________________
CCXXXVII
Kavyanusasana
As we saw while referring to the Sahasralinga Lake, surrounding Aşahillapura were great forests which lent a sylvan magnificence to the approaches of the city. Someșvara describes the surrounding thus "Where near by is a circle of forests full of innumerable trees which looks like the shadow of the high city-wall.”+
There was also a moat round the city-wall which is compared to Sea protecting his daughter Lakshmi in the city.
Aonther attractive feature of the city must have been the holy river Sarasvatī. It appears that the river Sarasvatī must not have been so dry then as it is now near Aşahillapura. * This virgin river lent a sacred charm to the surroundings of the city. There is a whole Purāņa called Sarasvati Purāņa dedicated to this river which is very useful for the history of Anahillapura. * The Sahasralinga Lake had its watersupply from this river whose waters, through channels, were first gathered and controlled in a well known as Rudra – kūpa (S. P. C. 16. vs 1 - 2.). Hemachandra describes it thus:
+ अनेकानाकहच्छन्ना प्रत्यासन्ना वनावलिः ।
यत्रोन्नतस्य वप्रस्यऽछायेव प्रतिभासते ॥ स. १. ळो. ५०.
* Hemachandra, no doubt, exaggerates when he says that the waters of the river were fordable by boats (F1ZFSI), but it appears that the description might hold good for monsoon and even winter. A study of the physical features of rivers of Gujarata indicates that there has been a progressive scarcity of water in them. Descriptions of Sābaramati, given by foreign travellers, also, suggest such an increasing scarcity of water in that river also.
* In the opinion of Mr. Kanaiyalal B. Dave who has carefully studied this Purāņa it was written in the reign of Jayasimha Siddharāja.
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