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चतुर्थ अध्ययन कूर्म
वाराणसी - भारत की उन प्राचीन नगरियों में संभवतः सर्व प्रसिद्ध है, जो उस काल से आज तक सदा जीवन्त रही हैं। सांस्कृतिक तथा राजनैतिक गतिविधियों के अतिरिक्त यह नगरी आध्यात्मिक तथा दार्शनिक गतिविधियों का भी महत्त्वपूर्ण केन्द्र रहा है। जैन, बौद्ध तथा वैदिक सभी परम्पराओं में इसे श्रेष्ठ और पावन तीर्थ स्थल माना है। पत्रवणासूत्र तथा भगवतीसूत्र में वर्णित साढ़े पच्चीस आर्य देशों तथा सोलह महाजनपदों में काशी का उल्लेख है। यह भारत की दस प्रमुख राजधानियों में से एक है। यह काशी जनपद की राजधानी थी वरुणा तथा असी इन दो नदियों के बीच अवस्थित होने के कारण इसका नाम वाराणसी पड़ा।
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APPENDIX
Mayangteer-drah-The commentators have interpreted that the term Mayang has its origin in the Sanskrit word Mrit-ganga. With this interpretation the meaning of the term is the place where the Ganges is very deep and voluminous. In the Avashyak-churni it is mentioned that the Ganges shifts its bed every year near its delta. Around that area the oldest mouth is called Mrit-ganga. However, Varanasi is nowhere near the sea and as such this interpretation does not hold good. Moreover, there is hardly any etymological or grammatical support for the derivation of Mayang from Mritganga. As such the only other possible explanation is that at some point of time some sage with the name Mayang or Matang must have lived at that particular spot. Consequently the place must have taken the name.
( २२९ )
Varanasi-The most famous of the ancient cities in India that have had in uninterrupted habitation since the remote past. It has been an important centre of philosophical and spiritual activities besides cultural and political activities. In all the three important religious schools it has been accepted as foremost among the pious centres of pilgrimage. In Pannavana Sutra and Bhagavati Sutra Kashi (name of the republic state whose capital was Varanasi; at present more popular as another name of Varanasi) is included in the list of twenty five and a half Arya countries and sixteen great republics. This is also one of the ten prominent capital cities of ancient India. As it was situated between two rivers named Varuna and Asi it got the name Varanasi.
CHAPTER-4: KURMA
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