Supārśva (Mountain)

Supārśva · su-pārśva, “the one with fair sides”

Supārśva is the northern of the four mountains that stand around Meru. Sūta tells the munis in the Madhyama Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa that these four are the pegs of Meru; in the Uttara Parva, Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira how Supārśva is fashioned and prayed to as the northern Vishkambha mountain in the gifts of the mountains. The Brahma Purāṇa names Supārśva as the northern of the four props of Meru, bearing the great Vaṭa tree.

The northern peg of Meru

Around Ilāvṛtavarsha, in whose middle Meru stands, are four mountains, the pegs of Meru, each ten thousand yojanas high: Mandara in the east, Gandhamādana in the south, Vipula in the west and Supārśva in the north. On them are the Kadamba, Jambū, Pīpala and Vaṭa trees.

Per Brahma Purāṇa, in the description of the earth given to the munis, the four mountains in Ilāvṛta are the viskambhas (props) of Meru, each ten thousand yojanas long: Mandara on the east, Gandhamādana on the south, Vipula on the west and Supārśva on the north. On them, in order, stand the trees Kadamba, Jambu, Pippala and Vaṭa, each spreading eleven hundred yojanas, the giri-ketus, like banners on the mountain tops. So the Vaṭa, the banyan, stands on Supārśva.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapter 4; Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 18

In the gift of the Dhānyaśaila

In the gift of the Dhānyaśaila, the mountain of grain, four Vishkambha mountains are set around the central Meru. The northern one, Supārśva, is made of urad, adorned with fine cloth and flowers, with a golden vaṭa tree on its peak and a golden cow, a lake named Bhadrasara made of honey, and a forest of shining silver. The giver prays to it: “Supārśva, since you are ever graced by the Uttara Kuru varsha and the Sāvitra forest, give me undecaying Lakshmī.”

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 195

In the gift of the Ratnācala

In the gift of the Ratnācala, the mountain of gems, by which the giver reaches Saptarshiloka, the four mountains are made of gems: Mandarācala in the east of diamond and gomeda, Gandhamādana in the south of pushparāga with indranīla, Vipulācala in the west of vaiḍūrya with coral, and Supārśva in the north of padmarāga with gārutmata.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 202–203

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapter 4; Uttara Parva, Chapters 195, 202–203
• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 18