The Ancient Geography of India/Varanasi
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21. Varanasi.
[p.435]: In the seventh century the kingdom of Po.lo.ni.sse, or Varanasi, was 4000 li, or 667 miles, in circuit, and the capital, which was on the western bank of the Ganges, was from 18 to 19 li, or 3 miles, in length, and from 5 to 6 li, or 1 mile, in breadth. Its probable boundaries, with reference to the surrounding kingdoms, were the Gomati river on the north, a line drawn from the Gomati to Allahabad and up the Tons to Bilhari on the west, a line drawn from Bilhari to Sonhat on the south, and the Rehand Karmmnasa and Ganges rivers on the east. "With these limits the circuit is 595 miles taken direct on the map, or about 650 miles in actual road measurement.
The city of Banaras is situated on the left bank of the Ganges, between the Barna Nadi on the north-east, and the Asi Nala on the south-west. The Barna,
[p.436]: or Varana, is a considerable rivulet, which rises to the north of Allahabad, and has a course of about 100 miles. The Asi is a mere brook, of no length, and, owing to its insignificant size, it does not appear in any of our most detailed maps. It is not entered in the Indian Atlas Sheet, No. 88, which is on the scale of 4 miles to the inch, nor even in the larger lithographed map of the district of Banaras, on the double scale of 2 miles to the inch. This omission has led the learned French academician M. Vivien de Saint- Martin to doubt the existence of the Asi as a tributary of the Ganges, and he conjectures that it may be only a branch of the Barna, and that the joint stream called the Varanasi[1] may have communicated its name to the city. The Asi Nala will, however, be found as I have described it, in James Prinsep's map of the city of Benares, published by Hullmandel, as well as in the small map which I have prepared to illustrate this account of the remains at Banaras. The position of the Asi is also accurately described by H. H. Wilson in his Sanskrit Dictionary, under the word Varanasi. I may add that the road from Banaras to Udmnagar crosses the Asi just outside the city, and only a short distance from its confluence with the river. The points of junction of both streams with the Ganges are considered particularly holy, and accordingly temples have been erected both at Barna sanggam below the city, and at Asi sangam above the city.
- ↑ In M. Julien's ' Life and Pilgrimage of Hioueu Thsang,' i. 132, and ii. 351, it is stated that " this river is also called Po-lo-ni-se, or Varanasi." But this is a mistake of the translator, as pointed out by Dr. Fitzedward Hall. The true name of the river is Po-lo-nie, or Varana.
[p.437]: From the joint names of these two streams, which bound the city to the north and south, the Brahmans derive Varanasi, or Varanasi, which is said to be the Sanskrit form of the name of Banaras. But the more usual derivation amongst the common people is from Raja Banar, who is said to have rebuilt the city about 800 years ago.
Both of these streams are mentioned by Abul Fazl,[1] who says " Baranasi, commonly called Banaras, is a large city situated between two rivers, the Barna and the Asi. Bishop Heber[2] also mentions that he was informed by the Raja of Banaras that the name " had anciently been Baranas, from two rivers, Bara and Nasa, which here fall into the Ganges." The worthy Bishop supposes that they must join the Ganges underground, as no such rivers are set down on the map ; but two pages afterwards he records that his boats arrived " off the mouth of the small river which leads to Secrole," that is to the cantonment of Banaras. It may perhaps be objected that this was only a report from his servants, and that he had not actually seen the river ; but as the Bishop lived with Mr. Brooke to the north of the Barna, he must have crossed that river by the large stone bridge at least twice every day during his stay at the holy city of the Hindus.
Banaras is celebrated amongst the Buddhists as the scene where the great teacher first expounded his doctrine, or as they metaphorically express it, where he first began " to turn the wheel of the law." This is one of the four great events in the life of Buddha, and the stupa which was built upon the spot was esteemed as one of the four great monuments of
[p.438]: Buddhism. This stupa, now called Dhamek, is situated about 3½ miles to the north of the city, amidst an extensive mass of ruins, which are surrounded on three sides by large artificial lakes. The name of Dhamek is most probably only an abbreviation of the Sanskrit Dharmmopadesaka, the "Teacher of Dharmma." This is the common term still in use to designate any religious teacher ; but bearing in mind that on this spot Buddha first began to " turn the wheel of the law " (dharmma-chakra), the name is peculiarly appropriate for the stupa. The term is also used in the simpler form of Dharmmadesaka, which in familiar conversation would naturally be shortened to Dhammadek and Dhamek.
The earliest name of this city was Kashi, which is still in common use, either alone or joined with the later name, as Kasi-Banaras. It is, perhaps, the Kassida or Kassidia, of Ptolemy. The name is referred to Kasi-raja, who was one of the early progenitors of the Lunar race. He was succeeded by twenty descendants, all Rajas of Kasi, amongst whom was the celebrated Divodasa.