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JUNE 19211
TRANS-HIMALAYAN REMINISCENCES IN PALI LITERATURE
181
TRANS-HIMALAYAN REMINISCENCES IN PALI LITERATURE.
Br D. N. SEN, M. A. .
(Continued from p. 166.) Other references to the Trans-Himalâya in Pali Literature: The following passage occurs in' संगामावचर जातक
अथ ने गहेस्वा सहवीजनिक मनोसिलातलं अनीतत्तबहादयी सत्तमहासरे पञ्चमहानदियो सुवण्णपध्वस रजसपब्बत मणिपम्बसपतिमण्डितं अमेकसस रामनेय्यक हिमवम्सपब्बतच वस्सस्वा सावसिंसभवनं ते नन्द विपुच्च ति पुछित्वा न विपुग्छ भन्ने ति बुले एहि मन्द तावर्तिसभवनं से दस्मेस्सामि सस्थ नेस्वा पण्डुकम्बलसिलासनेनिसिदि| सका देवराजा ही चलोकसु देवसंघेन सद्धि आगन्ता वन्दित्वा एकमन्तंनिसिदि | अड्व सियकोटिसंख्या तस्म परिचारिका पयसताच ककुरापारा देषच्छरापि आगन्ता वन्दित्वा एकमन्सं निसिर्दिसु ।
[Then he took hinu up and showed him red-tinted (lit. red-arsenic) rocky soil extending over sixty yojanas, 30 Anotattadaha and the other six great lakes, the five great rivers, and the Himavanta pabbata adorned with the gold, the silver and the precious stone mountains. He asked Nanda, 'Have you seen the abode of the Tavatimsa gods ?' Nanda replied, 'No, I have not seen it, Sir.' He said, 'Come Nanda, I will show you the abode of the Tåvatimsa gods.' He then took him there and sat on a rock of the colour of a white blanket. Sakka, the king of the gods, came with a company of devas from two devalokas, saluted him and sat down on one side. Two and a half kotis of female attendants, also five hundred nymphs with feet like those of doves came and saluted him and sat down on one side.]
Though mixed up with much that is legendary, this account preserves a tradition of some importance about the Himalaya and the Trans-Himalaya.
The following passage occurs in मेरुजासक
अतीते बाराणसियं ममदते रज्ज कारन्ते बोधिसत्ती सुवण्णहंसयोनिबं निम्नत्ति, कनिभातापि रस अस्थि, ने चित्तकूटपम्बते वसन्स्वा हिमवन्तपदेसे सबं जाससालि खान्ति, से एकदिवसं तस्थ चरित्वा चित्तकूट भाग
छन्ता अन्तरा मग्गे एक ने नाम काञ्चनपब्बतं दिस्व सस्स मस्थ निसिम्सुि | संपन पबतं निस्साब वसन्ता सकुना चतुष्पाता च गोचरभामिथं नानावणा होन्सि. पम्बतं पविहकालको पहाय तस्मीभासन अक्षणपवण्णा वा होन्ति ।
[In the past, when Brahmadatta was reigning at Bârânasi, Bodhisatta was born a golden goose. He also had a younger brother. They used to live in the Cittakûta Mountain, situated in the Himavanta region, and lived on wild rice. One day, while they were returning to Cittakuța, after having fed themselves in that region, on the way they saw a golden mountain of the name of Neru, and alighted on its peak. The birds and four-footed animals living on this mountain seemed to be of different colours in their feeding grounds, but as soon as they entered the mountain, they would take on the gold colour on account of the light einitted by it.)
हिमवन्सप्पदेश or the cold region was evidently not identical with himavantapabbata but included the latter. The quotation given above agrees with the Pauranic tradition that Neru, Sanskrit Meru,' was a golden mountain like a smokeless column of fire. • Tho निमिजातक speaks of the seven mountains surrounding सिनेरु (Sans. सुमेरू)
मुदस्सनीकरविको इसधरी युगन्धरी नेमिन्धरी विनतको अरमकण्णी गिरिग्रहा एसे सीवन्तरे नागा अनूपुख समुग्गला महाराजानं आवासा बानि स्वराज पस्ससीति ।
[Sudassano, Karaviko, Isndharo, Yugandharo, Nemindharo, Vinatako, Assakanno, great niountains. These mountains separated by the Sita and rising one above another, Are the abodes of the Mahârâjas about which, Oh ! Rajan, you ask.)
The same जातक mentions the चित्तकूटद्वारकोडक (the Citrakuta gate) of सावर्तिसभनं 'or the heaven of the thirty-three.'
30 Yojana=8 or 9 miles.
