________________
MAY, 1921)
TRANS-HIMALAYAN REMINISCENCES IN PALI LITERATURE
166
-
-
uddharanto viya). In the accounts preserved in Buddhist literature, and specially the Jâtakas, ferate or Sumeru is a mountain round which there is a thick and luxuriant growth of myth and legend. But still it is a mountain to the north of the 19 , the abode of the gods of the rafter heaven and an object of devout aspirations.
सुमेरु is mentioned as महामेरु mountain in the तेतिरीब मारण्यक"कश्यपोऽहमः । स महानेकन बहाति" "नहि शकुमो महाने गन्तुं ।" "गच्छत महामेरूं।" [" Kasyapa is the eighth (sun). He does not not leave the MahAmeru". "We cannot go to the Mahamera."
"Go to the Mahameru." ] 'महामर' is explained as 'मेरुपम्वत by साबण-'स कश्यपी मेरुपर्वतं न कशचिपि परिवति, मेरुस्थानमेव सर्वदा प्रकाशं करोति ।
महानेरु is the Pali equivalent of महामेरु, as in the word 'Mahaneru-nidassanam' in Palasajataka. SUMERO IN THE PURANAS : The Brahmanda-purana tells us :
"पवरीलोऽथ कैलासो हिमवांधाचलोत्तमः। बहते परिवारकूटाः पर्वतीतमाः।। विवभागे विष पोका मेरीरमरवर्षसः। [पाल (five hills), कैलास, and हिमवान्, the best of the mountains, Those are heavenly in nature, undoubtedly the foremost and the best of the mountains ;
Thoy are said to lie in the south of the Meru which shines with an eternal light. ] मेह in then to the north of कला and हिमवान्.
Let us see if we can gloan any further information about it or art from tho Purdnas. We have quoted above, from 16gcrt, the verses giving the relative positions of the seven countries included in बीप. They are as follows :
North
हिरमब. -
.
।
भारतवर्ष South
2 Brahmanda-purdna, chap. 39.
