1896.] N. N. Vasu— Nagaras and the Nagari-alphabet. 123 
kécvara-ksétra are the shrines of Acalégvara, Gokarnécvara, Gaya-cirsa, 
Markandéyé¢vara, Citrégvara, Dhundhumiaré¢vara, Yayatigvara, Anan- 
décvara, Kapilécvara, Kalanécvara, Anarttécvara, Cidrakégvara, Aja- 
paligvara, Banégvara, Laksmanécvara, Trijatégvara, Ambarévati, 
Kédarécvara, Vrsabhanatha, Satyasandhé¢vara, Atégvara, Dharma- 
rajecvara, Mistannadécvara, Citrangadécvara, Amarakécvara, Vaté¢vara, 
Makaréevara, Kalégvara, Puspaditya, &c., as well as hundreds of 
sacred places (tirthas), named Patala-Gaynga, Ganea-Yamuna, Praci 
(z.e., eastern) Sarasvati, Naga-tirtha, Cankha-tirtha, Mrga-tirtha, Linga- 
bhéedodbhava-tirtha, Rudra-vartta, Rama-hrada, Cakra-tirtha, Matr- 
tirtha, Mudhara-tirtha, &c. 
Elsewhere in the Nagara-khanda Mahadéva says :—‘ Naimisaranya, 
Kedara-natha, Puskara, Bhimi-jangala, Varanasi, Kuruksétra, Prabhasa, 
and Hatakégvara are the principal of the sacred-places. He who 
in proper veneration bathes in these eight Tirthas, reaps the fruit of 
bathing in all the Tirthas. Hven these eight sacred places have their 
best, and Hatakégvara is that one. All the ¢irthas in the world are, by 
my order, present in Hatakécvara. Therefore in the Kali-yuga persons 
eager of salvation should betake themselves to the Hatakégvara-ksétra, 
which is attended by all the T7rthas,” (Nagara-khanda, ch. 103.) 
Mr. Wilson in his Indian castes says :—‘ The word Nagara is the 
adjective form of Nagara,a city. It is applied to several (six) prin- 
cipal castes of Brahmanas in Gujarat getting their designations 
respectively from certain towns in the north-eastern portions of that 
province.’! 
It has been already remarked in harmony with the statement 
of the Nagara-khanda, that Hatakégvara was named Nagara, subse- 
quent to Trijata’s making the land snakeless. The Brahmanas who 
were brought by him became known under the name of Nagara 
from their inhabiting that city.* 
The Nagara Brahmanas of Gujarat maintain that Anandapura (the 
present Badanagara) was their original dwelling-place. This place is 
in the district of Kadi in Gujarat, and forms a part of the state of the 
Gaikwar of Baroda. Some antiquarians have alluded to Nagara- 
Ananda-pura as the name of this place.? It seems to me that perhaps 
the Nagara Brahmanas of Ananda-pura used the name of Bada-nagara 
1 Wilson, Indian Castes, Vol. I1., p. 96. 
2 It is stated in the Nagara-khanda, that Hatakécvara was, previous to the arrival 
of Trijata, depopulated by the horrible destruction spread over the land by the 
poisonous snakes. Trijata sgain populated it by Brahmanas of 84 gétras brought 
from several other places. (Négara-khanda, ch. 108.) 
3 Hpigraphia Indica, Vol. I. 295. 
