Mt. KAILAS: THE LEGENDARY SUMERU OR MERU
114
Charak Sadan, Vikaspuri, New Delhi 110018, India, raomap@yahoo.com
As Devatas and Devis (Hindu Gods
and Goddess) are invisible, their idols are made in human form with divine
attributes and are worshipped as can be seen in temples and houses. Instead of
idol, geometrical ‘yantra’ is also made
and worshipped. Yantra is carved in specified geometrical forms on gold,
silver or copper plate as shown in figure. For each Devata or Devi, use of specific
design is mentioned in epics. For example, the yantra of Lord Hanuman can vary,
depending upon the physical form attributed to him, say with one five faces
etc. Anyhow, yantra is seen as a plain
metal sheet with inscriptions of the deity on it. There are three kinds of Shree Yantra, Bhuprastha,
Kurma Prastha and Meru Prastha. Shree Yantra that is plain is called
Bhuprishtha -(Back of the Earth), one, which is raised on a tortoise back, is
called "Kachchhap Prishtha" and that which is raised fully like the Sumeru Mountain is called Meru Prishtha
like a Mountain (Rudra Centre,
http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/htm/about.htm).
Meru in temples: Mahameru at Thirukutralam is of very big size. At
Thiruvidaimarudur temple, Mahameru made up of gold is worshipped. Aradana of
Mahameru is performed at Sri Bhuvaneswari temple at Pudukkottai and several
other places. Ardha meru aaradhana is performed at Maangaadu(near Madras) installed by Sri Adi
Sankarar. Booprasthaaram or Sri Chakram in Sri Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Sannidhi, installed by Sri Adi Sankarar is
gloriously shining at Kanchi Kamakshi Amman Sannidhi",
Kancheepuram (PNN Meru trust, http://www.ecommsol.com/). Swamy
Pranavananda has built specially a temple for Srichakra worship
at Enugula Mahal, East Godavary District of Andhra Pradesh, India (Swami Pranavananda F.R.G.S, A Treatise on Srichakra.
Published by Sri Swami Pranavananda Trust, Yenugula Mahal). Rev. Swamy
presented the Srichakra shown in the figure to the author. Swamy stayed in the
Kailas-Manasarovar region for around 28 years, which includes 5 years of stay
after China occupied the region. And eighteen times he did parikrama (going
round) around Kailas.
Outmost geometrical design of Srichakra is a
perfect square. A circular lotus is fitted inside the square touching its
sides. The lotus has two concentric rings of petals, sixteen petals in the
outer one and eight in the inside one. The inner ring of petals is situated at
higher level than the outer one. Touching the inner ring of petals, a complex
design full of triangles is carved (Discussion of the Sriyantra by Bolton and Macleod; and by Joseph: http://alumni.cse.ucsc.edu/~mikel/sriyantra/sribib.html.
Scientific analysis of Srichakra,
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/pgemail.pl?date=2002/09/23/&prd=mp&
In the upper semicircle, triangles within
triangles are fitted as blocks pointing in various angles but upwards.
Similarly, in the lower semicircle, triangles are fitted within triangles as
blocks pointing downwards. It would be interesting
to note that this kind of advanced geometry was known to ancient Hindus, before
Adi Sankaracharya, whose period some scholars predicted to be 11 century. The Srichakra shown here is ‘Bhuprasthara’
type. Another type of Srichakra is seen more vertical in the shape of mount is
commonly referred as ‘Meru’. Srichakra made of crystal can be seen as Meru in
the website http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/htm/about.htm. In Meru, the triangular blocks are seen one
above the other becoming narrow and narrow towards the top. The central peak point is surrounded by
triangles, which look like hills all around.
Srichakra
attributed to Mount Sumeru or Meru
In the author’s view, the hill like Srichakra ( Meru)
can be the miniature form of the Mount
Sumeru or Meru. “……the three circles in the Shree Yantra which in itself is the symbol
of the universe or cosmos. When this circle is elevated it stands as a symbol of Sumeru Mountain…(Rudra-Centre, http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/htm/about.htm).
Then the important question arises where is the legendary Meru?
Mt. Kailash (6714 m) - also known as Tise, Kailasa or Kang
Rinpoche (Jewel of the Snows) has since time immemorial been celebrated in many
eastern cosmologies as Mt. Meru, the axis-mundi. As the center of the physical & metaphysical
universe, Mt. Meru (Kailash) is sacred to the Hindus, the
Buddhists, the Jains, and the Bonpos. For the Hindus, the mountain represents
the seat of Shiva. For the Buddhists, a terrestrial projection of the cosmic
mandala of Dyani Buddhas & Boddhisatvas.… The Wheel of Life. Himalayas-the legendary
majestic beauty: http://www.travel-himalayas.com/himalayan-destinations/
“…..The Observer: “Hindus believe Kailash, 6714 meters high,
to be the home of Shiva and according
to the Sanskrit tradition of Vishnu Purana, an earthly representation of Mt.
Sumeru, the cosmic mountain at the centre of the universe.” (The
American Alphine Club E-News :May 2001. http://www.smccuaig@americanalpineclub.org/). However,
mention of the geographic location of Mt. Sumeru in Vishnu Purana is very
interesting. Most significantly, Kailas Range is situated at 31.00 N 82.00 E while Mt. Everest is at 28.05 N 86.58 E. Both the peaks are close to the
centre of the earth (90
degrees). Thousands of years ago,
the maharshis (saints who did long penances and acquired miraculous powers)
could realize that the Mount Sumeru is at the centre of the earth.
Importantly, Bharat (India) is close to Kailas and
lies south to it in agreement with the description made in the
‘Samkalpa’ mentioned already.
Mount Kailash is not one of the giants, but it stands
prominently in a remote south-west corner of Tibet, an amazingly symmetrical 22,028 foot
striated pyramid with a diagonal gash on one of its faces. It was
described by Julian West of UK's The Daily
Telegraph (May 27, 2001) as that " ... compelling, dome-shaped
peak, rising above a desolately beautiful 13,000 ft plateau of rainbow-coloured
rocks, ... ."( Mountain,. http://www.khandro.net/;
khandro@videotron.ca) The author’s
comment: The symmetrical shape of the mountain and Meru form of Srichakra may
agree with each other.
“The [Buddhist] mandala of Demchog on Kailas presents
the universe as a circle of mountains, oceans and continents arrayed around a
mythical mountain at the very center. This mountain, called Meru by Hindus and
Sumeru by Buddhists, plays a pivotal role in Hinduism and Buddhism as the
divine axis of the cosmos. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma, the supreme
deity in the form of the creator, lives on its summit, surrounded by lesser
deities. Meru
and Kailas appear as separate mountains in early texts of Buddhist and Hindu
mythology, but
later tradition has tended to bring them together and identify them as one and
the same” (Edwin Bernbaum,
Berkeley, Hinduism Today, March 1999, Mountains of Mystery, http://www.hheonline.org/funds/htdf_htpf.html;
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/copyright.html). Here
M.A.Padmanbha Rao’s (author) comment is that he did not come across yet any
reference attributing Meru or Sumeru to any other mountain other than Kailas,
though Mt. Everest is relatively the tallest mountain and situated close to the
centre of the earth.
Some other scholars also equated Kailash to Mount Sumeru or Meru.
1. In Tibetan, Kailas is called Kang Rinpoche, or the Precious
Mountain. This peak is also viewed as the earthly manifestation of Mount
Sumeru or Meru, as it is also known. ”
(Mountain. http://www.khandro.net/;
khandro@videotron.ca).
2. ‘Mt.
Kailash (22028 Feet), considered to be a physical embodiment of the mythical
Mt. Meru is believed to be the most sacred mountain in the world”. Holy
Mt. Kailash, http://www.kailashdarshan.com/;
enquiry@kailashdarshan.com ).
Interestingly, the name Meru (3.25S, 36.75E) can be heard in Tanzania for a stratovolcano (Please see Reference 1). It has had four eruptions, the last of which occurred in 1910. It is also a highly elevated place: 15,000 ft (4565 m). As Bharat (India) is not situated south of this volcano, this Meru cannot be the same mentioned in Hindu scriptures. (Wilkinson, P., Mitchell, J.G., Cattermole, P.J. and Downie, C., "Volcanic chronology of the Meru-Kilimanjaro region, Northern Tanzania," Journal of the Geological Society, London, v. 143, 1986, pp. 601-605.(Meru, Tanzania.htm).
Mention has been made of Meru hill and Kashmir in the
‘Skanda Purana’, particularly in ‘Lakshmi Sahasranamavali’ composed by saint
Sanatkumara (Lakshmi Sahasranamamulu, Edited by Peri Bhaskara Rao, Gollapudi Verera
Swamy Son, Sri Seetarama Book Depot,
Rajahmundry 533101, Andhra Pradesh,India). It has
been described Kashmira pura (the city of Kashmir) is the abode while Meru and Vindhya hills etc remain
the favorite places for the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. This epic reveals that the name Srinagar (city of
Goddess Lakshmi) was originated probably because Goddess Lakshmi has been
described as ‘Kashmira pura vasini’ in Skanda Purana.
Both Meru and Kashmir have been mentioned in the epic. It is
difficult to say the area of ancient Kashmira pura, a region in that
period. Anyhow, the region retained the
name Kashmir, though
its area might have been reduced significantly. Possibility exists that Meru
might be within the ancient Kashmir region in ‘puranic’ times (at the time
these puranas were written).
You may refer author’s other sites
of religious interest :
On the
Godly Vedic saint of Bapatla of Andhra Pradesh:
http://members.rediff.com/raomap123/thegreatsaintofbaapatla.htm
Third Eye [Automatic Sketches of Devatas (Gods) ]
http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/1010/101.html
Unidentified
species 5000 years ago:
http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/1010/102.html.htm
THE MOST ANCIENT BRIDGE WAS. NOT BUILT BY HUMANS.
http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/1010/Varadhi.htm
http://www.telugubhakti.com/ by Shri K.V.R.Rao of Hyderabad
Audio downloads- Many melodious audio downloadable files to feast your ears.
Kavitha Kadambam: Exciting Kavithas by our Telugu Kavis from
different parts of the globe to thrill your mind. Vratas: Sravana Mangala Gouri Vratam.Varalakashmi Vratam (with audio download).Vinayak Chavithi (with audio download).Managal Chandi Vratam (with audio download).Raghavendra SwamyStotras and Slokas on Guru Raghavendra Swamy. And many more additions of your choice.
The author is a
scientist who made four fundamental
physics discoveries.
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Facility/8252/-
http://education.vsnl.com/scientificresearch
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