The Flying Mountains

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Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

The Flying Mountains

 

 

 

I was returning from a spiritually invigorating visit to Tirunaaraayana puram

(Melkote). Both at Melkote and en route to Coimbatore, some of the most

panoramic views are available for those who admire Mother Nature. From some

spots, you can see mountains, scores of them, undulating and stretching in the

distance as far as the eye can see. From a vantage point, I spent some time

contemplating the distant hills. They looked majestic, magnificent and mighty,

making me feel small, insignificant and inconsequential. They appeared

indomitable, inspiring and doughty, inviting you to emulate them if you could.

And it was a pleasure just to watch them, their slopes clothed in lush greenery,

their nooks and crannies providing home and hearth to myriad birds, bees and

animals, their crests rising tall into the skies with an upward tilt, as if in

silent communion with their Maker. Home to tall trees, verdant grassy knolls,

thick bushes, bubbling streams and roaring waterfalls, these mountains teemed

with life, while giving the overall impression (to the distant observer) of

absolute inactivity. Strong and silent, stoic and severe, they had been there

for ages, watching hordes of human beings pass by, laughing inwardly at the

fickleness of their lives and fortunes.

 

 

 

With the bus conductor calling all passengers back, I pried myself away with

reluctance from the enchanting scene and boarded the bus. However, the hills

refused to leave my sight and thoughts, and as usual, I took off on the hobby

horse, looking for references in the Scripture to these stationary sentinels. To

my surprise, my usually sluggish brain poured out references rapidly and in

minutes, I found myself with a plethora of quotes awaiting to be assembled into

an article.

 

 

 

A quick perusal of the textual references threw up an extremely close connection

between the Paramatma and mountains. A startling find was that Sriman Narayana

appeared to be extremely enamoured of mountains. On analysis, I found that at

more than 10% of the Divya Desams sanctified by Azhwars' adulations, the Lord

had made His abode on hills. The first and foremost on the list to come to my

mind was of course Tiruvenkatam, where Emperuman sports the tirunaamam

'Ezhumalayaan' or the Lord of Seven hills. And in quick succession, I thought of

Ahobilam or Singavel Kundram, Tiruukkadigai or Cholasimhapuram, Hastigiri at

Kanchi, Tiruneermalai, Tirukkurumkudi (Malai mel Nambi), Tiruvattaar,

Tirumaalirumsolai malai, Saalagraamam, Badarikaashramam, Tiruppiridi and Kandam

ennum Kadinagar (on the banks of the Ganga). And there appeared to be any number

of other shrines too, big and small, famous and not so renowned, where the Lord

preferred to live on hills and mountains-to mention but a few, Simhaadri,

Mangalagiri, Paatalaadri (Singapperumal Koil), Yadugiri (Melukote), Biligiri

Rangana Betta, Tirumalai Vaiyyavoor-the list stretched on. It appeared as

though, recognizing the Lord's liking for the hills, Kings and lesser men had

constructed temples for Him atop almost all hills-so much so that whenever you

think of a mountain, it is Emperuman who comes to your mind automatically. This

is borne out by Sri Nammazhwar's pasuram, 'Nindra kundrattinai nokki Nedumaalae!

Vaa endru koovum'-any towering hill involuntarily prompts thoughts of the Lord.

 

 

 

When we think of all this, a question naturally pops up in our minds--Why should

this be so? Why should Emperuman not confine Himself to plains and why should He

prefer lofty places and high altitudes? We find the answer in the Shruti-to be

more specific, in the Jayaadi Mantraas, which tell us that Emperuman is the

Overlord of all mountains-'Vishnu: parvataanaam adhipati:'. Is He not the Lord

and Master of everything and not merely mountains, we wonder? Yes, He is indeed

the indisputable master of the entire universe, consisting of sentient beings

and non-sentient objects. However, among the latter, He is specifically

designated as the Lord of the hills-'Parvataanaam adhipati:'

 

 

 

We have so far seen Emperuman's predilection for hill resorts in the

Arcchaavataaram. If we consider the matter further, we find that even during His

Vibhava avataraas, the Lord has had a close association with mountains. During

the strenuous search beneath the waters for Nectar, He took the form of a giant

turtle (Koormaavataaram) and bore the great Mantara Parvatam on His back, to

provide it a steady and stable platform during the churning exercise. We are

told by Swami Desikan that the back and forth movement of the mighty mountain on

His back provided a pleasant scratching sensation for the Lord. And the

Bhagavata Purana tells us that while lifting the mammoth mountain from its

place, the Lord did so almost playfully ('leelayaa') and put it on Garuda's

back, to be transported to the Milky Ocean as the churning rod.

 

 

 

However, it is during the Ramavatara that Emperuman places on record His deep

love for mountains. In fact, He waxes so eloquent in the description of

Chitrakoota Parvatam, that one wonders whether He was a bow-wielding warrior

Prince or a poet par excellence. Sri Valmiki devotes an entire Sargam to an

enchanting account of Chitrakootam, quoting Sri Rama's lengthy account of the

lofty mountain. Sri Raghava declares to Sri Mythily that the mere sight of

Chitrakootam gladdens His heart so much as to make Him forget major personal

tragedies like the loss of crown at Ayodhya and the parting with near and dear-

 

 

 

'Na raajyaat bhramsanam Bhadre! Na suhridbhi: vinaabhava:

 

Mano me baadhate drishtvaa ramaneeyam imam girim'

 

 

 

He goes on to tell Sita that they could comfortably spend the rest of their

jungle sojourn at Chitrakootam. Sri Raghava is so captivated by Chitrakoota's

environs that He admits frankly to be enchanted beyond measure-'vichitra

shikhare hyasmin ratavaan asmi Bhaamni'. And when it is time to leave the place,

He performs pradakshinam of Chitrakootam, as a tribute to its sanctity. It is in

commemoration of this event that till date, visitors to Chitrakootam perform

circumambulation of the mountain, deeming it a privilege and honour to tread on

ground sanctified by the footsteps of Sri Raghunandana. It is worthy of note

that others too share Sri Rama's enchantment with Chitrakootam, equating it with

the King of Mountains-'Subhaga: Chitrakootosou Giriraajopama giri:'. It is

noteworthy that Chitrakootam finds appreciative mention in Sri Mahabharatam too.

 

 

 

If you wish to perform kainkaryam to the Lord, you must choose an Emperuman with

a hilly abode. This is not an audacious prescription from humble me, but the

wish of Sri Lakshmana, who declares his intention to perform unending and

comprehensive service to Sri Rama, while the latter and Sri Janaki amuse

themselves in mountainous caves and slopes-

 

 

 

'Bhavaanstu saha Vaidehya giri saanushu ramsyate

 

Aham sarvam karishyaami jaagrata: svapastascha te'.

 

 

 

(It is noteworthy that Sri Nammazhwar too, while wishing to perform ceaseless

kainkaryam, chooses Tiruvenkatamudayaan as the object of the same-

 

 

 

'ozhivil kaalam ellaam udanaai manni vazhuvilaa adimai seyya vendum naam

 

Tezhi kural aruvi Tiruvenkatattu ezhil kol sodi endai tandai tandaikke')

 

 

 

After Her abduction by Ravana, hills and mountains play quite a considerable

role in aiding Emperuman in His search for Sita. While being dragged in the

skies by the terrible raakshasa, Vaidehi appeals to Maalyavaan and Prasravana,

both mighty mountains, to tell Rama that Ravana had abducted Her. While

dispatching search parties in the four directions for locating Sri Mythily, Sri

Sugriva gives an account of various strange mountains the Vanara veeras would

encounter on their way-some golden, some silvery, some a startling white, some

insurmountable, some inapproachable, some with their crests nestling in the

clouds and so on. Sugriva appears to have been widely-traveled, from the way he

reels off the names of mountains and their characteristics, in all the four

directions of the world. Here are some of the names of exalted Parvatas

mentioned by Sugriva-Hemagiri, Sudarsanam, Krouncham, Mainaakam, Somagiri,

Vindhya, Sishira, Udaya Paravatam, Jaataroopa shila, Soumanasam, Maha Meru,

Kaanchanam, Ayomukham, Malaya Parvatam, Rishabham, Pushpitakam, Shwetam,

Sooryavaan and so on.

 

 

 

 

 

Sugriva doesn't merely list the mountains to be encountered, but throws in

several interesting bits of information about each of them. For instance, most

of us may not know where exactly Emperuman put His first footstep, while

measuring the Bhoolokam during Trivikrama avataaram. We learn from Sugriva that

it is the mountain named Soumanasam which was fortunate to receive the Lord's

stretched tiruvadi, marking the first step with which the entire world was

measured. The second step of the Lord was put atop the Maha Meru Parvatam, we

are told. And did you know which is the home of the thousand-headed Adisesha? It

is Jaataroopa Shila, which also marks the eastern frontier of the world and

sports a Palm tree at its crest, forming the flagstaff of Ananta. The exact spot

at which the Lord destroyed the asuras Panchajana and Hayagriva and captured the

Divine Conch and Discus, is the mountain known as Chakravaan, on which the

divine architect Visvakarma has established a cosmic wheel with a thousand

radii, known as Sahasraaram. We get to know too that the Malaya Parvatam is the

abode of Sage Agastya, that it was he who pushed the great, golden Mahendra

Parvatam under the ocean. At the confluence of river Sindhu and the sea is

located Hemagiri Mountain, with a hundred peaks, in whose caves live flying

lions. The Meru, called Maha Meru due to its greatness and spiritual

significance, comes in for specific and elaborate mention-the Sun is supposed to

perform pradakshinam of this great mountain, at sunrise and sunset. When

Emperuman tells us that He is Meru among mountains (in Bhagavat Gita) we can

readily appreciate its greatness. These and a hundred other pieces of

information about hills and mountains are available in the Kishknindha Kaandam

of Srimad Ramayanam as also the Vana Parva of Sri Mahabharatam.

 

 

 

It is again a great mountain-the Mahendra Parvatam-- which serves as a launching

pad for Anjaneya and provides him with the requisite impetus for his prodigious

flight to Lanka. Readers would remember that this was the mountain placed under

deep waters by Agastya Muni-presumably, it must have regained its original place

on land after a length of time. According to Sri Mahabharatam, the same mountain

is the choice of Sri Parasurama for performing penance, after He annihilated

twenty one generations of Kshatriyas.

 

 

 

One more interesting tidbit we gather from Sundara Kaandam is that mountains had

wings and used to fly hither and thither, terrifying Devas, Rishis and ordinary

people, who were in constant fear of these titans dropping down on their heads.

They represented to Indra, who, on consideration, saw no need for mountains to

be airborne and cut off their wings with his Vajraayudham. This episode is

related by Mainaaka Parvatam to Sri Hanumaan, during his phenomenal flight to

Lanka.

 

 

 

During the Krishnavataram, the Lord's association with hills is even closer.

Single-handedly, He lifts up and holds on His tender little finger the great

Govardhana mountain for seven long days and nights, to provide shelter

underneath for hundreds of inhabitants of Gokulam from the torrential rain and

sleet let loose by an Indra enraged by denial of customary tributes. More than

any other of Sri Krishna's innumerable and wonderful acts, it is the holding up

of the hill as a spacious umbrella that captures Sri Nammazhwar's imagination-so

much so that he finds the lives, of those who do not admire and adulate

Emperuman for Goverdhanoddhaaranam, to be a criminal waste. Acccording to Sri

Andal, if there is one single act which amply demonstrates the Lord's Souseelya

gunam, it is the aforesaid-'Kundru kudayaai edutthaai gunam pottri'.

 

 

 

The abode of Sri Nrisimha is definitely the hills, if we are to go by the

Shruti, which tells us, 'Mrigo na bheema: kucharo girihstthaa:' And the 'Seeriya

Singam' that Sri Andal refers to, which sleeps in hilly caves and marches out

with blazing eyes, bristling mane and deafening roar ('Maari malai muzhainjil

mannik kidandu urangum seeriya singam') must also refer to Nrisimha only.

 

 

 

We thus see that whatever be Emperuman's state, be it the Arcchavtaram or His

other renowned Vibhava avataras, hills and mountains have an extremely

significant role to play.

 

 

 

Mountains are the subject matter of an extremely beautiful comparison. Sri

Tirumangai Mannan tells us that these tall sentinels are nothing but the breasts

of Mother Earth-'Kaaraar varai kongai kannaar kadal udukkai. neeraara veli Nila

Mangai'. 'Parvata stana mandite' says another text, confirming the comparison.

The Bhaagavata Puranam (Fifth Skandam) tells us that there are innumerable hills

and mountains in Bhaarata Varsham and enumerates the principal ones as follows:

 

 

 

Malayam, Mangalaprastham, Mainaakam, Trikootam, Rishabham, Kootakam, Kodakam,

Sahyam, Devagiri, Risyamookam, Srisailam, Venkatam, Mahendram, Vaaridhaaram,

Vindhyam, Rikshagiri, Paariyaatram, Dronam, Chitrakootam, Govardhanam,

Raivatakam, Kakubham, Gokaamukham, Indrakeelam, Kaamagiri, etc.

 

 

 

Another great mountain, perhaps the greatest, which is close to the Lord's

heart, is the Himalayas-so much so that while searching for examples of the

invincible, it is this mountain that comes to His mind unprompted. While

assuring Droupati that His word would never prove untrue, the Lord declares that

several impossible things may happen--the heavens might fall, the oceans dry up,

the earth might crack wide open and the Himavat Parvatam might explode into

pieces-- but His spoken word could never prove false

 

('Dhou: patet, Prithivi seeryet, Himavaan sakalee bhavet

 

Sushyet toyanidhi: Krishne! Na me moham vacho bhavet').

 

 

 

To Sri Narada too, who searches for an example for Sri Rama's courage,

immutability and invincibility, it is the Himalayas that come to mind

-'Dhairyena Himavaan iva'. Srimad Ramayanam tells us that this Himavat Parvatam

had two daughters-first the famed and sacred Ganga and the second, Parvathy, who

was given in marriage to Rudra, whose abode again is another great mountain,

Kailasam. It is this Kailasam that Ravana tried to lift and almost succeeded,

before Rudra literally put his foot down and trapped the raakshasa's hand,

making the latter realize that lifting mountains is no easy joke. It is not only

Emperuman who lifted mountains-even Sri Hanuman did it, carrying the Oushadha

Giri, the Sanjeevini Parvatam, from its sources to the battlefield, so that the

fallen Lakshmana could be revived. We also find from the Yuddha Kaandam of

Srimad Ramayanam that hills were used as weapons and missiles, in the battle

between Ravana's minions and Vanara veeras. It speaks volumes about the strength

of warriors on either side, if they were able to uproot, carry and throw hills

at one another.

 

 

 

Before I am pronounced guilty of the Himalayan blunder of testing readers'

patience, I would like to conclude here. However, whatever I have written

doesn't even scratch the surface of these mountains, which require a chronicler

with much greater knowledge and narrative powers than poor me.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan