Eternal India Encyclopedia

PERCEPTIONS

Eternal India encyclopedia

MAHAAPARVATHA (SACRED MOUNTAIN)

Poet Kalidasa believed that the Hima- layas stretched from coast to coast. His famous shloka in the Kumarasambhawa describes the Himalaya in the following lines: "There is a mountain in the north, en- souled by Divinity, named Himalaya, the king of all mountains. Stretching from east to west coasts, it is located on the earth as a measuring rod." Poet Kalidasa's descrip- tion of the Himalaya at one place in the Kumaarasambhawa is significant: "After enjoying the cool shade under the cloud around whose girdle, the saints, being troubled by rain, take refuge in the sun- drenched high peaks above." Further, the Himalayas themselves are considered to be Devathaathma, divine in nature. As Kalidasa says in his Kumaaras- ambhawa: The Vindhya mountain range in central India is very old and is reputed to have out- shined in glory the heavenly golden moun- tain the Meru (or Sumeru). The great blue mountain of Orissa Ma- handragiri changes its colours from day to Rivers have been highly revered in India. The river has always been considered as a loving mother bestowing prosperity on the people by providing them with a plentiful supply of water assuring the fertility of the land. The holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Nar- mada, Saraswati, Godavari, Kaveri, Kanya (Kumari), Payoshni and Sarayu in the guise of beautiful virgins, wearing fine ornaments, clad in good clothes and bearing all the sins of people — rivers which are the destroyers of the loads of sins of those who see, adore, drink or meditate upon their waters — met and after having consulted each other, reached Kailasa and bowed again and again to Lord Shiva. Then they prayed to the Lord thus : "O Lord Mahesa! All kinds of sinners wash off their sins in our waters. Please let us know how we can get wiped of these sins. Thou art our only resort." In addition to the Ganges, there are many other rivers regarded as sacred by the Hin- dus. Some of these are considered as male and some as female. Male rivers : The Son and the Brahmaputra. Female rivers : The Godavari, the Kaveri,

day and season to season. Its forests are the home of ele- phants. In the south-west, the Malaya hills have cardamom groves and sandalwood for- ests. The breeze called Malaya- maarutha originates there. According to the

great poet Bhasa the earth is a damsel having the two great mountains Himalaya and Vindhya as ear ornaments.

being very noble, a refuge for all who are terror-stricken. There is a panel at Elephanta which depicts Himavan, along with his queen, Mena, giving his daughter Uma (another name for the consort of Shiva) in marriage to Shiva, who is shown bowing to Himavan.

The mountains are very frequently com- pared to a cow yielding endless wealth. The most precious treasures are herbs and gems. The legends extol Himavan as the most sacred mountain. Himavan is the father of Gauri (Devi), the consort of Shiva. The great mountain god is characterised as the Atreyi, the Karaloya, the Bahuda, the Gomati, the Sarayu, the Gandaki, the Varahi, the Charmanwater, the Shatadru, the Vipasha, the Karmanasha, the Airavati, the Chandrabhaga, the Vitasta, the Sindhu, the Krishna, the Netravati and the Bhairava. The sanctity of the third river Saraswati (personified as the goddess of learning) which joins the Ganges and Yamuna at Prayag is also great. Near the holy Kurukshetra, she has a special sanctity. There is a sculpture at Ellora personifying the rivers — Ganga standing in the centre with Yamuna and Saraswati flanking her. The west-flowing Narmada is another sacred river of India. Sita is often depicted praying to the Sarayu, Godavari and other rivers. The Godavari is also called Gautami, be- cause she is associated with the great saint Gautama Buddha. The other two rivers of the south, famous in legends are the Krishna and Kaveri. There is a sculpture at Ellora showing the ocean personified as Ratnaakara -the repository of precious gems. A bath in the sea is considered most auspicious as all the holy rivers flow to the sea and mingle there.

NADI (RIVER - STREAM OF LIFE)

The river Sharavati or the "Arrow Born because it flows from the Ambu Tirtha formed (according to Hindu mythology), by a stroke of Sri Rama's arrow.