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Notes
In a Kulaka extending over 47 Gathas, the Poet describes the mythological episode of Indra's wonderful exploit of cutting the wings of mountains, connecting it at the end with the main theme by telling us that even such a mighty god like Indra would wish to be seated with him on the same throne – एक्कासणसंमाणं सो वि हरी मण्णए जस्स । G. 160.
153
The mountains were supposed to have had wings before and they used to fly from place to place. When, therefore, Indra found them troublesome and refractory, he cut off their wings with his mighty thunderbolt.
The mountains, according to the Poet, are personified and even deified entities. If like birds they have wings and they fly through the sky, they are evidently sentient beings with a mighty life-force to impel and propel them in their various, vigorous activities and they have also thoughts, emotions and feelings attributed to them, like those of human beings. And, if according to Kalidasa, the great mountain Himalaya, the Nagadhiraja, could have a family consisting of his wife Mena, a son called Maināka mountain, daughters named Parvati and Ganga and could celebrate her marriage with god Siva, it is evident that this logic and this analogy should extend to these mountains too. Accordingly we find in the description that follows, that these flying mountains have their own wives and their retinue and they suffer like humans all the ill effects like miscarriage etc. under the impact of this catastrophe viz. attack by Indra.
114. These big mountains find that they have nowhere to go to for refuge. Their summits have pervaded the skies and all space in all directions has been occupied by their ridges, which reach the ends of these quarters and they come back disappointed. They, therefore, fly upwards a little and stay there to allow themselves to be consumed by the flames from the thunderbolt.
115. The inside caves are filled with coiling columns of smoke which now comes out from their mouths and spreads over their slopes (f). The Poet imagines the smoke to be moltern iron (E) flowing from these mountain-sides, smelting (a) like furnaces under the fire of the thunderbolt.
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116. Meru is a fabulous mountain in the navel or centre of the earth, on which is situated Svarga, the heaven of Indra, contain
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