Kavyanushasana Part 2

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Rasiklal C Parikh, Ramchandra B Athvale
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 37

XY
Kavyanusasana
For the earliest history of India we have to rely upon the traditions preserved in the Puriņas. These sacred books, after the critical sifting done by scholars like Pargiter, are now being properly regarded as mines of historical material. As Mr. Rapson says "The Purānas are confessedly partly legendary and partly historical...... ... The descriptions of ancient monarchs and their realms are essentially historical " (Cambridge History of India Vol. 1 page 299.).
Principal Anandsamkara Dhruva, in a learned and critical lecture which he delivered under the auspices of the Gujarāta Vernacular Society in the year 1924, shows the bearing of the Purānas on the early history of Gujarāta. Anartta is the first province that comes to our view in the Purānic traditions. As noted by Dr. Bhagwanlal Indraji the Vishnupurāņa gives the longest account; the one given in the Bhăgavatapurāņa agrees with it and the Matsyapurāņa and the Harivamsa also refer to it. Saryāti a son of Manu Vaivasvata was given the south - west portion of India. Anartta a son of Saryāti established a kingdom which according to the Purāņas was known after him as Ānarttadesa. Principal Dhruva, however, suggests another derivation which accords with the history of the province. It is that this province was called Ānartta because it was inhabited by Dasyus who did not follow the Rta
Geography of India by Cunningham refers Valabhi to Pāņini's Garaçãţha, while Mr. C. V. Vaidya refers Mahīnagara a city on the banks of the river Mahī also to the same source. It is, however, a question whether the references are by Pāņini himself or are later additions.