kappa we know that they believed that once upon a time there were two Sun Gods riding on white horses, and now the moon is the faint pale image of the one that was wounded.
 * Ahluwalia, B. K.., Ahluwalia, Shashi. Social Change in Manipur. India: Cultural Publishing House, 1984. p. 152


 * Numit Kappa is a legend and an allegory. The story mentions that there were two brothers; the younger was the sun and the elder a star. The sun shone in the day and the star in the night blazing brilliantly as the sun. Consequently there was no darkness of the night in the kingdom. The younger brother was the Chief of the Kangleis, one of the seven principalities of Manipur, and his brother the star assisted him as a nobleman. The people under them had to work hard all the day and they were deprived of any respite. Khwai Nongchengpam Piba shot down the star. This frightened the sun and he fled from Kangla abdicating the throne. But peace was brought about after a settlement was made between the Chief and the subjects.
 * L. Damodar Singh, Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. India: Sahitya Akademi, 1997. p. 325, 326


 * In the myth of Numit Kappa (Shooting Down A Sun), it is re-emphasized that the kingship is the divine right of the kings and their descendants. The mythical story narrates the revolt of an ordinary person who could not change the power relation of the state. The act of Ningthou Pongba Tara (Ten Great Men) in the story is what the political culture of the society aims to inject in...
 * The Oriental Anthropologist: A Bi-annual International Journal of the Science of Man. India: Oriental Institute of Cultural and Social Research, 2005. p. 4


 * Ballet (dance drama) is an essential part of their culture-the most famous being Numit Kappa, depicting the story of two siblings. The rather longish song associated with this ballet is probably the best example of a single song illustrating the entire gamut of rich and ancient culture.
 * Prakash, Col Ved. Encyclopaedia of North-East India. India: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2007. p. 1556


 * Ballet or dance drama is also present in Meitei culture. The famous ballet Numit speaks of the story of two suns. It is a wonderful ballet which can match any ballet of the world having rhythm, expression and lyric.
 * Narendra S. Bisht, T. S. Bankoti, Encyclopaedic Ethnography of the Himalayan Tribes. India: Global Vision, 2004. p. 1035


 * In earlier literary works like Poireiton Khunthok, Panthoibi Khongul, Numit Kappa, Nungsamei Puya, Naothingthong Phambal Kaba, etc., the presence of loan words has not been noted, but with the introduction of Vaishnavism, the flow of loan words, mainly from Sanskrit and Hindi, increased to a considerable extent with the passage of time.
 * Robert S. Bauer, Collected Papers on Southeast Asian and Pacific Languages. Australia: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, 2002. p. 3


 * Numit Kappa is the first long narrative verse which is addressed to the Sun God. According to them, the poem was recited before King Taothingmang (possibly 264-364 A.D.) to the accompaniment of a penā...
 * Vatsyayan, Kapila. A Study of Some Traditions of Performing Arts in Eastern India: Margi and Desi Polarities : Banikanta Kakati Memorial Lectures, 1976. India: Department of Publication, University of Gauhati, 1981. p. 39


 * The Meetei ancestors lived on the hills till the valley dried up. Late Oinam Bhogeswor cites the names of Manipuri autochthones as mentioned in 'Numit Kappa' viz., Chakpa, Shelloi-Langmai, Maring tribe (supposed to be the oldest hill tribe) and Thongnang (possibly the Boros).
 * Naorem Sanajaoba, Manipur, Past and Present: Nagas & Kuki-Chins. India: Mittal Publications, 1988. p. 11