The Krishna Key

by Ashwin Sanghi

‘Mount Kailash is viewed as the abode of Shiv. How does Krishna enter the picture?’ asked Chhedi. ‘Shivaya Vishnu roopaya, Shiva roopaya Vishnuve; Shivasya hridayam Vishnu, Vishnoscha hridayam Shivaha!’ said Saini turning his attention away from the smudged note. ‘The shloka means that Shiv is merely a form of Vish and that Vish is merely a form of Shiv. Shiv resides in the heart of Vish and Vish resides in that of Shiv. According to the Vedic sages, Mount Kailash was the centre of the world. It had four clear faces—thus resulting in its pyramid shape. As per mythology, the four faces were made of crystal, ruby, gold, and lapis lazuli. In Vedic times, it would have been considered the pillar of the world! Twenty-two thousand feet high, Mount Kailash lies at the heart of the world’s mandala and is nestled within six mountain ranges that symbolise a lotus. The four rivers originating from Kailash supposedly flow down to the four quarters of the world and divide the world into four regions. The sacred character of this mountain goes way beyond Vishnu, Shiv, or Hinduism.’ ‘How?’ asked Chhedi. ‘The book of Genesis, in the Bible, describes the Garden of Eden, where Creation started. It says: Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. Kailash was the original Eden, my friend!’