Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 576

Sec. IV]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA
551
Buddhist and Brahmanical works, and foreign accounts as the most celebrated rivers of India.
Ganga
The earliest reference to Gangā occurs in the Nadı-stuti verse of the Roveda" (Imam me Ganga Yamunā......Susomayā). This river figures in a number of later texts with different variations of its name, such as Alakanandā, Dyudhuni, Bhagirathi", Jānhavze, etc.
Gośāla Mankhaliputra mentions seven Gangas®, viz. Gangā, Maha Gangā, Maccu Gangā, Lohita Gangā, Āvanti Ganga and Paramāvati Gangā. It is not possible to identify all of them except the first one at the present state of knowledge without fresh information. They may represent the legendary rivers or the local names of this river.
Gangā is the famous river Ganges which rises up in the Gangotri in the Garhwal district of Uttara Pradesh and falls into the Bay of Bengal, flowing southwards from Hardwar to Bulandshahr, from there to the south-eastern direction upto Allahabad, where it is met by the Yamuna, thence eastward up to Pamahal in Bihar ; from there enters into West Bengal and joins the sea passing by Calcutta.10
Sindhu
Sindhu is also mentioned in other Indian texts", foreign
i Pañcasüdani, Il, p 586; Vide, India as described in Early texts,
of Buddhism and Jainism. ? Rg-Veda, X, 75, VI, 45, 21, Satapatha-Brāhmana, XIII. 5. 4.
11, Mark. Pu. 56. 1. 12; Mbh. 6. 43, 44. ; Rāma. II, 50-12fF. 3 Mc Crindle : Ancient India pp. 190-91; Vide, H.G.A.I. p. 78.
Ro-Veda, X, 75. 6 Bhagavat Purāna, IV, 6, 24. XI, 29. 42. « Bhāgavat Purāna, III, 23, 39. 7 Raghuvamsa, VII, 36; VIII, 95 ; X. 26. 69.
9 Bhs, 15, 1, 550. 10 Geographical Dictionary, N. L. Dey-p. 79; See H.G.A.T. -- · B.C. Law, p. 78. 11 Thánānga Sutta, 10, 717 ; Rg-Veda, X. 75; Pānini. 4. 3. 32
33 ; 4. 3.93) Astādhyāyī, M. Bhāsya 1. 3. 1. pp. 588-589; Brhat Samhätā -XIV. 19.
8
Ib.