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MAY, 19211 TRANS-HIMALAYAN REMINISCENCES IN PALI LITERATCRE
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(c) कैलासकट-In the छान्तजातक, there are some references to केलासकूट
(i) अथ तरुणनागा साण्डेहि उसिरकलापे गहेत्वा केलासकूट मज्जन्ता विव नहायेसुं।
(i) तदा नेसदो महासत्तस्स रजतवामसदिसम् सोण्डम् महन्तो अभिरुहित्वा कैलासकूटे विय कुण्डे ठत्व मुखकोटिमांसम् जानुना पहरिया अन्तो पतिपित्वा कम्भती सरूमूह ककचम् अन्तीमुखे पवेसेसि। .
(i) [At that time two young elephants got hold, with their trunks, of roots of Ultra plant and, as if they were rubbing the Kailasa peak, went on bathing.]
(ii) [At that time the hunter trampling upon his silver-white trunk, mounted his hoad as one would climb the peak of Kailasa, struck with his thighs the flesh of the fore-part of the mouth and thrust it inside, then getting down from the head inserted a saw into his mouth.] There is also a reference to Kailasa in Jataka, Vol. VI, p. 267:
"सेतम् केलाससदिसम्". ' [White like Kolasa.] KAILASA ' IN THE PURANAS : 10 सब्छे हिमवतः पा. कैलासो नाम पर्चतः। सस्मिन्वसति श्रीमानकुबेरः सह राक्षसैः॥
To the left-hand side of the Himavân is the mountain named Kailasa. In it lives the wealthy Kubera with the Rakshagas. ]
For finding precisely the position of the mountain, the following verses from the same Purâna a few lines below will be of great help:
20 कैलासाइक्षिणमाच्यां शिवसस्वौषधि गिरिम् । मनःसिलामवं दिव्यं पिशपर्वतं प्रति ॥ लोहितो हेमजस्तु गिरिः सूर्यप्रभो महान् । तस्व पादे महहिव्यं लोहितं नाम तत्सरः।।
तस्मात् पुण्यं प्रभवति लोहित्यः स नदी महान् ।। [To the south-east of Kail&sa towards the mountain with beneficent and heavenly animals and herbs,
Which is full of red-arsenic and is known as Pisanga mountain, Stands the great Lohita mountain with a golden peak and bright as the sun. At its foot there is a great heavenly lake named Lohita;
From this rires the great and holy river of the name of Lohitya.]
The Lohitya is the name of the Brahmaputra during its course along the northern slopes of the Himalaya, and Lohita is the lake which is the reputed source of the great river. Kailasa. according to this account, is to the north-west of the source of the Brahmaputra..
कैलासाइक्षिणे पारसस्वापषि गिरिम् । इबकाबाकिलोत्पनमशनं विककं पति ।। सर्वधातुमवस्तव सुमहानगुतो गिरिः।
तस्व पादे सरःपुण्वं मानसं सिरसेवितम् ॥ . (On the right side (south) of Kailasa, towards a mountain full of malignant herbs and animals sprung from the body of Vțitra, named Anjana, and with three peaks,
There is a very large mountain full of all kinds of metals and with electric properties :
At the foot of this mountain is situatod the Manasa lake which is resorted to by saints. ] 11 Vayu Puraga, Chap. 47.
* Ibid.
