Book Title: Some Jaina Canonical Sutras
Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

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Page 183
________________ APPENDIX I VIVIDHATĪRTHA-KALIA The l'iridhatīrtha-kala. of Jinaprabhasūri is a Jaina book, edited by Jina-vijaya Sūri and published at the expense of Bahadur Singh Singhi. It contains accounts of places sacred to the Jains. The work, as it stands, contains legends mixed up with facts. Great care should be exercised in separating fact from fiction in order to have a true picture of the sacred places of the Jams. In some places, new materials are available which, I believe, will be helpful to students of Iconography and Ancient Indian Geography. In order to make a critical study of the subject, some of the modern publications such as Cunningham's Ancient Geography revised by S. N. Majumdar, N. ... De's Geographical Dictionary, my Geographical Essays, India as described in early teats of Buddhism and Jainism, Geography of Early Buddhism and my paper on Sucred Places of the Jains published in the U. P. Historical Society's Journal should be consulted. This text should be studied along with the Jambuddivapannatti. Ahicchatra.-Samkhyāvati was the earlier name of AbiCchatra.i Pārsvanātha wandered about in this town. Kamathăsura, inimical to Pārsvanātha, caused an incessant of rains, inundating the entire earth. Pārsvanātha was immersed in water up to his neck. To protect him, the Nāgarāja of the place, accompanied by his queens, appeared on the scene, held a canopy of his thousand hoods over his head, and coiled himself round his body. That is the reason why this town was named Ahicchatra.2 A brick-built rampart was constructed in the same zigzag course in which the Nāgarāja wended his way. The rampart still exists. On 1 Vividhartirthakalpa, p. 14. It was tho capital of Northern Pancālai. It was also known as Chatrāvati (identical with modern Ramnagar in the Bareilly district). The old name of Ahicchatra is Adbicchatra (vide Luders' List of Brühmi Inscriptions, Index) which is nearer to the Greek form of Adisadra of Ptolemy (McCrindle's Ancient India as described by Ptolemy. p. 133; B. ('. Law, Geography of Darly Buddhism, p. 18; for fuller details vide B. C. Law, Pancālus anul their Capital dhicchutmi, M.A.S.)., no. 67). 2 Ibid., p. 14. Pubbu-uinuddha-verona kremathūsurona avicchinnadhūrā paväehim parisamto ambu-haro viurvio. Tena sayule mahimandale egavannavibhür. Dharunimdena Niguricna agyamahisih in suha agamlūņa mani-rayanu cimcaian sahassu-samkhaphaņā-mamdulu-chuttumn sümino urrim kuraun am hithe kundalikayabhogena samginihia 80 Ureagge nirario. Tuo param tise nayarie Ahichattatti nămam samjayam.

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