Kailasha

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
An illustration depicting Shiva with his family at Kailasha
"Kailasa" redirects here. For the mountain, see Mount Kailash. For other uses, see Kailash (disambiguation).

Kailasha or Kailasa (

IAST: Kailāsa) is the celestial abode of the Hindu god Shiva. It is traditionally recognized as a mountain where Shiva resides along with his consort Parvati, and their children, Ganesha and Kartikeya.[1] Mount Kailash, located in the Transhimalaya, in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau
, is considered as a geographic manifestation of Kailasha.

Etymology

The name is given as "Kailāsa" (कैलास; var. Kailāśa कैलाश) in Sanskrit.[2][3] It could have been derived from the word "kelāsa" (केलास), which means "crystal".[4]

Theology and mythology

The abode of Kailasha is said to be guarded by a set of

Nandi, the vahana (mount) of Shiva.[5] According to the Puranas, Shiva and Parvati are often described as engaged in discussions regarding Hindu philosophies seated in Kailasha.[6] Other gods and devas are described as assembling at Kailasha to witness Shiva taking the form of Nataraja and engaging in a cosmic dance.[7]

Hindus believe Kailasha to be the Mount Meru which is considered to be a stairway to Svarga, a heaven where the devas reside.[8] Meru is considered as the center of the universe and is said to be 139,440 km (86,640 mi) high, connecting the earth with the under world and heaven with Shiva residing on top of the mountain.[9]

According to the

Pandavas, along with their wife Draupadi, traveled towards the summit of Kailasha as a means to reach heaven, but only Yudhishthira, who was accompanied by a dog, was able to make it.[13][14]

The Hindu epic

Uttara Kanda of the epic, it is said that Ravana attempted to uproot Kailasha as retaliation against Shiva, who in turn, pressed his right big toe upon the mountain, trapping Ravana in between. This representation of Shiva is also referred to as Ravananugraha (meaning "form showing favour to Ravana") while seated upon his abode at Kailasha.[16]

The

Kālidāsa also have similar descriptions of Kailasha.[21]

Geographical location

Mount Kailasha located in the Transhimalaya is often considered to be a geographic manifestation of Kailasha

Karnali, a tributary of Ganges. All these river systems originate in a 60 km2 (23 sq mi) area in the Kailasha region.[23] Kailasha is located close to Manasarovar and Rakshastal lakes. Mansarovar is a high altitude fresh water lake fed by glaciers and overflows into Rakshastal, an endorheic salt water lake.[24]

Due to its perceived sacredness, people from India, Nepal and other countries undertake a pilgrimage called yatra to the mountain.[25][26] The pilgrimage involves trekking towards Lake Manasarovar and a circumambulation of Mount Kailasha. The path around Mount Kailasha is 53 km (33 mi) long. Pilgrims believe that doing a circumambulation of Mount Kailasha on foot is a spiritually beneficial practice that can bring various positive effects, such as the collection of meritorious karma, the cleansing of sins from one's consciousness, and good fortune. The circumambulation is made in a clockwise direction by the Hindus.[27]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-81-7625-039-9
    . Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  2. Monier-Williams
    . p. 311. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Entry for कैलासः". Apte Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. ^ Williams, Monier. "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary". Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017. kelāsa m. crystal W
  5. ^ Bansal 2005, p. 59
  6. ^ Bansal 2005, p. 37
  7. ^ Bansal 2005, p. 42
  8. ^ Allen 1982, p. 21
  9. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 17
  10. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 25
  11. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 24
  12. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 25
  13. ^ "Mysteries of Kailash: What Are These 9-Foot Tall Entities Found In Mansarovar?". News24. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  14. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.23153.15204
    .
  15. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 26
  16. ISBN 978-0-500-51088-9
    .
  17. ^ Allen 1982, p. 22
  18. ISSN 0896-0801
    . 70696022.
  19. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 28
  20. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 29
  21. ^ Chamaria 1996, p. 31
  22. S2CID 163370522
    .
  23. ^ Freeman Attwood (2003). "Gangdise Mountains" (PDF). Alpine Journal. 4: 103–109.
  24. ISBN 978-1-598-84654-6
    . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  25. ^ "Kailash Manasarovar Yatra". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  26. ^ Karen Swenson (16 March 2003). "A Sacred Circuit in Tibet". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  27. ^ Bubriski, Kevin; Pandey, Abhimanyu (2018). Kailash Yatra: a Long Walk to Mount Kailash through Humla. New Delhi: Penguin Random House. p. 151.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kailasha&oldid=1218589579"