supposing the ancient capital of Vasu Rájá to have been at or near Dumduma, and the capital of Chedi Proper (one division only of Vasu's empire) to have been at Tripura or Tewar. I have not the time now to wade through the Mahábhárat for positive evidence on this point; but I trust that this statement of the question will induce others, who may be in a position to contradict my views, to bring forward their evidence, and thus throw light on this knotty point. I shall, without regret, abandon my theory in favor of a better supported one.[1]
That the empire of Vasu Rájá did include Magadha is placed beyond doubt by the passage which relates the births of Matsya Rájá and Satyavati. The passage is too broadly obscene for reproduction; but from it, it is evident that a Jamna river flowed between the forest where Vasu Rájá went hunting and the city where his wife Girika lived. Even supposing that his wife did not live in the city or village now known (and as I conjecture named after her) as Giriyak, yet the Yamuna river could not obviously have been the well-known river which flows past Mathura; we must look for another Jamna south of the Ganges and below Allahabad, and the only river which answers our requirements is the small stream known as Jamna, which flows from the Barabar hills and crosses the present Patna-Gaya road about 8 miles south of Jahânâbâd. The passage referred to is in continuation of the passage from the Adiparvan already quoted, and the capital of the Rájá and the forest where he went to hunt must have been within a reasonable distance of each other, on opposite sides of the river, say a three or four days' journey.
On the east side of the Kiyul river, about 6 miles east by a little north from Nongarh, is a place of pilgrimage and some springs; they are situated among the wild Singhol hills. The places of interest here are a small temple at the base of the hill which runs east and west, a waterfall and a spring, and to west of temple a kund. A fair is held annually on the Sivaratri festival in Falgun and in Kartik; people carry their children there to shave off the hair. The kunds and the temple are situated in a plain. Tradition says that here was the residence of Rishyasringa, who was enticed away from his retreat by the gay women sent there by the King of Champa for the purpose. The story is to be found in the Râmâyana, Griff.,
- ↑ Since this was written I have found that the Sakri river flowed down the bed of the present Khuri river, and consequently that Rajagriha was on the river Sakri. I now hold therefore that Râjgir was the capital of Vasu and was situated on the Saktimati—see reports for 1877–78.
