Indian Antiquary Vol 48

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

Page 275

ANU
APA
Anuradhapura-The ancient capital of Ceylon. The branch of the celebrated Bo-tree
(Pipal-tree) of Buddha-Gaya was brought and planted here by Mahinda and his sister Sanghamittà, who were sent by their father Asoka to introduce Buddhism into Ceylon. The tree still exists in the Maha-vihâra. The left canine tooth of Buddha which was removed ftum Dantapura (Puri) in the fourth century to Anuradhapura, existed in a building erected on one of the angles of Thuparamaye (Thupârâma) Dagoba (a corruption of Dhâtugarbha), which was built by Devânâmpiyatissa about 250 B.C., as a relic shrino of either the right jaw-bone or the right collar-bone of Buddha. See Dantapura. The town contains also the “ Loya Maha Paya" or Great Brazen Monastery and the "Ruanwelli" Dagoba described in the Mahavamsa. The latter was built by the king Duthagâ mini in the second century of the Christian era. The Isibhumanganan was the site of Mahinda's funeral pile, and in the Ghantâ kara-vihara the Altha-katha (the commentary of the Tripijaka) was translated from Singhalese into Pâli by Buddhaghosha (A.D. 410-432), a Brahmin who came from a village named Ghosha in the neighbourhood of Buddha-Gaya, during the reign of Mahânâma or Mahâmuni (Gray's Buddhaghosuppatti): he was
converted into Buddhism by Revata (Turnour's Mahavamsa, ch. 37). Aornos-Ranigat, sixteen miles north-west of Ohind in the Peshawar district of
the Panjab (Cunningham's Ancient Geography of India, P. 58), but according to Captain James Abbot, Shah Kote on Mount Mahaban, situated on the western bank of the Indus, about 70 miles to the north-east of Peshawar: modern researches have proved the correctness of Abbot's identification (Smith's Early History of India, p. 68). It is perhaps a corruption of Varana of Pâņini : there is still a town called Barana (9.v.) on
the western bank of the Indus opposite to Attok (Ind. Ant., I, 22). Apaga-Afghanistan (Brahmanda P., ch. 49). Åpage-1. The Ayuk-nadi to the west of the Ravi in the Panjab. 2. A river in Kuruk
shetra (Vamana P., ch. 36, Padma P., Svarga ; ch. 12). See, however, Oghavati. It still bears its ancient name. It is evidently the Apaya of the Rig Veda (III, 23. 4)
frequently mentioned with the Sarasvati and the Drishadvati. Apapapurt-Same as Pâpå [ Sabda kalpadruma- 8.v. Tîrthankara ; Prof. Wilson's Hindu
Religion (Life of Mahavira)). See På på. Aparananda-Same as Alakananda : see Nande (Mahabh., Vana, ch. 109; Branmanda P.,
ch. 43). Aparanta-Same as Aparantaka. Aparantaka-Konkan and Malabar (Märkandeya Purana, ch. 58): it iş the Ariake of
Ptolemy, according to whom it extended southward from the Nerbuda. In the Raghuvamia (IV, v. 53) Aparânta is said to be on the south of the Murala. According to the Periplus of the Erythræan Sea, Ariake extended southwards from the gulf of Cambay to the north of Abhira. Ptolemy's Ariake is the contraction of Aparantaka. but that of the Periplus is the contraction of Aranyaka. Acoording to Sir R. G. Bhandarkar, Aparânta was the northern Koukan, the capital of which was Surparaka (modern Supara). near Bassein. Asoka sent here a Buddhist missionary named Yona-Dhammarakkhita in 245 B.C. According to Bhagvanlal Indraji , the western seaboard of India was called Aparântika or Aparântaka (Ind. Ant., vol. VII, pp. 259, 263). Bhatja Svami in his commentary on Kautilya's Arthasastra (Koshadhyaksha, Bk. ii) identifies it with Konkana.