Indian Antiquary Vol 04

SR No.: 032496
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 410
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

Page 297

SEPTEMBER, 1875.]
BOOK NOTICES.
283
correspond to the modern Purbandar and Na vibandar respectively,-neither of them known to be old places : Gumli or Bhumli in the Bard & hills, or perhaps Bhadravati, now Bhadres var, on the coast of Kachh, might be suggested for Bardacima, and Chorwad or Virà val for Horata or Syrastra-8 and ch in the local pronunciation of Soratha and other parts of Gujarat being often changed into h. Theophila, which Col. Yule marks with doubt about Wadh. wân, could scarcely have been there, though the plece is old : but possibly it might be meant for Satrulijaya or Surasaila (tbe rock of the gods)—though that never was a city, but is visible from the mouth of the river as a large flat-topped hill covered with sacred edifices.
We cannot here enter further into details of the new identifications : several of those in the south of India are due to Dr. A. C. Burnell and the Rev. Dr. Caldwell. With this map before them and Colonel Yule's notes on it, we incline to think that some of our readers might be able, from local knowledge, to help to the settlement of several of the doubtful and disputed sites. For the use of Indian students it is very desirable that the map, with the letterpress and index belonging to it, should be published separately, as few can afford to purchase the magnificent six-guinea Atlas in which it appears.
creek," or estuary of the Ulås, and its tributaries, but does not change its own name; and, still further on, the Bhivandi and Lakbivli creeks. The land-floods of all these pass out northwards by Bassein; the ridge of rock mentioned above keeps their water out of Bombay Harbour. It is certain that the accommodation in all of them for large vessels has boen decreasing for centuries, owing to silt, and to the advance of embanked rice-fields. Opposite Bassein is a village called Ghorbandar; but the name is probably rather modern. The northernmost part, however, of Bombay Harbour is at Bhandup; and the most northern of the ancient exits is at Bandora (probably a Portuguesifica. tion of an old native name).
It is also to be remarked that of the four great traffic routes into the North Konkan, the Bhor, Nana, and Malej Ghâts pass over watersheds dividing large tributaries of the Bhima from those of the Ulds in sach a manner that the careless commercial traveller would hardly notice wheru one ends and the other begins; and the head-waters of the Vaitharna are equally close to an affluent of the Gaugå at the Thal Ghat.
The tendency to connect rivers running different ways is characteristic of ancient, and especially Eastern goography. It is constantly to be remarked in the Hindu legends about sacred streams, and may be noticed in the interesting map published by Mr. Rehataek in vol. I. of the Antiquary (p. 370), which, from internal evidence, I suppose to have been drawn by a native of Oudh or Hindustan who had made the pilgrimage to Mecca vid Surat. Information given by Arab merchants (the successors in "right line of some of Ptolemy's authorities) to African geographers is marked by the same characteristic. My conjecture is that the Goaris is the conjunct Godavari and Vaitharna, and the Binda made up of the Bhima and Ulis and their tributa. ries, including the Bhiwandi (Musalmanicè Bhimdi) creekW.F.S.
Note.-Rivers in the Konkan have generally two names -the one that of the uppermost port on their estuary, used by the maritime population; the other that of the stream itself, used by dwellers inland : e.g. the Kimdi mentionel above, is always spoken of, quoad navigation, as the Bhivandichi kh&dt, or estuary (lit. brackish part) of Bhivandt; and the beautiful Kondulika, whose mouth forms the harbour of Chaul (Marathi Cheñval) is called the Robe-Ashtamichi khadi. Sometimes there is a third name, used chiefly by Brahmans and for purposes of worship; as Taramati, the esoteric name of the Kild or Malsej Ghat river. The indications supplied by the modern geography of Western India on the points touched on are vague, but worth recording. Upon the Vaitharna, within two days' march of the highest salt-water, is the town of Gore, which is not now a large place, but still keeps up some trade in rice and timber with the ports at the mouth of the river, and probably had more in ancient days, especially if the neighbouring hill.fort of Koj was then in existence, which is possible, but not proveable.
The God&vari is not well known by that name at Nasik, Paithan, or any place on the western part of its course, but generally called the Gangå.
The so-called Thana Creek is not properly a creek at all, but a depression, or backwater, reaching from the head of Bombay Harbour to Bassein (Marathi Vasai). Its shallowest point is where a ridge of rocks just south of Thana atfords a foundation for the G. I. P. Railway bridge. About two miles north of this it receives the " Kalyan
TAE ROMANTIC LEGEND OY SAKYA BUDDHA: from the Chinese-Sanskrit. By Samuel Beal. Sm. Svo, 395 pp. (London: Trübner and Co. 1875.)
In the dedication of this volume the author states that when he first discovered in the India Office Library a Chinese copy of the work, he purposed to publish an entiro translation of it; but being unable to carry out this purpose he still desired to publish it in as complete a form as possible. But even here fresh difficulties arose, nor should he have been able to produce this abbreviated translation but for the generous support of Mr. J. Fergusson, F.R.S., D.C.L.'
It is a translation of the Chinese version of the Abhinishloramana Satra*, done into that language by Dnyanakuta, a Buddhist from Northern India, about the end of the sixth century A.D. The colophon at the end runs thus :-" It may be asked,
By what titlo is this book to be called P to which wo reply, the Mahasanghikâs call it Ta-88€ (great thing': Mahüvastu); the Sarvastavadás call it Ta-chong-yon (great magnificence': Lalita Vas. tara); † the Kasyapiyas call it Fo-wong-yin-un (former history of Buddha'); the Dhurmaguptas
• Vassilief's Bouddhisme, $ 114; Burnouf's Lotus de la Bonne Loi, p. 333; and Ind. Ant. vol. IV. pp. 91, 92.
Vassilief's Bouddhisme, S 176.