354 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [December, 1875. The boon, asked for by the waters was grant- ed them by the deity, and hence the names P r a v a r a , or the river of very sweet water ; P a p h a r a , the river washing away sins ; and Vara, the river of healtby water." This story, though mythological, serves well to explain, the origin of the names of N e w a s a, and those of the river Pravara. It need not now be told that Newasaisa corruption of N i d h i w a s a, the ancient name of the place . 1 1 was first changed to N i w a s a, in which form it occurs inDnyanesvara, and then to N e w a - s a. N i w a s a is also a Sanskrit word mean- ing 'a place of residence.' There is a phrase in Marathl jfar HH WPT T^tf WT> " We should use waters of the God a for bathing, and those of the F r a v a r a for drinking," in common use amongthe higher classes of Hindus residing on the hanks of the Godavari and the Pravara. The Mahulaya Mdhutmya tells ns that the Wi-linavi Sakti above alluded to was the pro- siding deity at N o w a s a when the gods came there for protection. This Sakti is still the tutelary deity of the town. There is a beauti- ful temple of this deity at N e w a s a . It is • •!' modern date, bnt its sculpture is excellent. This .Sakti, the Mdhdiimtfa states, is the form which Vishnu assumed to punish Ralra (a demon) who, at the time of distributing nectar produced by the Suras and Asuras from the churning of the ocean, entered in disguise among the gods to drink it, though it was intended for the gods only. Dnyanesvara makes mention of N e w a - sa, and states that he composed his J> there. He has given a description of it, which is similar to that given in the Mahulaija Muhdt- mya. It is this (Dnydiiehm, ch. xviii.) : —
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strit Mr firifar | *-fknH* n " In the Kali Tug there is a place (by name) Niwasa, in the MarathA conntry, near the Godavari, which extends five itos, and is the only holy place in the three worlds, from time immemorial , in which there lives the deity Sri M a h a 1 a y it (Mohiniraja), the preserver of lives in the universe, and in which there is a n; the earth (by name) R amachandra, who is an ornament to the Yiidava race, the abode of all arts, and the supporter of justice. There the Gild was dressed in Marathx by Dnyuc a- d e v a, a descendant of the family ofMahcsn. and the son* ofNivrittiNath.'* At the distance of about a quarter of a mile from N e w a ea towards the west there is a stone pillar, apparently part of a temple not now in existence, bearing a Sanskrit inscription. The pillar is called Dnyanobacha kliamb, 1 Dnyanoba 's pillar.' When I first heard of the pillar and of its being inscribed, I was imp: to see the inscription, as I was in hopes that I might find something in it regarding Dnyanoba, the pillar being called after his name. But, to my disappointment, when I did visit it I found nothing in it regarding either Dnyanoba or N e w a s a . The pillar is buried in the ground, with a pretty good flat-roofed building over it measuring about •thirty-three feet by twenty- six. The pillar is called Dnyanoba 'a only because it is supposed to have been leaned against by him while composing his commentary on the Gild. But great, respect is paid to it in consequence of this, and a iair is held every year in honour of the pillar, on the 11th day of the dark fortnight ofPhiilgun. The height of the pillar above the ground is about four and six inches, and its circumference about four feet. The middle part of the pillar is square, while it is round above and below. The front side of the square bears the inscription, which consists of seven lines, and contains two Sanskrit verses in Anus] metro. It is as follows : — [1] aftiffi; [qx] irorcPT 1 fqr?TT [2] ifaf utjt [frf] 7J Wtjfit | p] *T#gr?i%%sst*f ir- [4] ft TiB Btf 1% fT^ I [»vq^r] [5] [<»lt] qrjiWX ^jr aqpfyij- [6] for I [l : *fr]*TTfr TS: [*:] TO Translation. 11 Om, salutation to Kani traSron ! As (my) grandfather has formerly granted a sum of six • Nivritti Niith was the elder brother of Dnyflacavara, aad also his guru. Ho therefore calls hunflcli hii wn.
