Hanuman Nataka (critical study)
by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words
This page relates 鈥楳ountains in the Hanumannataka鈥� of the English study on the Hanuman-nataka written by Shri Damodara Mishra in the 11th century. The Hanumannataka is a Mahanataka鈥攁 fourteen-act Sanskrit drama dealing with the story of Rama and Hanumat (Hanuman) and presents the events in the lifes of Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman (the son of Anjana and Vayu鈥攖he God of the Winds) based on the Ramayana story.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
8.2. Mountains in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补
The 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补 records the names of some mountains of India. Some mountains are regarded as places of pilgrimage and some of them are regarded as places for performing penance. Here is an attempt to add a brief discussion on the mountains mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补.
碍补颈濒腻蝉补:
碍补颈濒腻蝉补 is a mountain and a peak of the great 贬颈尘腻濒补测补蝉. It is the residence of 艢颈惫补 and Kubera.[1] There is a reference to 碍补颈濒腻蝉补 in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补 of 艢r墨 顿腻尘辞诲补谤补 惭颈艣谤补..[2] It may be added that in the 痴颈办谤补尘辞谤惫补艣墨测补 [惫颈办谤补尘辞谤惫补艣墨测补尘][3] of 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补, 艢颈惫补 is mentioned as 碍补颈濒腻蝉补n膩tha.
碍补颈濒腻蝉补 lies near the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia: the Indus, the Sutlej, the Brahmaputra and the Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges). It is considered to be the abode of Lord 艢颈惫补 and a place of eternal bliss. The mountain lies near Lake Manasarowar and Rakshastal in Tibet. The word 碍补颈濒腻蝉补 may be derived from the word Kil膩sa which means crystal. According to Hindu belief, Lord 艢颈惫补, the destroyer of evil and sorrow, resides at the summit of this legendary mountain named 碍补颈濒腻蝉补, where he sits in a state of perpetual meditation along with his wife 笔腻谤惫补迟墨.
According to Charles Allen, one description in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺, of the mountain states that its four faces are made of crystal, ruby, gold and lapis lazuli. It is a pillar of the world and is located at the heart of six mountain ranges symbolizing as lotus. The four rivers flowing from 碍补颈濒腻蝉补 then flow to the four quarters of the world and divide the world into four regions.[4]
痴颈苍诲丑测腻:
The reference of the mountain 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 is also there in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补.[5] The 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 Range is a range of older rounded mountains and hills in the west-central Indian sub-continent, which geographically separates the Indian sub-continent into northern India (the Indo-Gangetic Plain) and southern India.[6] In the Ancient Geography of India, it is found that the Pulindas, inhabited the 痴颈苍诲丑测腻s and were for a long time the scourge of travellers.[7]
Hindu legends say that the 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 Mountains once showed a tendency to grow as high so to obstruct the usual trajectory of the sun. This was accompanied by increasing vanity on the part of the mountain range, which demanded that Surya should circummbulate the 痴颈苍诲丑测腻s in the same way as he does Mount Meru. The need arose to subdue, by guile, the 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 and Agastya was chosen to do that Agastaya journeyed from North to South, and on the way encountered the impossible 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 mountains. He asked the mountain range to facilitate his passage across to the South. In reverence for Agastya, the 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 Mountains bent low enough to enable the sage and his family to cross over and enter South India. The 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 Range also promised not to increase in height until Agastaya and his family returned to the north. Agastya settled permanently in the south, and the 痴颈苍诲丑测腻 Range, true to its word, never grew further.
贬颈尘腻濒补测补:
The mountain 贬颈尘腻濒补测补 is also mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补. According to 痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺 (痴颈峁ａ箛耻辫耻谤腻峁嘺)[8], the 贬颈尘腻濒补测补 is the northern limit of India. It is said in the introductory stanza of the 碍耻尘腻谤补蝉补峁僢丑补惫补 (碍耻尘腻谤补蝉补尘产丑补惫补)[9]; 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补 distinctly mentions here that the king of the mountains, 贬颈尘腻濒补测补 by name is situated to the northern direction. Moreover; the names 迟耻丑颈苍腻诲谤颈[10] and 丑颈尘腻诲谤颈[11] are also found employed in the 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘of 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补 to mean the 贬颈尘腻濒补测补.
According to the Kup[12], the Himavat is the abode of Siddhas and 颁腻谤补峁嘺蝉. It spreads over one thousand and eighty Yojanas. After that this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺[13] narrates that the 鈥�贬颈尘腻濒补测补鈥� is the source of the rivers like 艢补迟补诲谤耻, 颁补苍诲谤补产丑腻驳腻, Sarayu, 驰补尘耻苍腻, 滨谤腻惫补迟墨, Vitasta, 痴颈辫腻艣腻, 顿别惫颈办腻, 碍耻丑奴, 骋辞尘补迟墨, 顿丑奴迟补辫腻辫腻, Bahud膩, D峁涐梗advati, 碍补耻艣颈办颈 and Lohita. Again it is the source of the mighty 骋补峁単腻 also. Because of this, the river 骋补峁単腻 is often called the daughter of the 贬颈尘腻濒补测补 (贬颈尘腻濒补测补蝉ut膩).
颁颈迟谤补办奴峁璦:
There is a reference in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补[14], to a hill named 颁颈迟谤补办奴峁璦. According to Ancient Geography of India (Ancient Geography of India), 搁腻尘补 crossed the 驰补尘耻苍腻 on a raft and arrived at the foot of the hill 颁颈迟谤补办奴峁璦 by the river Mand膩k墨ni or 惭腻濒颈苍颈 at a distance of twenty four miles from the confluence of the 驰补尘耻苍腻 and the 骋补峁単腻.[15] 颁颈迟谤补办奴峁璦, is situated on the clear river Paisunoi, which is therefore the Mand膩k墨ni or
惭腻濒颈苍颈 of old days. Bharata decided that he would travel to 颁颈迟谤补办奴峁璦 and bring back 搁腻尘补 with him to 础测辞诲丑测腻.[16]
峁氠梗测补尘奴办补:
峁氠梗测补尘奴办补 is a mountain near the lake Pa峁僷膩 which formed the temporary abode of 搁腻尘补 with the monkey-chief 厂耻驳谤墨惫补. This 峁氠梗测补尘奴办补 is also mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补 by 艢r墨 顿腻尘辞诲补谤补 惭颈艣谤补.[17] It is mentioned as giri.
碍颈峁颈苍诲丑腻:
碍颈峁颈苍诲丑腻 is also mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补[18] It is a mountain situated in the country called 碍颈峁颈苍诲丑腻. It is also a city, the capital of 碍颈峁颈苍诲丑腻.[19]
碍谤补耻帽肠补:
碍谤补耻帽肠补 is the name of a mountain. It is also mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补[20] This mountain is said to be the grandson of 贬颈尘腻濒补测补 and said to have been pierced by 碍腻谤迟颈办别测补 and 笔补谤补艣耻谤腻尘补.[21] It is mentioned in the 惭别驳丑补诲奴迟补[22] also.
Suvela:
Suvela is the name of the 罢谤颈办奴峁璦 mountain.[23] It is also mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补193
Mandara:
Mandara is mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补 by 艢r墨 顿腻尘辞诲补谤补 惭颈艣谤补.[24] Mandara is a mountain used by the gods and demons as a churning stick when they churned the ocean for nectar.[25]
搁别惫腻:
The 搁别惫腻 or 鈥榬oaring鈥�[26] is also known as 狈补谤尘补诲腻 and also by Induj膩, Somodbhav膩, and similar names meaning 鈥楳oonborn鈥�, as Purvagang膩 or Eastern Ganges, by Mekalakanyak膩, Mekal膩drij膩 and similar names meaning 鈥渇lowing from mountain Mekala鈥�.[27] The last evidently refers to mount 础尘补谤补办补峁囜弓补办补 the source of the river.[28] Its valley was the seat of two important kingdoms viz. of the Cedis and the Haihayas. The first were also called D膩halas and Traipuras from their chief town 罢谤颈辫耻谤墨 or Tripura.[29] It is clear from the 叠腻濒补谤腻尘腻测补峁嘺 that the Cedis occupied the banks of the 狈补谤尘补诲腻, as it calls its chief 鈥�master of the province adorned by the 狈补谤尘补诲腻鈥� and 鈥渞uler of Mekala鈥�. Coming from 厂颈峁僪补濒补 to 础测辞诲丑测腻, one of 搁腻尘补鈥檚 companions is made to point out L膩峁璦 De艣a to the left of the 狈补谤尘补诲腻.[30] The river 搁别惫腻 is also mentioned in the 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补[31]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
[3]:
kail膩san膩thamupas峁泃ya nivartam膩n膩/ 痴颈办谤补尘辞谤惫补艣墨测补m, 1.2
[4]:
en. wikipedia. org
[5]:
[6]:
en.wikipedia. org
[7]:
Ancient Geography of India, p. 49
[8]:
[9]:
astyuttarasy膩峁� di艣idevat膩tm膩 him膩layo 苍腻尘补 nag膩dhir膩ja岣�/ 碍耻尘腻谤补蝉补尘产丑补惫补, 1.1
[10]:
鈥� jvalitena guh膩gata峁� tamastuhin膩dreriva naktamo峁dhi岣�/ 搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘 VIII. 54
[11]:
paraspare峁嘺 vij帽膩taste峁Ｅ玴ayanapa峁噄 峁 r膩j帽膩 丑颈尘补惫补迟补岣� s膩ro r膩j帽a岣� s膩ro 丑颈尘腻诲谤颈峁嚹� ibid.,VIII, 57
[12]:
[13]:
[14]:
(tatra citrak奴峁璭) (蝉补办补谤耻峁嘺峁�)
m奴rdhn膩 badduhaja峁璭na valkalabh峁泃膩 dehena p膩d膩nati峁� kurv膩峁噀 bharate t膩th膩 prarudita峁� t膩rasvarai岣� s墨tay膩/
测别苍辞诲惫颈驳苍补惫颈丑补峁単补苍颈谤驳补迟补迟补谤耻苍颈岣� 蝉补峁僲补诲补岣� 艣惫腻辫补诲补岣� 艣ailendro鈥檖i kilai峁 bh奴ribhirbh奴ts膩艣ru岣� 辫补测补岣� 辫谤补蝉谤补惫补颈岣�// 贬补苍耻尘补苍苍腻峁璦办补, III.18
[15]:
itastriyojan膩 dr膩magiriryatra nivatsyati mahar峁蝉别惫颈迟补岣�
pu峁噛ah sarvasya sukhad岣� 艣颈惫补岣� 驳补濒腻峁単耻濒腻产丑颈苍腻诲颈迟辞
v膩r峁嘺rark峁ni峁vita岣� citraku峁璦岣� itikhy膩to gandham膩-danasannibhah/ 础测辞诲丑测腻k膩nda 54, 29-30 and Ancient Geography of India, p.12
[16]:
www.bvihar.com.
[17]:
[18]:
[19]:
V.S. Apte, The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 150
[20]:
[21]:
V.S. Apte鈥檚 The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 169
[22]:
[23]:
[24]:
dev膩j帽膩paya ki峁� karomi 蝉补丑补蝉腻 la峁卥膩mihaiv膩naye jamb奴dv墨pamito naye kimathav膩 v膩r膩峁僴idhi峁� 艣o峁ye/
helotp膩峁璱tavindhyamandara驳颈谤颈岣� svar峁嘺trinetr膩cala k峁paksu峁囜箛avivartam膩nasalila峁� badhn膩mi v膩r膩峁僴idhim// ibid., VI. 4
[25]:
V.S. Apte, The Students Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 425
[27]:
(a) revenduj膩 p奴rvaga峁単膩 narmad膩 mekal膩drij膩 Hemacandra IV.149
(b) rev膩 tu narmad膩 somodbhav膩 mekalakanyak膩, Amara, I.10.32
[28]:
The position of the mount was well-known to our poets. R膩jasekhara calls the river in one place 鈥�born of mount Mekala and in another place assigns its source in the Vindyas. Vindhyamah墨dharadh膩ma, Br., X.75
[29]:
鈥渢raipur膩stu 岣嵞乭al膩岣� syu艣caidy膩ste cedaya艣ca te鈥�, 鈥渢ripur墨 cedinagar墨鈥� Hemacandra., IV.22 and 41
[30]: