National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

In the introduction of the Mānasa-khaṇḍa Janamejaya addresses the Sūta desir-
ing to hear of the creation of the world and its state subsequent to that event
and the mahātmyas of the great tīrthas or places of pilgrimage. We need only to
quote a passage which is of special interest to us in connection with the lake. The
Sūta tells the legend of Himāchala to Janamejaya. Dattātreya Ṛishi, one of the
seven human incarnations of Vishnu, after his visits to Himāchala, went to Kāçi
(Benares) and proclaimed the glories of Himāchala to the Rāja Dhanvantari. They
talk of the tīrthas, and the sage glorifies Himāchala . . . ›that Himāchala where
Çiva lived and where Gangā falls from the foot of Vishnu like the slender thread
of a lotus flower and where the Ṛishis worship and where the Çiva liṅgas are
numerous. I behold Māna-sarovara and there in the form of the rāja-haṃsa
(royal goose) dwells Çiva. This lake was formed from the mind of Brahmā, there-
fore was it called 'Mānasa-sarovara'. There dwell also Mahādeva and the gods,
thence flow the Sarayu (here probably Karnali) and other (female) rivers and the
Çatadru and other (male) rivers.¹ When the earth of Māna-sarovara touches any-
ones body or when anyone bathes therein, he shall go to the paradise of Brahmā, and
he who drinks its waters shall go to the heaven of Çiva and shall be released from the
sins of a hundred births, and even the beast who bears the name of Māna-sarovara
shall go to the paradise of Brahmā. Its waters are like pearls. There is no mountain
like Himāchala, for in it are Kailas and Māna-sarovara. As the dew is dried up by the
morning sun, so are the sins of mankind dried up at the sight of Himāchala. At
Māna-sarovara, the king, Bhagīratha, performed the austerities by which the holy
Gangā was produced and Vasiṣhṭha obtained the Sarayu. The country around this
holy lake is called Mānasa-khaṇḍa.› Concerning the creation of Māna-sarovara we
read: ›The sons of Brahmā, Marīchi and Vasiṣhṭha and the rest proceeded to the
north of Himāchala and performed austerities on Kailāsa. There they saw Çiva and
Pārvatī, and there they remained for twelve years absorbed in mortification and
prayer. There was then very little rain and little water, and in their distress they
went to Brahmā and worshipped him. Then Brahmā asked what their desire might
be. The Ṛishis answerd and said. — 'We are engaged in devotion on Kailāsa
and must always go thence to bathe in the Mandākinī; make a place for us to
bathe in'. Then Brahmā by a mental effort formed the holy lake of Mānasa. The
Ṛishis returned and rejoicing at the success of their journey again engaged in morti-
fication and prayer on Kailāsa and worshipped the golden liṅg which rose from the
midst of the waters of the lake.›