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-- CHAPTER IV
VIMALA-VASAHI
Vimala Säha's Ancestors : -Ninā and Lahara.
The city of Shrimāla (now known as Bhinnamāla ) 2 was once a very prosperous big city, the capital of the old Gurjjardeśa.3 Here lived a multi-millionaire, Ninā by name, Prāgvāța (modern Poravāda) Baniā by caste, who was a pious Jaina lay-disciple (Shrāvaka) devoted to the faith. But as ill-luck would have it, his wealth decreased and leaving his native land, he came to stay in Gavibhu near Mehasāņā (North Gujarat), where once again he recovered his lost fortunes. He had a very illustrious son in Lahara who both was intelligent and brave.
Vanarāja, of the Chāpotkața dynasty, who carved out a small principality around the city of Anahillavāda Pāțan * founded by him in V.S. 802 ( = 745 A.D.) came to hear about the exploits of this Lahara whereupon he invited the family to stay at Aşahilapur Pāțaņa. Here the
1 Vasahi (Prākļt)-Vasati (Sanskệt ) = lit.) an abode, here an abode of gods, a temple.
Its older name was Bhillamāla. The Nishitha Chūrni relers to it as Bhilla māla. The well-known astronomer Bhramagupta hailed from Bhillamāla. He was called Bhillamālakāchārya, vide Umāshankar Joshi, loc. cit., pp. 189. Nishitha Chūrņi (typed copy) III, pp. 616-17.
8 Vide, K. M. Munshi, Glory that was Gurjjaradeśa, Vol. III, pp. 1-21, 31; Purāņomān Gujarāt (In Gujarāti) by Śrī Umāshanker Joshi, pp. 189-197.
4 Founded on a site shown by Anahila, a shepherd associate of Vanarāja in his exploits, and named after him. Munshi, op. cit., pp. 66-68.
