Manasarovar- Hindu LocationLocation · Landmark"Lake of the Mind"

Also known as: Mapam Yumtso, Manas Sarovar, मानसरोवर, and Mānasarovara

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Titles & Epithets

Lake of the MindLake Born of Brahma's Thought

Domains

purificationpilgrimagespiritual liberation

Symbols

lotushamsa

Description

First conceived in Brahma's mind before manifesting as a lake beneath Mount Kailash, Manasarovar is where the divine hamsa dwells, the swan that separates milk from water. Pilgrims bathe here to dissolve the sins of a hundred lifetimes.

Mythology & Lore

The Lake Born of Thought

The Vishnu Purana tells how Brahma conceived a lake in his mind before it took physical form beneath Mount Kailash, Shiva's throne. Manas means mind. Sarovar means lake. It rests at over four thousand metres in western Tibet, round and clear.

The Mahabharata names it the dwelling place of the divine hamsa, the swan that separates milk from water. The Ramayana says that a single bath in Manasarovar dissolves the sins of a hundred lifetimes. Nearby, the dark lake Rakshas Tal marks where Ravana performed his penance to Shiva.

Relationships

Associated with

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