मन्दरस्य प्रदेशांश् च किंनरोद्गीतनादितान् ॥
हेमरूप्यमयैः शृङ्गैर् नानौषधिविदीपितान् ॥
तथा मन्दारवृक्षैश् च पुष्पितैर् उपशोभितान् ॥
स्निग्धाञ्जनचयाकारं संप्राप्तः कालपर्वतम् ॥
पुण्यं हिमवतः पादं मणिमन्तं च पर्वतम् ॥
ब्रह्मतुङ्गं नदीश् चान्यास् तथा जनपदान् अपि ॥
सुशृङ्गं शतशृङ्गं च शर्यातिवनम् एव च ॥
पुण्यम् अश्वशिरःस्थानं स्थानम् आथर्वणस्य च ॥
वृषदंशं च शैलेन्द्रं महामन्दरम् एव च ॥
अप्सरोभिः समाकीर्णं किंनरैश् चोपशोभितम् ॥
mandarasya pradeśāṃś ca kiṃnarodgītanāditān ||
hemarūpyamayaiḥ śṛṅgair nānauṣadhividīpitān ||
tathā mandāravṛkṣaiś ca puṣpitair upaśobhitān ||
snigdhāñjanacayākāraṃ saṃprāptaḥ kālaparvatam ||
puṇyaṃ himavataḥ pādaṃ maṇimantaṃ ca parvatam ||
brahmatuṅgaṃ nadīś cānyās tathā janapadān api ||
suśṛṅgaṃ śataśṛṅgaṃ ca śaryātivanam eva ca ||
puṇyam aśvaśiraḥsthānaṃ sthānam ātharvaṇasya ca ||
vṛṣadaṃśaṃ ca śailendraṃ mahāmandaram eva ca ||
apsarobhiḥ samākīrṇaṃ kiṃnaraiś copaśobhitam ||
And he beheld the slopes of Mandara, ringing with the songs of the kinnaras, their peaks of gold and silver illumined by healing herbs; and, looking like a heap of gleaming antimony, he reached Mount Kala, the holy foot of Himavat, and Mount Maniman, Sushringa and Shatashringa, the forest of Sharyati, the holy place of Ashvashiras and the place of Atharvan, Vrishadamsha, lord of the mountains, and great Mandara, full of apsaras and adorned with kinnaras.
21d083a1aaf8 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
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This long procession of holy mountains and places -- Mandara, Kala, the foot of Himavat, Maniman, the dwellings of ancient sages -- paints a mountain world saturated with holiness and legend. It is telling that every peak is called 'punya,' holy: the ascent to Shiva passes through lands of austerity and sanctity. The verse teaches that the abode of a great ascetic is surrounded by the holiness of many others: the path to the highest worship of God leads through places consecrated by the austerities of sages -- as though creation itself reverently parts before one who goes toward God.