Snow Mountains ［雪山］ ( Himālaya or Himavat;  Sessen): In Buddhist scriptures, a reference to the Himalayas. Himālaya is a compound of two Sanskrit words, hima (snow) and ālaya (repository or abode). In Buddhist texts, the Snow Mountains are often described as being in the northern part of the continent of Jambudvīpa; to the north of the Snow Mountains is Heat-Free Lake, from which flow the rivers that nurture the soil of the four quarters of Jambudvīpa.