Rasta Sarwala

In the name of the Great Life!

On the day they invested Manda d-Hiia
with the Šarwala Nsab, His radiance shone forth over the Houses

Over the houses his radiance shone forth
And the nitufiata [heavenly spouses] who beheld Manda d-Hiia’s radiance say one to another:

‘Whence comest this radiance that shineth upon us?’

And a youth standing in their presence said to them: This radiance emitted by Manda d-Hiia’s Šarwala, Nsab, ‘

And all the heavenly women standing on the roofs Bless him and say to him:

‘Blessed art thou our father,
Blessed Manda d-Hiia! And blessed be he
Who invested thee with these vestments!
This their radiance is surpassing’ (39)

The Šarwala are baggy pants or drawers. These are long and loose and look similar to the native pants worn by men in India. (40)

The symbolic message of the šarwala is that it protects and seals the male and female private areas.

"If he (the priest) immersed his leggings by mistake, he must be baptised by seven priests, in new vestaments, because the leggings (Šarwala) (symbolize) kingly (power) in the Womb of myteries for within it (the Šarwala) his treasures (secrete parts) are established." (41)

It has been theorized that the šarwala was introduced from foreign elements during a latter period of Mandaean history. Dr. Segelberg wrote:

"This seems to be a strong indication which, combined with the fact that the Šarwala are mentioned last among the hymns just quoted and maybe also the shape of the drawers being similar to those used by the Parthians and Indians, makes plausible that the drawers at least as items of the liturgical dress are more recent than usually thought.” (42)

"And when you say ‘The Leggings’, a seal is placed on all the mysteries of the body, of males and females protected in them." (38)