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166
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JULY, 1912.
There is no village which corresponds in name in the direction. But we can identify Kanhahini with the present Kavņai, which is south-west of the Cave Hill, the distance being 18 miles. Two explanations are possible :
(a) There might have been two portions of the village-one eastern and the other western, and the latter only referred to in the inscription by saying feta (). In other words, western Kambahini appears to have been alluded to and not the western direction of the Cave Hill.
(6) A second explanation is to take safety as the name of a field as suggested by M. Senart.
I add that I cannot help thinking that in Kavşai, we have some trace of Kaņhahini. The latter must first have been corrupted into Kanhai, and afterwards i sto Kâynai. It is locally considered to be a place where the great sage Kapila practised penance. Now it must be admitted that this is impossible. But it seems that it must have been a place of some religious importance and of considerable antiquity.
4.- Aparakakhadi or Kakhadi. Aparakakhadi occurs in inscription 4, line 2:
[२] आनपयति गोवधने अमच विण्डपालितं गामे अपरकखडियं यं खेतं अजकालकियं उषभदातेन भूतं निवतन Gautamiputra Satakarņi gave a field in this village to Buddhist mendicants. But after a time another was exchanged. The Bombay Gazetteer remarks :-"This village has not been identified. The old name Aparakakhadi may be with reference to some other Kakhali to the east of it, or if there is a mistake in the text, it may be Aparakakhadi." There might have been two villages or two or even more portions of the village referred to in the inscription. One was called Aparakakhaçi in particular, but sometimes for shortness simply, Kakhadi. It may fairly be identified with the present Avalakheda, a village in the Igatpari tâluka and southwest of the Cave Hill, about 25 miles from it. Another field is said to be given as the village wag deserted. It is not very clear whether this means partial or complete desertion, especially as it is plainly noted that, the lands, were then cultivated.' Probably partial desertion is meant, the people removing to the neighbouring suburbs or vådís, perhaps because the original place was malarious and unhealthy. This can be guessed even now. There are about 10 or 12 suburbs of this small village, and it can be surmised that the original one must have been abandoned. If Sânjigaon and Kivņai are situated in the Igatpuri tálaka, we can, I think, safely look for Aparakakbadi in the same subdistrict, and naturally in their neighbourhood.
The two components of Aparakakhadi are Apara and Kakhadi, the former now correspond ing to Avala and the latter to Kheda. Avara and apara mean the same thing: both meaning western. The former also means lower or mean and would be fitly applied to a village worth abandoning. R and are interchangeable. Aparakakhadi would thus naturally give place to Avajakheda.
(b) Aparakskbadi is likely to assume the form Párakbeda or Palakheda. We have one PAlakheda in the Dindori taluka and another in the Niphad taluka, the distances from the Cave hill being 23 and 25 miles respectively, and the latter being east of the former. I, however for reasons given above, am very much inclined to believe that the ancient Aparakakhadi must be the modern Avalakheda. ]
• Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, p. 77.
