THE NILAMATA AND MAHATMYAS. 
47 
1899]. 
Visnu-Tirthas which succeeds it (vv. 1169-1248), is comparatively 
short, as indeed the position of this god is a secondary one in the 
popular worship of Kasmir. 
After a miscellaneous list of sacred Samgamas or river-confluences, 
Kagas and lakes (vv. 1249-78) we are treated to a somewhat more 
detailed synopsis of the chief Tirthas of Kasmir (vv. 127J-1371). 
This is of special interest, because an attempt is made here to describe 
the Tirthas in something like topographical order, and to group with 
them such localities as are visited on the same pilgrimage. It is thus 
possible to determine, with more certainty than in the case of other 
Tirtha lists, the particular holy sites intended by the author. 
This synopsis starts in the east with the fountain of the Kilanaga 
(Vernag), and follows with more or less accuracy the course of the 
Vitasta and its affluents down to the gorge of Varahamula. A short 
Vitastamahatmya, describing the origin and miraculous powers of this 
the holiest of Kasmir rivers (vv. 1371-1404), closes the text of 
Nilamata, such as it is found in our Manuscripts. 
This text is unfortunately in a very bad condition owing to numer¬ 
ous lacunae and textual corruptions of all kinds. Prof. Biihler held 
that the Nilamata in its present form could not be older than the 6th 
or 7th century of our era. 1 It appears to me by no means improbable 
that the text has undergone changes and possibly additions at later 
periods. On the whole, however, the local names found in it bear an 
ancient look and agree closely with the forms used by Kalhana. The 
difference in this respect between the Kilamata and the Mahatmyas, in 
their extant recensions, is very marked and helps to prove the compara¬ 
tively late date of most of the latter. On the other hand it deserves 
to be noted that without the more systematic and detailed accounts of 
the various Tirthas as found in the Mahatmyas, the identification of 
many of the sacred places referred to in the Kilamata would probably 
have been impossible. 
The fact of all extant copies of the work showing practically 
the same defective text, seems to indicate that the changes and 
additions to which I alluded above, cannot be quite recent. If such 
a revision had been made at a time comparatively near to the date of 
our oldest MS. we could, after the analogy of other instances, expect 
an outwardly far more correct, i.e. ‘ cooked,’ text. The operation here 
suggested was actually performed some thirty years ago by the late 
Pandit Sahibram. Receiving the orders of Maharaja Ranbir Singh to 
1 Compare Report, p. 40. The oldest and best MS. of the Nilamata which I 
was able to secure and collate, is dated in the Laukika year 81. This date judging 
from the appearance of the MS. probably corresponds to a.d, 1705-6. 
