Where is Mount Sumeru?

[Subhankar Zac]

Mount Sumeru is a large mountain peak that is supposed to be a million miles high, residing on earth.
Where is it actually?

 

[Shimi]

I didn't know a thing about this mountain until recently. From what I understand, there are a few places where it is said to be located. The North Pole, the point between the two poles, an undiscovered/hidden continent. The list apparently goes on.

Here is a link to a website giving some more information. https://ancientindians.in/maps/geography/location-of-sumeru-kavana-sarma-satya-sarada/

Subhankar I do not know much more about this mountain, but I am interested. Could you share with me what you know about it, and why it interests you?

 

[Subhankar Zac]

I didn't know a thing about this mountain until recently. From what I understand, there are a few places where it is said to be located. The North Pole, the point between the two poles, an undiscovered/hidden continent. The list apparently goes on.

Here is a link to a website giving actual locations that are called Sumeru or Meru https://ancientindians.in/maps/geography/location-of-sumeru-kavana-sarma-satya-sarada/

Subhankar I do not know much more about this mountain, but I am interested. Could you share with me what you know about it, and why it interests you?

Sure. basically it's believed to exist in Buddhism, Jainism and many religions of Hinduism. It's the center of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universe.
In Hindu legends, it's 672,000 miles high.

It's where Brahma and the Devas reside. All the 5 pandavas and their combined wife, Draupadi climbed it to attain Svarga, but all except the eldest of the pandavas, Yudhistir along with a street dog were allowed to enter that realm in their bodily form.
It is said that it lives in the center of the earth but that's not accurate. Even if it's under the ocean, a vast part would still be above the seas.
So, since Krishna validates it in the gita, perhaps it exists in a parallel dimension, as a large long asteroid or on another planet.
Or perhaps it's a myth.

 

[Terese]

I looked up what Mt. Sumeru is. 'Mount Meru is a sacred mountain with five peaks in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes'. Sounds like Sri Vaikuntham.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

I looked up what Mt. Sumeru is. 'Mount Meru is a sacred mountain with five peaks in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes'. Sounds like Sri Vaikuntham.

But then how can the pandavas depart to the Himalayas and climb the mountain there?

 

[Terese]

But then how can the pandavas depart to the Himalayas and climb the mountain there?

We shall see more answers to this question, but the Himalayas have been used by Veda-Vyasa to give us a sliver of a glimpse how hard it is to attain Vishnu's abode, as it is impossible to describe such a place. Clearly climbing up the himalayas in real life will only give solace to the most enlightened of people.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

We shall see more answers to this question, but the Himalayas have been used by Veda-Vyasa to give us a sliver of a glimpse how hard it is to attain Vishnu's abode, as it is impossible to describe such a place. Clearly climbing up the himalayas in real life will only give solace to the most enlightened of people.

However this technical glitch in geological accuracy seems serious.
Even if it's a mountain under water, it would extend further than the moon. But it's said to be located on earth n more likely the Himalayas.

 

[Native]

Thank you for this very interesting mytho-cosmological question.

Quote from - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru#Hindu_legends

"Mount Meru of Hindu traditions is described as 84,000 Yojan high (about 1,082,000 km (672,000 mi), which would be 85 times the Earth's diameter), and notes that the Sun along with all the planets in the Solar System revolve around Mount Meru as one unit".

Where is the location around which the Sun and all the planets revolves as one unit?

This can only be the Milky Way center.

The Milky Way center is located in the star constelltion of Sagittarius, the archer who hits the central target.

Having noticed this, geographical mountains in many cultures are mentioned as commemorational names for the celestial Milky Way or Cosmic Mountain

 

[Subhankar Zac]

Thank you for this very interesting mytho-cosmological question.

Quote from - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru#Hindu_legends

"Mount Meru of Hindu traditions is described as 84,000 Yojan high (about 1,082,000 km (672,000 mi), which would be 85 times the Earth's diameter), and notes that the Sun along with all the planets in the Solar System revolve around Mount Meru as one unit".

Where is the location around which the Sun and all the planets revolves as one unit?

This can only be the Milky Way center.

The Milky Way center is located in the star constelltion of Sagittarius, the archer who hits the central target.

Having noticed this, geographical mountains in many cultures are mentioned as commemorational names for the celestial mountain.

But at the center of the milky way, there's only a point of singularity- a supermassive black hole

 

[Native]

But at the center of the milky way, there's only a point of singularity- a supermassive black hole

Not according to the ancient Myths of Creation. Here, the Milky Way center is the center of creation from where everything in our galaxy is created.

 

[Native]

@Subhankar Zac,

I know it can be some of a mouthfull to digest the Mount Meru to be located in the Milky Way center.

Even mythical scholars have their problems with this, as quoted from - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Meru#Geographical

"The dimensions attributed to Mount Meru, all references to it being as a part of the Cosmic Ocean, with several statements that say, "The Sun along with all the planets circle the mountain," make determining its location most difficult, according to most scholars".

Ancient Myths of Creation are not just mumbo-jumbo-hear-sayings. They contain real cosmological knowledge and if mythical scholars don´t have any astronomical practice and knowledge, they of course have huge troubles with locating a mythical symbol which describe the Milky Way center.

When studying the Myths of Creation one can get more logics than from modern cosmological science, mostly because the myths describes cycles of creation and not a linear creation as in the strange "Big Bang" idea.

 

[Riverwolf]

Mount Sumeru is a large mountain peak that is supposed to be a million miles high, residing on earth.
Where is it actually?

Unless that was pure exaggeration for effect, I think it can be pretty safely said to not be a physical mountain on Earth. A million miles (1.6 million kilometers) is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY past the upper limits of our atmosphere (which go up to about 600 km). Heck, that's even past Moon's apogee (greatest orbital distance from Earth), which is about 400,000 kilometers (250,000 miles).

Not according to the ancient Myths of Creation.

Well, they're not authorities on the matter.

Sagittarius A* (the * here is pronounced "star", so "Sagittarius A Star") at the Galaxy's Center is a supermassive black hole, roughly 4 million solar masses (that is, 4 million times the mass of Sun). Unless you have observational evidence to the contrary? (No, the Old Stories don't count as observational evidence.)

 

[Subhankar Zac]

Unless that was pure exaggeration for effect, I think it can be pretty safely said to not be a physical mountain on Earth. A million miles (1.6 million kilometers) is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY past the upper limits of our atmosphere (which go up to about 600 km). Heck, that's even past Moon's apogee (greatest orbital distance from Earth), which is about 400,000 kilometers (250,000 miles).



Well, they're not authorities on the matter.

Sagittarius A* (the * here is pronounced "star", so "Sagittarius A Star") at the Galaxy's Center is a supermassive black hole, roughly 4 million solar masses (that is, 4 million times the mass of Sun). Unless you have observational evidence to the contrary? (No, the Old Stories don't count as observational evidence.)

It's said that the pandavas departed to the Himalayas n climbed the Sumeru.
5 died n Yudhistir reached the peak.
It's supposed to be where Brahma lived so perhaps a celestial or other worldly mountain.

 

[Riverwolf]

It's said that the pandavas departed to the Himalayas n climbed the Sumeru.
5 died n Yudhistir reached the peak.
It's supposed to be where Brahma lived so perhaps a celestial or other worldly mountain.

If it's in the Himalayas in the story, then it'd have to be; Mt. Everest is the highest mountain there, and it's only 7 miles high.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

If it's in the Himalayas in the story, then it'd have to be; Mt. Everest is the highest mountain there, and it's only 7 miles high.

That is why it's confusing.
Some say it's in the Vishnu's heavenly abode, others say at the center of the milky way (which some take as the cosmic ocean) n others in another planet.

 

[Demonslayer]

Mount Sumeru is a large mountain peak that is supposed to be a million miles high, residing on earth.
Where is it actually?

What makes a Sumeru a Sumeru?

 

[atanu]

Mount Sumeru is a large mountain peak that is supposed to be a million miles high, residing on earth.
Where is it actually?

"The Sun along with all the planets circle the mountain."

RV 10.177.01
The wise behold with their mind in their heart the Sun, made externally manifest by the illusion of the Asura;

......

So, where is it?

 

[Riverwolf]

That is why it's confusing.
Some say it's in the Vishnu's heavenly abode, others say at the center of the milky way (which some take as the cosmic ocean) n others in another planet.

For myself, I take such things as not necessarily references to real, physical places (even if the authors may have thought they were).

Take, for instance, the World Tree from our Lore. It's said that Woden journeyed long to it and hanged himself from it for nine days and nights, before falling into the Wyrd Well at its base, from which he learned the Runes.

I don't think the World Tree is an actual, physical tree that you can just leave your house and walk to. Instead, it's something that's part of our culture and experience. It might mean different things to different people, but even those who might be unfamiliar with Northern Lore would understand the weight of something called the "World Tree." I mean, our culture tends to think in trees, anyway; family trees, the Tree of Life in biology, etc.

 

[Riverwolf]

"The Sun along with all the planets circle the mountain."

So it's our Solar System's Center of Mass? I'm pretty sure that's inside Sun, albeit off-center from her core.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

What makes a Sumeru a Sumeru?

The height of 672,000 miles.
The center of the spiritual, metaphysical n physical universe.
The peak where Devas n Brahma lives.