154 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MIR. 
[Extra No. 2, 
the 13th century. The numerous passages in which the Samudramatha 
is mentioned by the later Chronicles, makes this identification quite 
certain. 1 
A little higher up, if we can trust local tradition, stood the 
ancient temple of Vardhamanesa mentioned already in King Samdhi- 
mat’s reign. The site so designated by the Purohitas of the adjoining 
Mahalla is close to the Mal a yar Ghat. I have referred already in a 
previous note to the curious manner in which an ancient Linga sup¬ 
posed to be that of Vardhamanesa was recovered a few years ago from 
a neighbouring Mosque and a Mahatmya composed for the newly 
established shrine. 2 * 
The confluence of the Tsunth Kul or Mahasarit with the Vitasta 
we have also had occasion to notice. 8 It is the Tirtlia now known as 
MarIsamgama. Beyond it lies the great island of Maytsum, the ancient 
Maksikasvamin, now chiefly occupied by the houses and camps of Euro¬ 
pean residents and visitors. From the way it is referred to by Kalhana, 
it appears that it was already partly inhabited in old times. 4 * Follow¬ 
ing up the right bank of the Mahasarit above the junction we reach 
the quarter of Kliud a bal already identified with the Ksurikabala of 
King Pravarasena’s story. 
Here begins the old embankment or Setu, noticed in connection 
with the latter. 6 To the north of this embankment stretches an exten¬ 
sive marsh fed by canals coming from the Dal and known as Brar‘ l nambal. 
It is the Bhattdranadvald of the Chronicle into which the body of one 
of Harsa’s ministers was thrown after his execution. 6 
At the eastern end of the Setu where it joins the rocky foot of the 
Takht-i Sulaiman hill, there has been for at least a century a gate 
through which the Tsunth Kul flows out from the lake. It is closed at 
times of flood when the Vitasta rises higher than the level of the Dal. 
It is highly probable that this gate is very old and contemporary with the 
construction of the embankment itself. Beyond it lies the suburb of 
Drug a jan. This is identified in an old gloss of the Rajataranginl with 
Dorgagalika, where according to tradition the blind King Yudhisthira I. 
was imprisoned after his abdication. 7 
1 See Jonar. Ill ; S'rlv. iv. 121, 169, 290 j Fourth Chron. 504, 618. 
3 See above, § 31 note 2. 
8 See above, § 65. 
4 See Bajat. iv. 88 note. 
6 Compare § 92. 
* See Bajat. vii. 1038. Nambal, from Skr. nadoald, is the regular Ks. word for 
‘ marsh.’ Brqr* is a direct phonetic derivative of Skr. bhattara ‘god.’ 
1 See Bajat. ii. 4. 
