1899.] POSITION AND CONFIGURATION OF KAS'MIR VALLEY. 
. 65 
38. The general configuration of the country here indicated in 
its broadest outlines may be held to account 
Legend of Satisaras. , ., . , , , , . , 
tor the ancient legend which represents 
Kasmir to have been originally a lake. This legend is mentioned by 
Kalhana in the Introduction of his Chronicle and is related at great 
length in the Nllamata. 1 
According to this earliest traditional account the lake called 
Satisaras , ‘the lake of Satl (Durga),’ occupied the place of Kasmir 
from the beginning of the Kalpa. In the period of the seventh Manu 
the demon Jalodbhava (‘ water-born ’) who resided in this lake, caused 
great distress to all neighbouring countries by his devastations. The 
Muni Kasyapa, the father of all Nagas, while engaged in a pilgrimage 
to the Tirthas in the north of India, heard of the cause of this distress 
from his son Nila, the king of the Kasmir Nagas. The sage thereupon 
promised to punish the evil-doer and proceeded to the seat of Brahman 
to implore his and the other gods’ help for the purpose. His prayer 
was granted. The whole host of gods by Brahman’s command started 
for Satisaras and took up their position on the lofty peaks of the 
Naubandhana Tirtha above the lake Kramasaras (Kons a r Nag). The 
demon who was invincible in his own element, refused to come forth 
from the lake. Visnu thereupon called upon his brother Balabhadra 
to drain the lake. This he effected by piercing the mountains with his 
weapon, the ploughshare. When the lake had become dry, Jalodbhava 
was attacked by Visnu and after a fierce combat slain with the god’s 
war-disc. 
Kasyapa then settled the land of Kasmir which had thus been pro¬ 
duced. The gods took up their abodes in it as well as the Nagas, while 
the various goddesses adorned the land in the shape of rivers. At first 
men dwelt in it for six months only in the year. This was owing to a 
curse of Kasyapa, who angered by the Nagas had condemned them to 
dwell for the other six months together with the Pisacas. Accordingly 
men left Kasmir for the six months of winter and returned annually in 
Caitra when the Pisacas withdrew. Ultimately after four Yugas had 
passed, the Brahman Candradeva through the NUanaga’s favour acquired 
a number of rites which freed the country from the Pisacas and exces¬ 
sive cold. Henceforth Kasmir became inhabitable throughout the year. 
The legend of the desiccation of the lake is alluded to also by 
Hiuen Tsiang, though in another, Buddhistic form. 2 Its main features 
as related in the Nllamata, live to this day iu popular tradition. They 
1 See Bdjat. i. 25-27; Nllamata, vv. 26-237. A detailed extract of the Nila- 
mata’s story has been given by Prof. Buhler, Report, p. 39, 
2 See Si-yu-Tci, transl. Beal, i. p. 149. 
J. I. 9 
