Gaudavaho

Author(s): Vakpatiraj, Narhari Govind Suru, P L Vaidya, A N Upadhye, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 451

154
Gaüḍavaho
ing the cities of gods and the habitations of celestial spirits. All planets are said to revolve round this mountain. It is also said to consist of gold and gems, hence called Hemādri, Ratna-sānu, Karṇikācala, Lotus mountain', Deva-Parvata and Amarādri. Regarded as a terrestrial object, it would seem to be some mountain north of the Himalayas.
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The day and the night are the two phenomena caused by the movement of the sun. When on one extremity of the mountain the sun rises, there is Day, followed by the Night when he sets at the other extreme end. Struck by Indra's thunderbolt, the mountain Meru started burning, enveloped in fire-flames, with its wings filled with smoke. The mountain also tried to move away in haste and hurry and as a result the day and the night, dependent on the sun's movement, moved along with it as the sun is closely associated with the mountain.
117. The edge of the thunderbolt became blunted, as it suddenly met the mountain with a crashing sound () in its isolent impact. Then it began to move up and down (ailfox) to break the resistence (after) and by this action its edge gets sharpened (forfors).
118. The mountain-wives aborted instantaneously through fright, as they saw even big birds turning back (a) towards the same caves from which they had fled out. Cf. Marathi idiom - भीतीनें गर्भगळित होणें.
119. As soon as the wings were clipped, the fire had started over the mountain and as a result, the mountain, which for some time was up in the air, dropped down with a thud on the same spot. Because of the depression caused in the surface of the earth, oceans on both the sides of this mountain rushed their waters in the portion of the land that had caved in and thus the fire was extinguished on the mountain in the same spot where it became re-established.
120. By the daily movements of the sun the rising mountain had already become heated. The hot thunderbolt, therefore, was felt by the mountain after some time had lapsed, although it had struck the mountain earlier.