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DECEMBER, 1875.]
TÅRÅNÅTHA'S MAGADHA KINGS.
361
Bholeśvara and the Kalbadevi temple; it is so teruple was built soon after. His fame then spread named from a shrine of Rama in the form of and gave rise to innumerable pilgrimages, and a sn ng little square room, built by a Prabhu not unfrequently to unseemly conflicts among his named Kasináth Sokaji, about two centuries ago, ! own devotees, in some of which the god himself which contains, besides the image of Rama and suffered mutilation. Some of his worshippers, the indispensable one of his brother Laksh despairing of resorting to him in person at maņa, those of Sita, Maruti, and Ganesa. Pandharpura, resolved to build temples in differThis shrine was rebuilt about seventy years after ent parts of India dedicated to him. Thus arose by one Vithoba Maņkoji. It is resorted to by Vithoba's temple, or the Vithalwadi, in Bombay. all classes of Hindas, and though poor in ap- Gaņeśwî di, so called from a temple dedipeur ance is said to be rich in funds. It is under cated to the goil Gancśa or Ganapati, is in ono the management of the Prabhus.
of the most populous parts of Bombay, entirely Vithalwêdi.--This is a small narrow lane inhabited by the Vaņiás, close to the new market. near Ramawadi, and leads to a temple of Vi. The image of Gaņeśa is always represented thal, which is a large oblong hall with a paved sitting upon a rat. He has four hands, and is areas in front, with eight pillars with holes for said to be the god of wisdom. Ganesa means the battis, which serve to light it at the time of the lord of the troops of Siva.' He is held in high feasts of the god Vithoba.* This Vithoba of veneration by the Hindus, and nothing is unBoiabay has all the power and attributes of dertaken, nor a book written, without invoking that of Pandharpura, which specially came him. His name is inscribed at the top of all *there from Dwarka in response to the fervent grants and works. He is said to have written the
prayers of a devotee of his, a boy of about twelve Mahabharata as dictated by Vyasa. Those who or fifteen years named Pundalika. This wish to study the exploits of Ganesa may con boy asked Vithobi to reside permanently near sult the Ganest Kharula of the Brahmaraivarta hint at Pandharpura, whereupon the god trans- Purána, Ganesa Purána, and Gancíasthavaraja, forned himself into a black idol, round which a a part of the Blavishya Purana.
TÂRÂNATHA'S ACCOUNT OF THE MAGADHA KINGS.
Translated from Vaszilief's work on Buldhismt by Miss 1. Ljall. Târâ n åtha transmits to us the order of Asoka, by the daughter of a merchant, to whom succession of the Magadha kings in this way: he gave in appanage the town of Patalipuafter A játaśatru, Subah u reigned for tentra, as a reward for his victory over the peoplo years; he was succeeded by his son Sudhanu, of Nepal, who dwelt in the kingdom of Kaśya, and, according to Lassen, Dhanubhadra and over other mountaineers. Nemita sent and U dayibhadra; after the latter and in his six sons to Magadha to make war against the time of U pag upta, his son Mahen. a Brâhman who dwelt in that town and enjoyed dra reigned for nine years, and Chamasa, a very high reputation, and several battles were son of the latter, reigned for twenty-two years. fought on the banks of the Ganges. Nemita Chamasa left twelve sons, several of whom died suddenly, and the grandees raised A soka monnted the throne, but they could not retain to the throne, but his brothers who had subduel it long. The government fell into the hards six towns of Magadha reigned over them. Aso. of the Brahman Gambhira sila.
ka, however, suddenly made war against them, At this time (Taranatha, chap.vi.) in the Cham- slew them, and besides their towns neized upon parna kingdom, which belonged to the Kuru race, other territories so numerous that his dominions there was a king called Nemita, who was de stretched from the Himalaya to the Vindhya scended from the Solar race. He had six sons born mountains. As he had formerly spent several of lawful wives, and besides them he had a son years in pleasure, he was surnamed Ka ma.
• Vithoba is not a Sanskrit word, but a corruption of
U (Vishnupati), through the vulgur pronouncing it Biatu or Bittu; Nor is Vithal-another appellation of
Vithobia Sanskrit word; it has been imported into Sanskpit in modern tinies.--See vol. II. p. 372, vol. IV. p. 22.
Forining a long note, pp. 45.03.
