King · All traditions · The Himalaya · Aushadhiprastha, the mountain king's city

Himavat

Also called: Himalaya, Himachala, Giriraj, Parvata

The king of the mountains, husband of Mena and father of Mainaka, Ganga (in the Ramayana) and Parvati. In the Shiva Purana he asks Narada to read his daughter's future, is frightened by the answer, brings her to the meditating Shiva and is refused before she speaks for herself. In the Bengali Agomoni songs he is Giriraj, sent by Menaka to fetch Uma home for three days.

Sources: The Siva Purana, tr. J. L. Shastri (Motilal Banarsidass, 1950), Rudra Samhita: Parvati Khanda (2.3), Kumara Khanda (2.4), Srishti Khanda 16 and Vayaviya Samhita 1.16, on Wisdom Library; The Birth of the War-God, a poem by Kalidasa, tr. R. T. H. Griffith (Project Gutenberg #31968); Banglapedia: Agamani-vijaya; Mangalkavya (Annadamangal) · see Himavat's web

Relations 1

Himavat parent of

Parvati (Consort) · The daughter of the mountain: Parvati's birth and Narada's reading
Born to the mountain king and Mena at midnight on the ninth of Chaitra.

Stories 4

The daughter of the mountain: Parvati's birth and Narada's reading
Origin · as her father, who asks Narada and brings her to Shiva · 2 tellings
The child with six mothers: Kartikeya's birth as Parvati's story
Legend · as the mountain on whose peak it is laid · 5 tellings
The game of dice: Shiva loses everything to Parvati
Legend · as asked for her hand a second time · 2 tellings
The gods' light becomes a woman: Mahishasura, and Uma's homecoming in Bengal
Legend · as gives the lion; Giriraj sent to fetch her · 2 tellings

Cited

The Siva Purana, tr. J. L. Shastri (Motilal Banarsidass, 1950), Rudra Samhita: Parvati Khanda (2.3), Kumara Khanda (2.4), Srishti Khanda 16 and Vayaviya Samhita 1.16, on Wisdom Library § 2.3.8 Primary text (translation)
The Siva Purana, tr. J. L. Shastri (Motilal Banarsidass, 1950), Rudra Samhita: Parvati Khanda (2.3), Kumara Khanda (2.4), Srishti Khanda 16 and Vayaviya Samhita 1.16, on Wisdom Library § 2.3.12 Primary text (translation)
The Birth of the War-God, a poem by Kalidasa, tr. R. T. H. Griffith (Project Gutenberg #31968) § canto1 Primary text (translation)
Banglapedia: Agamani-vijaya; Mangalkavya (Annadamangal) § agamani-vijaya Encyclopedia