Indian Antiquary Vol 47

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 59

FEBRUARY, 1918 ]
THE ARTHASASTRA EXPLAIXS
55
We have, however, in one place another use of vraja. It is at p. 22 of the Artha sastraTET -TIT : "On the frontiers vraju-dwellers ( are to be employed as spies).” V.rajavâsins here means the class of men who lived by looking after cattle, cowherds, shepherds, etc. Vraja-bhůmikas probably were officers of the ecclesiatical service (dharmayuktas ) living and working amongst the wandering population on the frontiers. 10
(8) Narendra' as another name of Chandragupta in the Puranas. In discussing the Puranic data about the end of the Nanda and the beginning of the Maurya chronology, I could not understand a passage of the Vayu Purana which read as TOST: safa 20 (37-324). This comes after the statement that the land had remained for 100 years under the Nandas. (T heff or yht wet, ra). The Matsya adds to this Fat Arara (ori) Acura (Pargiter. Purana Text, p. 26).
Nandenduhin the Vayu is clearly a corrupt reading. For the MSS. are not unanimousNandendah, Nandendrah, Nandenthao, Nandanah, and Nandendhah are the variants. (See Pargiter, p. 26, n. 42.)
The correct form appears in the Brahmânia as Narendrah. I could not see its significance in 1913 when I wrote the paper on the Mau.ya chronology, 19 and it appeared to me then as filling up some gap after par hf. Now as the nominative form *t has been found in MSS. TTT - would stand independently and the next pagsage ater etc., independently. Instead of a there has been found in one MS. (18th century) facare (Pargiter, p. 26, n. 42). #: art or
f ara would thus mean-after the 100 years of the Nandas) "there will be Narendra" ("the Maurya " of the Matsya), that is, Naren ira Maurya = Chandragupta.
The
: fare (V., Br.) =
- Ati sfarcure I (M.) The preceding passage mentions the destruction of the Nandas by Kautilya. Hence there is no doubt that the Maurya' of the Matsya is equivalent to the "Narendra " of the Vayu and Brahmanda. It thus becomes obvious that Narendra ' is employed as another name of Chandragupta, and Narendra' as another name of Chandragupta is confirmed by the Arthasastra. The Arthasastra (p.75) gives a verse
सर्वशास्त्राण्वनुक्रम्ब प्रयोगमुपलभ्य च ।
कौटिल्वेन नरेन्द्राथें शासनस्व विधिः कृतः॥ -The Kautilya laid down the canons governing the issue of the Sasanas for the benefit of Narendra.
19 For Vraja as a division of land see references in St. Peter's Diot. where vraja is opposed to forest and town. Vraja-bhumi may also mean the province or country of Vraja, around Methora (Harivamsa and Bhâse); cf. Vatsa-bhumi of the Sabha-P. MBh. According to Megasthenes the Krishna cult was powerful in the Vraja area. It is possible that Aboka attempted to check the adverse criticism of Buddhism by the followers of that cult through his Vraja-bhamika oonsors,
2 JBOR8., I. 97.