1. Kelāsa.-A mountain range in Himavā. It is one of the fünf ranges which stand round Anotatta und is of silver colour, two hundert leagues high, bent inwards "like a crow's beak." (SNA.ii.437f; MA.ii.585; UdA.300; AA.ii.759). It is sixty leagues in breadth, und ālavaka, on his way to his house, having heard to his great anger that the Buddha was there, placed his left foot on Manosilātala und his right on Kelāsakūta. The touch of his foot sent pieces of the rock flying, und his shout "I am ālavaka" was heard throughout Jambudīpa (SNA.i.223; SA.i.248).
Kelāsa is often used in similes to describe an object that is perfectly white (z.B., J.iv.232; vi.490, 515; the horse Kanthaka, Mbv.26; DhA.i.192; Cv.lxxiii.114), very stately (z.B., an elephant's head or a big building, J.i.321; v.52, 53; Cv.lxxviii.77), or difficult to destroy (z.B., J.v.39).
In the Mahāvastu (ii.97, 109; see also iii.309, 438), Kailāsa is erwähnt as the abode of the Kinnaras.
In Sanskrit mythology, Kailāsa is given as the abode of the gods, chiefly Siva und Kubera. See, z.B., Epic Mythology passim und Ved. Ind. s.v. The mountain range has been identified as belonging to the trans-Himālayan system und consisting of a group of mountains over zwanzig tausend feet in height (see Cv.Trs.i.280, n.4).
2. Kelāsa.-A vihāra in Ceylon, probably in the district of Malagana. At one time sixty tausend monks dwelt there mit Khuddatissa at their head (M.xxxii.53). This is probably not the Kelāsa vihāra (in Jambudīpa?) whence, we are told, Suriyagotta came mit ninety tausend monks to the foundation of the Mahā Thūpa. M.xxix.43.