The Geography of the Puranas c8.64

c8.64

North-east of Kailāsa, the Purāṇas locate a mountain named Candraprabha, near which is a lake, called Acchodā. From it rises the R. Acchodā, on whose banks ‘the sacred Caitraratha forest’ is situated. This river too flows into another lake. This mountain appears to be the Surange La (another range of the Kailāsa region to its north-east), from which a number of streams and their tributaries discharge their waters into L. Kongys Tso (also called L. Gounche). The fact that Maṇibhadra, a general of Yakṣas, lives there with his retenue of Guhyakas, refers to the ancient settlement of Thokchan which is still an important centre of this region.