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.

KOA Language Section:An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri http://koausa.org/language/BNKalla.html

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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

Koshur Site Index

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