Divine Realm of the Mahabharata
Mount Meru
मेरु
Cosmic axis; goal of the Pandavas' final ascent
Mount Meru: Cosmic axis; goal of the Pandavas' final ascent, located at coordinates 34.07°N, 77.57°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Divine Realm |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | मेरु |
| Coordinates | 34.07°N, 77.57°E |
| Identified as | Mythic cosmic mountain, traditionally sought beyond the high Himalaya |
| Significance | Cosmic axis; goal of the Pandavas' final ascent |
About Mount Meru
The golden axis of the world around which the sun and stars revolve, described in the cosmography of the Bhishma Parva. On the final journey Yudhishthira walked toward Meru, beyond which lies the heaven of the gods (Mahaprasthanika Parva).
Why it matters: Cosmic axis; goal of the Pandavas' final ascent
Details
- Ascent
- Only Yudhishthira, with the dog Dharma, reached its heights in the body
On the Map
Mount Meru sits at 34.07°N, 77.57°E.
View on the full mapStories Set at Mount Meru
The Great Journey
Book 17 - The Pandavas Walk North to Die, and the Dog Who Followed
The Ascent to Heaven
Book 18 - The Last Illusion, and the End of the Story
Manu Answers the Teacher of the Gods
A dialogue on what the senses can and cannot reach
The White Island
Narada and three sages at the edge of the world
The Elephant the Sage Called Son
Gautama argues his way through every heaven for a stolen calf
The Naked Priest of Varanasi
How a king outbid Indra for a brother nobody wanted
The Eight Who Questioned Brahma
The ladder from the Unmanifest down to a body
What the Blind King Was Told
Duryodhana's inventory of the rajasuya, and the quarrel it started
The Day the Rod Vanished
What happened to the world when Chastisement disappeared
The Sweat That Became Fever
A drop from Shiva's forehead, and the disease scattered through the world
The Son Struck From the Fire Sticks
A hundred years of penance, a parrot on a branch, and a child born of friction
Three Doors and Fifty Women
The son of Vyasa is made to walk, and then made to wait
The Guest Nobody Could See
Brihaspati throws down the ladle at a sacrifice where no animal was killed
The Map of the Worlds
A priest naming the four quarters of the cosmos from a mountain shoulder
The Road of Works
Brahman and the first Rishis stand a thousand years on the shore, and sacrifice is founded
The Names That Cleanse Sin
Asked what destroys sin, Bhishma answers with a litany of gods, rivers, mountains, sages and kings
Sanjaya Describes the Earth
The blind king asks what the earth is worth, and his charioteer answers with the whole of it
The Islands Beyond Jambudvipa
Sanjaya measures the seven islands, the world elephants and the sun
The Curses of the Rishis
Krishna names the marks that Brahmanas left on gods, seas and mountains
Flowers, Incense, and Lamps
The goddess Earth tells Krishna what a household owes each day, and Shukra tells Bali which flowers belong to which beings