article - kashmir in ancient sanskrit literature
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Kashmir in Ancient Sanskrit Literature
- Dr. B. N. Kalla
ACCORDING to the Nilmat Purana, the land of Kashmir was occupied by a
vast lake called "Satisara". Modern geological observations have supported
this legendary view. On the basis of this fact, the word "Kashmir" is derived
from Sanskrit "Kashyapa + Mira" which means the sea lake or the mountain
of sage Kashyapa. Kashyapa was the originator of Kashmir. In Kashmiri, it is
called "Kasheer" and "Kashmir" in the Indian languages. Phonetically, "m" is
eroded here as we find erosion in the word "Samudra" (ocean). "Samudra"
changes into the form of "Sadur" (derived from Sanskrit Samudra in the
Kashmiri language and "Samandra" in the Indian languages. "M" is retained
in Hindi, Urdu, etc. but not in Kashmiri. Thus "Kashyapa + Mira" = Kashmir
in the Indian languages other than Kashmiri and "Kasheer" in Kashmiri. Mir
in English means the sea as Mariner in Latin Marinus (more- sea).
The name of Kashmir does not occur in the Vedic literature. In the "Nadi
Sukta" of Rig Veda, there is a hymn which mentions the name of Vitasta (in
Kashmiri Veth and modern Jhelum).
Great Grammarians
Among the grammarians, the earliest referenee to Kashmir is found in
Panini's (500 B.C.) "Ashtadhayi" and in Patanjali's great commentary on it.
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There the term "Kashmir" and its derivation "Kashmira" are stated as the
name of the country and its inhabitants, respectively.
Among the epics, we find the name of "Kashmir" in the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata. The Mahabharata refers in several passages to "Kashmir" and
their king, but in a way which merely indicates that the valley was situated
in the hilly regions to the north of India. Similarly, some of the Puranas refer
to Kashmir in the list of northern nations. The earliest Sanskrit literature of
the valley so far known is the Nilmat Purana. According to the opinion of Dr.
Buhler, a famous German Indologist: "It is a real mine of information
regarding the sacred places of Kashmir and their legends". Besides, the
reference to worships prescribed by "Nila" and observed by the people, the
work dilates upon such various topics as the Principal Nagas or sacred
springs of Kashmir, the origin of the "Mahapadamsara" (present Wular Lake),
places dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, the sacred river confluences and lakes,
the chief pilgrimages of the land and in the end upon the sanctity of the
Vitasta.
Varahmihra (C.A.D. 500), in his Brahtsamhita, includes the Kashmiras in the
north-eastern division of the other tribes who lived in this region. He
mentions the Abhisaras, Daradas, Darvas, Khashas, Kiras, etc., the tribes
which are known from other sources to have inhabited Kashmir and its
neighbouring regions in historical periods. Harasha, a famous poet (7th
Century A.D.), in his "Ratnavali" (drama), refers to the saffron of the
Kashmira country, which was best of all types of saffrons, both in colour and
in scent.
Very useful information
The Nilmat Purana describes the tribes as Nagas, Pishachas, Darvas,
Abhisaras, Gandharas, Shakas, Khashas, Mundavas, Madaras, Yavanas, etc.
In the Atharvasamhita, we find mention of some northern tribes like the
Bahlikas, Mahavarshas, Gandharis and Mujavats. The Brahmnas and the
Upnishdas refer to some of the tribes who lived in the north-west, such as
the Gandharas, Kekyas, Madaras and Ambashthas.
Kshemendra, the polyhister, in his work, namely "Samyamatrika", furnishes
us with some useful information about the topographical details of his
country. His heroine, Kankali travels through the length and breadth of
Kashmir. To the poet we owe the first reference to "Pirpanchal" route
(Panchadhara). After Kshemendra, Somdeva, the author of the
Kathasaritsagar, describes Kashmir as a region in the south of the Himalayas
by the waters of the Vitasta. He mentions some of the holy sites of the
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valley, such as Vijayakshetra, Nandikshetra, Varahkshetra and Uttarmansa
and the town of Hiranypura.
The temple of Shivavijayesha or Vijayeshwara, since ancient times one of
the most famous shrines of the valley, has given its name to the town in
which it was situated, Vijayeshwara, the modern Vijabror 75¡9' long, 33¡48'
lat. "Bror" in Kashmiri means God, a derivative of Sanskrit Bhattaraka,
corresponding to Ishvara.
The name, Nandikshetra, is given by the Nilmata, the Nandikshetra and
Harmukta Mahatmyas to a high alpine valley at the foot of the east glaciers
of the Harmukh peaks which contains the sacred Kalodakalake, popularly
known as Nundkol. The Nanikshetra includes the ncighbouring site of
Bhuteshwara or Buthsher, in the Kankanai valley below Nandkol.
Varahkshetra is modern Baramulla.
Ganga Lake
Uttarmansa is meant the sacred Ganga lake situated below the eastern
glaciers of Mount Harmukh and popularly known as Gangabal.
Hiranypura, the town founded by Hranyaksha at Ranyal, a village situated
circ. 74¡52 long. 34¡12 lat. close to the high road which leads from Srinagar
to Ganderbal and the Sindh Valley.
Bilhana, the contemporary of Kalhana, lived during the reigns of King Kalsha
and Harsha. He also left an account of his native valley. In his
Vikramandekadeva Charita, he gives us a vivid picture of the Kashmirian
capital and the village of Khonomusha (present Khonmoh) where he took
birth. His account, apart from its poetic beauties, is full of local details. In
addition to it, he has given the description of the language of his time. As per
his version, Sanskrit and hakrit were in use like their mother-tongue.
Historical document
For the history, as well as for the early geography of the valley, Kalhana's
Rajtarangini is a very important historical document. In the first Taranga of
his work, he gives us an account of the legends relating to the creation of
Kashmir and its sacred river, the Vitasta, and refers, besides, to the most
famous of the many Tirthas in which Kashmir was abundant. For the
historical geography of Kashmir is the mass of incidental references of
topographical interest scattered throughout his work.
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Ancient Kashmir was really rich in holy places and the objects of pilgrimages
were planted throughout the valley. According to the Rajtarangini, Kashmir
was a country where there was not a space as large as a grain of sesamum
without a Tirtha. The springs (Naag in Kashmiri), which had their tutelary
deities in the form of Nagas, the streams and the rivers, in particular sacred
legends attached to each of them, innumerable places connected with the
worship of various gods and goddesses - all these and many more have been
frequently mentioned by Kalhana. They have some topographical importance
as they enable us to trace with more or less certainty the early history of
most of the popular places of pilgrims visited up to present day. The
marvellous accuracy of Kalhana's topographical knowledge about some of the
Tirthas tends to show that he visited them personally.
A number of feferences made by Kalhana regarding the origin of towns,
cities, villages, estates and shrines are also of topographical importance. His
knowledge about the birth of these towns and shrines seems to have been
gathered from the inscriptions, recording the consecration of temples and
grants of land by former kings.
Accurate description
The system of nomenclature followed in ancient Kashmir preserved a
genuine tradition regarding their founder. In the cases of towns and cities,
the appellation "Pura" is attached to the name of the founder. In the cases of
religious structures, terms indicating the deity or the object to which the
building was dedicated follow.
The notices for the foundations of the towns, etc. made by Kalhana, are
sometimes accompanied by accurate description of the sites chosen and of
structures connected with them. Mention may be made in this connection
about his descriptions of the towns of Pravarapura, Parihaspura and Jayapura
Dwarvati. It is Kalhana's accurate dcscription which alone has helped future
scholars to idenlify some of the ruined sites of present times with the famed
cities of the past. The seventh and eighth Tarangas of Rajtarangini are full
and elaborate with detailed topographical intormation. Kalhana, incidentally,
tells us so much about the various localities connected with those events -
we can clearly trace them from the map. His topographical exactness is
strikingly revealed from such accounts as the regulation of the waters of the
Vitasta by Suyya, the sieges of Shrinagar under Sussala, the battle on the
Gopadari hill in the same period, the blockade of Lohara and the siege of the
Shirahshila castle.
Description of Kashmir
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The poet, Mankha, was a contemporary of Kalhana. In the third canto of his
work - Shrikanthacharita - he gives an account of Pravarpura, the capital of
Kashmir.
Among other texts of topographical interest, mention may be made of
Haracharitachintamani of Jayadratha. Jayadratha belonged to the end of the
12th century AD or the beginning of the 13th century AD. In his 32 cantos,
he deals with a number of legends connected with Shiva and his Avatars Of
these, eight legends are centred round well-known Kashmirian Tirthas and
afford the author an opportunity of describing various sacred sites of
Kashmir, connected directly or indirectly with them. Jayadratha's detailed
description shows the gradual development of legends connected with
different places of pilgrimage since the days of Kalhana.
The numerous Mahatmyas of Kashmir are also interesting sources for early
historical geography. Thus the fole of Mahatmyas in describing the
topography of the valley cannot be ruled out. They give us a good
intormation regarding the ancient nomenclature of Kashmir. Among the 51
Mahatmyas, the Vitasta Mahatmya is a big one which is divided into 35
Patalas. They generally set forth the different legends connected with various
places of pilgrimage, the merit to be appeared by their visits and the rites to
be performed in each of the sites. They contain many early materials and
local traditions and are thus vaiuahle for a systemalic study of the old
topography of the valley.
References
1. The Nilamat Purana Vol I; Dr. Ved Kumari
2. Early History and Culture of Kashmir: Dr Sunil Chandra Ray
3. Panini's Ashtadhyayi (Ganapatha)
4. Rajtarangini's English (translation): M. A. Stein.
5. Kashir Dictionary. vol IV, published hy Jammu & Kashmir
Academy of Art, Culture & Languages.
The author has given an etymology of 40,000 words of Kashmiri
language up to the last volume - Vol VII of Kashmiri Dictionary
published by Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy, Srinagar.
6. Webster's Encyclopaedia Dictionary of the English Language.
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A Sanskrit scholar and linguist, Dr. Kala is presently with the Department of
Sanskrit, Delhi University.
Source: Koshur Samachar
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