Pyapon Taung Shinma

Pyapon Taung Shinma (Burmese: ပြာပုံတောင်ရှင်မ; lit. 'Venerable Lady of the Mount Pyapon') is a Burmese nat spirit linked to Mount Pyapon near Monywa.

Legends

According to legend, Pyapon Taung Shinma was Me Phyu, a native of Pyaung Pya village near Yinmabin during the Pagan era. She was said to have been born through a virgin birth after her mother was bitten by a black ant. Her maternal uncle, who lived in nearby Let Kaung village, felt deep shame over the pregnancy and severed all ties with the family.^[1]

When Me Phyu's naming ceremony was held, her mother invited her estranged brother in the hope of reconciliation. She waited by the roadside to welcome him with traditional snacks (mont). When he did not come, she was overcome with grief and bitterness and threw the snacks into a nearby stream. The stream later became known as Mont Pyit Chaung (“the stream where the snacks were thrown”).^[1]

As Me Phyu grew older, she became renowned for her beauty. Her uncle, noticing this, sought to arrange a marriage between her and his own son. Her mother, still resentful over his earlier abandonment, rejected the proposal.Angered by the refusal, the uncle reported to King Kyansittha of Pagan that there was a woman of extraordinary beauty in the village who was worthy of becoming a queen. When the king prepared to take her as a consort, Me Phyu, unwilling to enter the royal court, bit off her own index finger. Believing that the king would not accept a woman with a physical imperfection, she injured herself to avoid being taken.^[1]

However, when King Kyansittha brought Me Phyu into the palace, he discovered her missing finger. Because she was no longer physically whole, he refused to make her queen and instead placed her in a lower status. There, she fell in love with Maung Ngon, the royal betel server. Together, they fled the palace and escaped to Mount Pyapon, which is located on the western bank of Monywa along the route to the Alaungdaw Kathapa Pagoda. The mountain, however, held a dark history for her. In a previous life, Me Phyu was said to have lived there as a spirit alongside a female companion. That companion, resentful that Me Phyu had taken a mortal husband, caused a tiger to attack and kill Maung Ngon. Heartbroken, Me Phyu died soon afterward and returned to the spirit world.^[1]

In an alternative account, Mount Pyapon is described as having two distinct peaks, known as the "Old Mountain" (Taung-O) and the "Main Mountain" (Taung-Ma). According to this version, two sisters originally resided there as guardian spirits. The younger sister, Me Phyu, wished to experience life in the human realm. The elder sister agreed but required a solemn vow that Me Phyu would never marry. After this promise was made, the younger sister was sent to be reborn through a virgin birth.^[2]

Me Phyu later broke her vow by marrying and bringing her husband back to Mount Pyapon. In response, the elder sister reclaimed her life. Before doing so, she is said to have protected the couple from being discovered by the king's soldiers. Afterward, the elder sister appointed Me Phyu as the guardian of the mountain, granting her the title Pyapon Shinma ("Lady of Pyapon") and authority over the mountain. The elder sister was subsequently released from her existence as a nat and ascended to a higher realm.^[2]

Local belief further holds that Me Phyu resented Pyaung Pya village for assisting the soldiers during their search. She is said to have cursed the village so that, despite fertile land and hard labor, its people would remain poor, and that any woman of exceptional beauty born there would meet a tragic fate upon reaching adulthood. Her spirit remains resentful because she was denied fine clothing and jewelry during her human life. To this day, visitors to Pyapon Mountain are said to be required to remove and conceal their necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Those who display their jewelry are believed to provoke her jealousy, bringing violent storms and sudden darkness that leave visitors disoriented and fearful.^[1][2]

According to Putee Saik Ko Tway Hmat Tan (ပုတီးစိပ်ကိုယ်တွေ့မှတ်တမ်း, lit. 'Personal Records of Rosary Recitation') by Venerable Ashin Wayama Bhivamsa, the seventh Sayadaw of Kyaw Aung San Htar, an event is said to have occurred in 1954 during his pilgrimage to Alaungdaw Kathapa. During the journey, Me Phyu is described as having manifested herself and guided the Sayadaw along the path.^[3]

When the Sayadaw asked her about the ancient curse she had placed on the village, Me Phyu is said to have replied that she had let go of her past anger and would no longer maintain the curse. Upon hearing this, the Sayadaw uttered sadhu (well done) and bestowed upon her a special gatha (religious verse). He instructed her to recite the verse with her prayer beads for three rounds each day, stating that doing so would elevate her spiritual state. According to the account, Me Phyu followed these instructions and returned to the Sayadaw eleven days later to report that her powers had increased and that she had risen to the rank of a bhummaso, a higher guardian deity of the earth.^[3]

Beliefs

Women from Pyaung Pya, Myo Gyi, and surrounding areas observe a custom intended to appease her spirit. Before wearing beads, earrings, or other jewelry, they first offer these items at Me Phyu's shrine. According to local belief, As a result of her curse, villagers are said to remain burdened by debt, even though the land is fertile enough to support three harvests a year. It is also believed that whenever a woman of exceptional beauty appears in the village (some say once every three years), she is fated to meet a tragic end.^[1]

In 1174, during the reign of King Narapatisithu of Pagan, the Venerable monk Kassapa is said to have passed away in the valley between the Pontaung Ponnya and Mahura mountain ranges. The site later became known as Alaungdaw Kathapa. Near this site, King Narapatisithu is also believed to have built and donated a shrine (spirit palace) dedicated to Pyapon Taung Shinma.^[2]

References