Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s12.238

v1.c3.s12.238

Giri, ‘mountain’ or ‘height,’ is a word that occurs repeatedly in the Rigveda.¹ Thus reference is made to the trees on the hills, hence called ‘tree-haired’ (vṛkṣa-keśāḥ),² and to the streams proceeding from the hills to the sea (samudra).³ The term is frequently coupled with the adjectival parvata.⁴ The Rigveda mentions the waters from the hills,⁵ and the Atharvaveda⁶ refers to the snowy mountains. Actual names of mountains, as Mūjavant, Trikakud, Himavant, are very rare. References to Krauñca, Mahāmeru, and Maināga, are confined to the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka, while Nāvaprabhraṃsana can no longer be considered a proper name.⁷