SHIKHAR NARAYANA GUFA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A comparatively large, overhanging crag (rock shelter) with speleothems (note 1) shelters a relatively small temple cave, yet its sanctity, and, consequently, its importance … is very great (KIRKPATRICK, W J 1811: 75). ETYMOLOGY: So far, I saw the name of the cult spot called or transcribed, edited or printed as to be completed Seker-nerain KIRKPATRICK, W J (1811: 75) Sesa Narayana LEVI (1905-1908, 2: 400 after Bal yul gNas yig bZhugs so, s.a.)Shikha Narayana WIESNER (1976: 241) Shesh Naryan Sikh Narayan LEVI (1905-1908, 2: 400) SITUATION: About 14 km along the road south of Kathmandu city and within the temple precincts of Shikhar Narayan (note 2) at the village of Pharphing or Pharping (In Tibetan: Yangleshod) on the way to Dakshinkali (Dachinkalika) shrine. A causeway paved with stone slabs and framed by ponds on either side leads to stairs up to the temple. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1976: The shrine of Shikha Narayana is built in front of a cave at the bottom of a cliff with plenty of clea springs in the vicinity (WIESNER 1976: 241). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1985: Under the great abri [French for rock shelter] of the temple a linear cave only 2 m long and 1.6 m high housing Hindu saddhu can be found. The continuation of the cave is concealed behind a wall. The cave was outflow channel for karst spring now emerging from holes some 30 cm in diameter below the temple. The capacity of the spring reaches 6 l/sec. The existence of a larger cave system in this place is probable (CÍLEK et al. 1989). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1992: Both the Narayana Shikar Gufa and the –>Asura Gufa (Pharphing) consist of a meandering cave passage (1.5 m wide and 3 m high, dipping north) abandoned by flowing water. Both caves are obstructed 5 m in by an altar (note 3). CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folklore (note 4): Like –>Changu Narayan Shrine, the Shikhar Narayan has a supposed existence since pre-Vedic times. It is said to be the place where Lord Krishna (note 5) in the form of a tiger had caught hold of the dder of the celestial cow Kamadenhu which, scared by the tiger, was about to leave for heaven. Lord Krishna needed the milk of the cow to offer it to Gopaleshwor Mahadev a little away from the shrine. BLA-MA BSTAN-PO (1820 folio 7a) associates the teacher Padma-ka-ra with Yangleshod but the Bal-gnas (s.a. , folios 7a and 7b) explains that: Yang-le-shod or Seg Narayan-sthan, is the great place on the Pharphing road where the second Buddha, Mahaguru [Rinpoche Padmasambhava] subdued gods and demons. CULTURAL HISTORY - sacred fish pond: … the village of Sulti-khul, romantically situated, directly under mount Chempa-daibi [note 6]. The springs of Seker are to be seen close to this village, and though it is an inconsiderable rivulet, emptying itself into the [note 7] very soon after passing to the north-west of Pheerphing, yet its sanctity, and, consequently, its importance, among the natives is very great, giving name to one of the four Arthaus of Nerain for which Nepaul is celebrated. he multitudes of small fish which the fountains of this stream contain, cannot fail to attract the notice of the traveller, nor will it sufficiently account for their being so numerous, to observe, that the inhabitants are universally impressed with a conviction, that any attempt to steal them (catching them openly being altogether out of the question) would be followed by immediate death. This rivulet no sooner passes the Arthan of Seker-nerain, at which spot the fish most abound, than it throws itself into a cascade of considerable elevation abruptly into the valley below, whither it would necessarily carry the greater part of the fish along with it, if some means of prevention were not used. The mode adopted has been that of sinking two or three basons in the rock, below the natural bed of the stream, the current of which, however rapid, can only propel the superior part of the water confined in the basons. Accordingly, very few fish are precipitated down the hill by the torrents, ven when those are the highest, the artificial depths affording them a secure retreat from its violence (KIRKPATRICK, W J 1811: 74).he multitudes of small fish which the fountains of this stream contain, cannot fail to attract the notice of the traveller, nor will it sufficiently account for their being so numerous, to observe, that the inhabitants are universally impressed with a conviction, that any attempt to steal them (catching them openly being altogether out of the question) would be followed by immediate death. This rivulet no sooner passes the Arthan of Seker-nerain, at which spot the fish most abound, than it throws itself into a cascade of considerable elevation abruptly into the valley below, whither it would necessarily carry the greater part of the fish along with it, if some means of prevention were not used. The mode adopted has been that of sinking two or three basons in the rock, below the natural bed of the stream, the current of which, however rapid, can only propel the superior part of the water confined in the basons. Accordingly, very few fish are precipitated down the hill by the torrents, ven when those are the highest, the artificial depths affording them a secure retreat from its violence (KIRKPATRICK, W J 1811: 74).