172 
ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY OF KAS'MIR. 
[Extra No. 2, 
Haracaritacintamani devotes a separate canto, vii, to the relation of 
the legend which localized the disc-wielding god at the Tirtha of 
Cakradhara. The latter is still referred to in a general way in the old 
Vijayesvaramahatmya (No. 87, Poona MSS.). Now, however, Cakradhara 
is no longer visited by the pilgrims to Vijayesvara though the Purohitas 
of the latter place still retain a recollection of the former sanctity of 
the site. 
Legend of Narapura. 
108. There can be no doubt that at the foot of the Cakradhara 
Udar there stood once an ancient town of con¬ 
siderable importance. From the low ground 
towards the river on the east and from the river-bed itself, ancient coins 
going back to Creek and Indo-Scytkian rule are annually extracted in 
considerable quantities. Popular tradition still asserts that this site was 
once occupied by a great town. This tradition existed already in the 
time of Kalhana who records it in the interesting legend of the burned 
city of Narapura. 1 This is told at great length in a poetic episode of 
the First Book. 
King Nara is said to have founded a splendid capital, called after 
himself Narapura, on the sandy bank of the Vitasta close to the shrine 
of Cakradhara. “ There in a grove was a pond of limpid water, the 
habitation of the Naga Susravas.” A young Brahman who had found 
occasion to assist the Naga and his two daughters when in distress, was 
allowed to marry in reward one of the latter. He lived in happiness 
at Narapura until the beauty of the Naga lady excited the passion of 
the wicked king. When Nara found his advances rejected with scorn, 
he endeavoured to seize the beautiful Candralekha by force. The 
couple fled for protection to their father’s habitation. 
The Naga then rose in fury from his pool and “burned the king 
with his town in a rain of fearful thunderbolts.” Thousands of people 
were burned before the image of Visnu Cakradhara to which they had 
fled for protection, Ramanya, the Naga’s sister, came down from the 
mountains carrying along masses of rocks and boulders. These she 
dropped, as we have seen, along the bed of the Ramanyatavl or 
Rembyar^, when she found that Susravas had already wreaked his 
vengeance. The Naga himself feeling remorse at the carnage he had 
caused, removed to a lake on a far-off mountain. There “ he is to the 
present day seen by the people on the pilgrimage to Amaresvara.” 2 
“ To this day,” thus closes Kalhana’s narration, “ that tale is remembered 
by the people when they behold close to Cakradhara that town des¬ 
troyed by fire and that pond which has become a dry hollow.” 
1 See Bdjat. i. 201-274. 
* Compare regarding the lake of the Naga Sufravas on the route to Amburnath, 
above, § 59. 
