8 - The description of Mount Mandara

Sauti said:

1. On hearing the words of Brahma, that lotus-eyed woman said- “Give a name unto me with which I should go to Mandara mountain.

2. O Lord of the Universe, children must be named by the father. The name is said to be destructive of sins. 0 Kusha emblemed God, kindly do so.”

Brahma said:

3. Since, O beautiful woman, the entire universe is enchanted by you. O gentle lady, Mohini (enchantress) as your name shall be true to your attributes.

4. O woman of lovely eyebrows, if he comes into a plea sure-giving contact with you, thanks to a clear vision of yours, he will have to experience all the ten states of a love-lorn lover).

5. On being thus commanded, the fair lady bowed down to the lotus-seated deity and set off to the mountain Mandara wistfully gazed at on the way by the immortal ones (gods).

6. By the third Muhurta (one Muhurta-=48minutes) she reached the summit of the mountain. It had been impossible for Vasuki to go round it once (i.e. to encircle it bodily) .1

1. This refers to the churning of the ocean by gods and demons for attaining nectar. Mount Mandara was used as the churning rod and serpent Vasuki as the string to wind round it for churning (Mbh-Adi-Ch.18). The Mbh. regards mount Mandara of the Himalayan range as the real Mandara. The claim of a hill 30 miles to the south of Bhagalpur in Bhagalpur district, with grooves of artificial chiselling to indicate the impression of the coils of a serpent, disqualifies its claim of being the real Mandara-De. 124-125.

7. It was this mountain that was formerly lifted up by Hari (in the form of Divine Tortoise) and used for churning (the milk ocean) by the Devas and Danavas. Sindhu (the ocean) which extends to six hundred thousand Yojanas is the deep pit made by this mountain.

8.This great mountain was not broken even when it rubbed against the physical body of the Divine Tortoise. O leading king, when it fell into the ocean all the hidden parts of the ocean were exposed by this mountain.

9. O Brahmanas, water gushed out from this mountain went up through the path of the Brahmana (Cosmic Egg). Great fire was generated by this mountain due to attrition when it came into contact with the bony shell of the (Divine) Tortoise.

10. It is on this mountain that Lord Digambara (naked deity i.e. Shiva) resides along with his goblins, but, O excellent Brahmanas, he is not visible either to the Devas or to the Danavas.

11. It was for a great period of time viz. ten thousand years that this mountain ground and rubbed the armlets of the discus- bearing Lord.1

1.The description of the churning for Amruta differs slightly in the Mbh and other Puranas in minor details. But the object of the NP. here is to describe the glory of mount Mandara and not the churning of the nectar.

12. This is a veritable mansion of jewels equipped with many kinds of minerals.

13. It is the sporting ground of the heaven-dwellers; it is the place for penance of the sages, it enhances the zest of the divine maidens for sexual dalliance; this great mountain is the source of jewels and medicinal herbs.

14. Its girth at the root is ten thousand Yojanas, its width at the top is also that much. With the length too being as many Yojanas, it rises up as the measuring rod of the three world.

15 It illuminates the surface of the Earth and the sky by means of its golden peaks full of jewels and gems. On reaching it the son of Kashyapa (i.e. Sun) loses his splendour. He becomes devoid of rays.

16-17. The lady of golden splendour reached the Mandara mountain whose parts are the abodes of gold (ingots). Endowed with her own splendour she made the mountain Mandara the destroyer of the brilliance of the sun, (i.e. surpass it) with her own lustre. For the purpose of exciting the lustful passion of the king, she sat on the rocky surface of the mountain that extended to seven Yojanas and that had a divine bluish splendour.

18. O leading king,1 there stands on that rocky surface an adamantine Linga, ten Hastas in height as well as in girth.

1.We are to suppose that the words of address ‘O king’ in such contexts, are addressed to King Mandhata by Vasishtha.

 19.It is famous by the name of Vrushalinga. It appeared like a great palace among the clouds. O excellent Brahmanas that girl gave a sweet and excellent performance of music.

20. That charming lady sat near that Linga and played on the strings of the lute beating time harmoniously. Her songs were exquisitely destructive of tedium.

21-22. It had the Murcchana (the regulated rise and fall of sounds) and the Tala (beating time). It had the Gandhara note in its composition. O leading king (?), when the song that heightened passionate love flowed forth from her like this, 0 leading sages, even the immobile beings began to desire it. Neither divine nor non-divine music had ever been like that before.

23-24. On hearing that sweet note flowing out of the mouth of Mohini, the note that enchanted all living beings, Lord Shiva became lustful and wanted to enjoy her in that very form of Digambara (nakedness). But, on being seen by Parvati he felt ashamed.