116 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MIR. [Extra No. 2, 
Another legend has found a lengthy record in Kalhana’s narrative 
of King Jayapida’s reign, iv. 592 sqq. The Naga Mahapadma being 
threatened with desiccation by a Dravidian sorcerer, appeared to the 
King in his dream and asked for protection. As a reward he promised 
to show a gold mine to the King. Jayapida agreed to the Naga’s 
prayer. Curiosity, however, induced him to let the Dravidian first try 
his magic on the lake. When the waters had been dried up so far 
that the Naga and his dependents were seen as human-faced snakes 
wriggling in the mud, the king interfered and caused the lake to be 
restored. The Naga, however, resented the insult and showed to the 
king only a rich copper ore instead of the gold mine. 
With reference to a Puranic legend the Mahapadma is sometimes 
identified with the Naga Kaliya who was vanquished by Krsna. As 
the foot of the god when touching the Naga’s head made lotuses 
(padma) appear on it, Mahapadma is treated by Kasmirian poets as 
another form of Kaliya, 1 2 
75 - Of the streams which fall iuto the Volur lake besides the 
Lower affluents Vitasta, the stream of the Band^por Nala is 
of Vitasta. the mos ^ considerable. It drains the range 
between Mount Haramukh and the Trag a bal 
Pass and forms a small Delta of its own to the north of the lake. Its 
ancient name is 21ladJiumati?’ It is repeatedly mentioned in the 
Rajatarangini in connection with the route leading to the Dard terri¬ 
tory, but must be distinguished from another, smaller Madliumati which 
flows into the Kisanganga near the S'aradatirtlia. 
The outflow of the lake’s waters is at its southwest corner 
about two miles above the town of S5pur. The latter is the ancient 
Suyyapura , founded by Suyya and commemorating his name. 3 If we 
may judge from the position of the town and the words used by Kalhana 
in another passage, 4 it appears probable that the operations of Avan- 
tivannan’s great engineer extended also to the river’s bed on this side 
of the lake. 
About four miles below S5piir the Vitasta which now flows in a 
winding but well-defined bed, receives its last considerable tributary 
within Kasmir. It is the Pohur which before its junction has collected 
the various streams draining the extreme northwest of the Valley. 
1 Compare SHhanthac. iii. 9; Jonar. 933, and my note Raj at. v. 114. 
2 See Rdjat. vii. 1179 and note 1171 j also viii. 2883 j Nilamata 1259 sqq., 
1398, etc. 
8 See Rdjat. v. 118 note. 
4 V. 104 : “ Trained by him, the Vitasta starts rapidly on her way from the 
basin of the Mahapadma lake, like an arrow from the bow.” 
