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300
CHRONOLOGY OF GUJARAT
Parnasa
Pascaddesa
- Modern Banās river in the North Gujarat.-( MBh. VI. 10.30; 9. 31, Kuinbha ed. ; Pdm. III. 6. 26; Vām. 13. 24). .
Kāvyamimānsā (Ch. 17, p. 94) furnishes valuable information as regards the countries, mountains, rivers and products of Western India. - Paścāddeśāh', is situated after the region called Devasabha, which " is
also the name of a mountain in the Western India, and as such, this may be identified with the mountainous parts of either the Dewās state or Udaipur where the Dhebar lake is situated. The countries in this part are given in the following order : Devasabhā, Surāştra, Dāśeraka (Mālava ), Travaņa, Bhrigukaccha, Kacchiya, Ānarta, Arbuda, Brāhmaṇavāha and Yavana. A good picture of Western India is given here by Rajasekhara.
(Kum., Chap. XVII). -The region has following mountains :-Govardhana, Girinagara, Deva
sabhā, Mālyaśikhara, and Arbuda. NameGirinagara' originally denoted
a city near that mountain called Raivataka. -The rivers of this region are:-Sarasvati ( near Pātan ), Švabhravati
( Sabarmati at Ahmedabad ), Vārtaghni (Vātraka, a tributary of Sābarmati), Mahi which falls into the Gulf of Cambay, and Hidimbā ( either the river Chambal which flows through the Hidimbā forest, or the river Gambhirā, a tributary of Siprā in Central India ). -This region is further described as producing Karira, Bamboo or thorny plant growing in deserts and fed upon by camels, Pilu, (A tree : careya Arborea or Salvadora Persica ), Guggulu (Boellium ), Kharjura ( Date tree), and Karabha ( particular plant ). --Classed as a city presided over by Saturn.—( Brih. 16.32 ). The reference
in singular (Prabhāsam) shows that it refers to the city only. --Origin of Prabhāsa-tirtha is narrated as under, in Āvassaya-cunni
(pt. II, p. 197):-In the vamśa of the Pāndavas, there flourished a king named Pāņdusena. He had two daughters named Mati and Sumati. They were once coming to Saurāṣtra in a ship. On their way the sea became stormy. At that time Mati and Sumati acted as if they had taken dikṣā, while other passengers began to offer salutation to Skanda and Rudra and the like. After some time a ship-wreck took place, and both the sisters died and became finally emancipated. Susthita, the presiding deity of Lavaņa sea, celebrated the event of their salvation. A celestial light took place there; and henceforth this place (Prabhāsa)
became a tirtha named as “ Prabhāsa-tirtha ".-( Āva; Pt. II. 197). -Bhāsa (v. 3150) on Kappa' mentions Pabhāsa (Sk. Prabhāsa) and
Abbuya (Sk. Arbuda mountain). In its Cunni and Visesacunni it is
Prabhasa
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