THE scene of the revelation of Mahānirvāna-Tantra is laid in Himālaya,
the “Abode of Snow,” a holy land weighted with the traditions of the
Āryan race. Here in
these lofty uplands, encircled with everlasting snows, rose the great
mountain of the north, the Sapta-Kula- Parvata. Hence the race itself
came, and there its early
legends have their setting. There are still shown at Bhimudiyar the
caves where the sons of Pāṇ ḍ u and Draupadi rested, as did Rama and
his faithful wife at
the point where the Kosi joins the Sitā in the grove of Aśoka trees. In
these mountains Munis and Ṛ ṣ is lived.
Here also is the Kṣ etra of Śiva Mahādeva, where his
spouse Parvatī, the daughter of the Mountain King, wasborn, and where Mother Ganges also has her source.
From time immemorial pilgrims have toiled through
these mountains to visit the three great shrines at Gangotri1, Kedarnath
2 and Badrinath3 At Kangri, further
north, the pilgrims make the parikrama of Mount
Kailāsa (Kang Rinpoche), where Śiva is said to dwell.
This nobly towering peak rises to the north-west of the
1 Source of the Ganges.
2 A matha and temple dedicated to Śri SadāŚiva in charge of the Śaiva
ascetics called Jan ̣ gama. The Devatā is also worshipped at four other
places
along the Himalayan chain—Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhmaheśwar, and
Kalpeśvar. These and the first-named form the “Panchkedar.”
3 A celebrated temple dedicated to an incarnation of the Deva Viṣ ṇ u,
who
from Kūrmācala is said to have descended in his Kūrma form. As to
Badarika see Mahābhārata c. 92 Āraṇ ya-Parvan.
sacred Manasarowar Lake (Mapham Yum-tso) from
amidst the purple ranges of the lower Kangri
Mountains. The paradise of Śiva is a summerland of
both lasting sunshine and cool shade, musical with the
song of birds and bright with undying flowers. The air,
scented with the sweet fragrance of Mandhāra chaplets,
resounds with the music and song of celestial singers
and players. The Mount is Gaṇ a-parvata, thronged
with trains of Spirits (devayoni), of which the opening
chapter of Mahānirvāṇ a-Tantra speaks.
And in the regions beyond rises Mount Meru, centre
of the world-lotus. Its heights, peopled with spirits, are
hung with clusters of stars as with wreaths of Mālati
flowers. In short, it is written:1 “He who thinks of
Himācala, though he should not behold him, is greater
than he who performs all worship in Kāśi (Benares). In
a hundred ages of the Devas I could not tell thee of the
glories of Himācala. As the dew is dried up by the
morning sun, so are the sins of mankind by the sight of
Himācala.”
It is not, however, necessary to go to the Himālayan
Kailāśa to find Śiva. He dwells wheresoever his
worshippers, versed in Kula-tattva, abide, 2 and His
mystic mount is to be sought in the thousand-petalled
lotus3 (sahasrarapadma) in the body of every human
jīva, hence called Śiva-sthana, to which all, wheresoever
situate, may repair when they have learned how to
achieve the way thither.
1 Skanda-Purāṇ a.
2 Kulārṇ ava-Tantra (chap. IX).
3 See Tripurāsāra, cited in Bhāskarāyas Commentary on Lalitā-sahasranāma,
verse 17. Goroh sthanam hi Kaliāsaṃ as the Yoginī-Tantra (chap. i)
says.
Śiva promulgates His teaching in the world
below
in the works known as Yāmala, Dāmara, Śiva-Sūtra,1
and in the Tantras which exist in the form of dialogues
between the Devatā and his Śakti, the Devī in Her form
as Pārvatī. According to the Gāyatri-Tantra,2 the Deva
Gaṇ eśa first preached the Tantra to the Devayoni on
Mount Kailāsa, after he had himself received them from
the mouth of Śiva.
After a description of the mountain, the dialogue
opens with a question from Parvati3 in answer to which
and those which succeed it, S’iva unfolds His doctrine on
the subjects with which Mahā-nirvāṇ a-Tantra deals.
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