ADESH ADESH--facebook/AlakhNiranjanAdeshAdesh Center of the universe in pan-Indian lore, Mount Kailasa in western Tibet (above) is the cosmographical analog to the sahasrara cakra (thousand-petaled lotus crown) in Kundalini Yoga and to heaven or moksha (liberation) in soteriological . Mt. Kailasa in western Tibet and Kataragama in the far south of Sri Lanka form a near-perfect analog to the axis mundi or susumna nadi of yogic lore. From Kailasa to Kataragama: Mystical passage via the axis mundi Like his father Rudra or Siva, Skanda-Murukan is a god associated with mountains and hilltops; his Wanniyala-aeto worshippers even today know him as Kande Yaka, the hunter Spirit of the Mountain. Vedahitikanda, The Peak Where He Was in Kataragama, to Tamils is Katira Malai, the Mountain of Light and even to this day the Kataragama Pada Yatra is also known in Tamil as Katira Malai Kar ai Yattirai, the coastal pilgrimage to the Shining Peak. In view of its strong associations with the gods origin on Mount Kailasa, it is also well known as Daksina Kailasa, the Southern Kailasa. Axis Mundi: Kailasa in Tibet and Kataragama in the far south are analogised to the world axis of yogic lore. Mount Kailasa in western Tibet and Kataragama in the far south of Sri Lanka form a near-perfect analog to the axis mundi or susumna nadi of yogic lore. This long-standing postulation of a North-South axis anchored at Uttara Kailasa in Tibet and Daksina Kailasa in Sri Lanka takes on profound significance in the tradition of pilgrimage and mystical practice at Kataragama. For it is a remarkable fact that Mt. Kailasa in the trans-Himalaya and Kataragama in the far south constitute a North-South axis not merely in yogic lore, but also in modern geographical terms as well Coincidence or not, this fact further highlights the role of geography in Kataragamas mystical traditions. This striking feature of a virtual North-South axis or geographic alignment between Kailasa and Kataragama is well-known to Kataragama swamis and yogins, who regard it as a macrocosmic analog to the microcosmic susumna nadi or subtle central nerve channel envisaged in kundalini yoga. In their view, Kailasa is homologized or equated to the thousand-petalled sahasrara cakra, the goal of yogic practice, while Kataragama corresponds to the muladhara cakra, the point of entry for the vertical flight to higher cakras or lokas, subtle worlds superior to our world of physical sense perception. By process of transposition, the North-South axis geographically represented by Kailasa-Kataragama is also analogous to the vertical ray that shines upon the waters in religious traditions worldwide. In this sense, the descent of Skanda-Murukan from Uttara Kailasa to Daksina Kailasa also represents the descent or visitation of the Spirit into matter, which expresses in metaphysical terms precisely the legend of Skanda-Murukans disguised visitation to Kataragama to woo and wed the yearning human soul represented by Valli. In this context, the Kailasa-Kataragama axis is also homologized to the shrines very name Katir-Kamam, where lofty cold Mt. Kailasa symbolizes katir (effulgence, light or brilliance, i.e. logos) while kamam (Sanskrit: kama or Greek eros) pertains to the passion of Valli and Murukan in the romantic jungle setting of Kataragama which, although undoubtedly a very human love story, is also a subtle and profound religious parable at the same time and it is on this level that scholars and devotees interpret it.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:42:34 +0000
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