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GIR
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GIR
The river Palasini, known as Svarṇarekhâ flows by the foot of the hill. Arish tanemi or Neminátha, the twenty-second Tirthaikara of the Jainas, was worshipped by the Digambara sect: he was born at Sauryapura or Sauripura or Mathura and is said to be a contemporary and cousin of Kțishņa, being the son of Râjimati, the daughter of Ugrasena. He died at Girnar at a very old age and his symbol was the Sankha or Conch-shell (Uttaradhyd yana in SBE, XLV, p. 112). He was the guru or spiritual guide of king Dattatreya, who was his first convert (Antiquities of Kathiawad and Kachh, p. 175; Brihat-Samhita, ch. 14). Junagar itself was called Girinagara : this name was subsequently transferred to the mountain (Corp. Ins. Ind , III, 57). It was the capital of the Scythian viceroy (Kshatrapa), who early in the second century A, D., became independent of the Saka king of Sakastâna or Sistan, which means "the land of Sse" or Sakas (Dr. Rhys Davids' Buddhist India). The Girnar or Junagar or Rudra Dâman inscription contains an account of Rudra Dâman's ancestors (JASB., 1883, p. 340). The names of Maurya Chandragupta and his grandson Asoka occur in this inscription (for a transcript of the inscription, sue Ind. Ant., VII, p. 260). The mount Girnar contains a foot-print known as Gurudatta-chara na which is said to have been left there by Kțishộa. It was visited by Chaitanya [Govinda Dâs's Kadcha (Diary) ). It was
also called Raivataka mountain. It is described in the Ssíupalavadha (C.IV). Girivrâjapura-1. Rajgir in Bihar, the ancient capital of Magadha at the time of
the Mahabharata (Sabha, ch. 21), where Jarâsindhu and his descendants resided. The name of Girivraja is very rarely used in Buddhist works (SBE, X, 67): it was generally called Rajagriha. It is sixty-two miles from Patna and fourteen miles south of Bihar (town). It was founded by. Râjá Vagu and was therefore called Vasumati (Ramayana, Adi, ch. 32). It is surrounded by five hills called in the Mahabharata (Sabha. ch. 21) Baih ara, Baráha, Břishabha, Rishi-giri, and Chaityaka, but they are now called Baibhâra-giri, Bipula-giri, Ratnakûta, Girivraja-giri, and Ratnâchala. In the Pali books, the five hills are called Gijjhakuta, Isigili, Vebhéra, Vepulla, and Pandava. Baihara has been identified by General Cunningham with Baibhâra-giri, the Vebhira mountain of the Páli annals ; Rishi-giri with Ratnakața (also called Ratnagiri), the Pândava mountain of the Pali annals ; Chaityaka with Bipula-giri—the Vepulla mountain of the Pâli annals; and Barâha with Giribraja-giri. A part of this hill is called Gijjhakuta; hence Brishabha may be identified with Ratņâchala. Girivrâ ja-giri includes the Udaya-giri and Sona-giri. Udayagiri joins Ratnagiri at its south-eastern corner and Sona-giri is between Udaya-giri and Girivrâja-giri. Girivrajapura is the Kusumapura or Rajagļiha of the Buddhist period. It is bounded on the north by Baibhara-giri and Bipula-giri (the former on the western side and the latter on the eastern side) ; on the east by Bipula-giri, and Ratnagiri or Ratnakûța ; on the west by a portion of the Baibhara-giri called Chakra and Ratnachala : and on the south by Udaya-giri, Sona-giri, and Girivrâja-giri. Girvrâ ja-pura had four gates: first, between Baibhâra-giri and Bipula-giri on the northern side, called the Sûrya-dvåra (sun-gate); it was protected by Jara Rakshasi ; second, between Girivrå ja-giri and Ratnáchala called the Gaja-dvâra (elephant-gate); third, between Ratnagiri (or Ratnakuța ) and Uduya-giri; fourth, between Ratnachala and Chakra, a portion of the Baibhâra hill. The river Sarasvatî flows through the hill-begirt city and passes out by the side of the northern gate. The river Bán-ganga is on the south of
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