174 
ANCIENT GEOGEAPHY OF KAS'MIB. [Extra No. 2, 
of Vijayesvara which was built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh some thirty 
years ago higher up on the river-bank. 
It is probable that a temple so much frequented had undergone 
more than one restoration in the course of the fifteen centuries which 
lie between the time of Asoka and the end of Hindu reign in Kasmir. 
Some time before a.d. 1081, while King Ananta was residing at the 
Tirtha of Vijayesvara, the temple was burned down in a general con¬ 
flagration, caused by his son Kalasa. The latter, however, subsequently 
restored the shrine. The old Linga of S / iva Vijayesvara seems to have 
fallen a victim to the iconoclasm of Sikandar Butshikasfc. 1 
The town of Vijayesvara is ascribed by Kalliana to King Vijaya. 2 3 
But nothing else is recorded of this ruler, aud this may cause a doubt 
as to his historical existence. It is significant that the town is desig¬ 
nated either simply Vijayesvara or as Vijayaksetrar, which is abbre¬ 
viated from Vijayesvaraksetra. The modern name Vijvbror is the Ks. 
equivalent of Vijayesvara, -bror (from Skr. bhattdraka ‘ god ’) having 
replaced the more specific - is'vara , the usual designation of S'iva. 8 
That the town had acquired importance at a comparatively early 
date, is indicated by the mention of a thousand Agraharas said to have 
been granted here by King Mihirakula to a settlement of Gaudhara 
Brahmans. 4 * It was large enough to accommodate the whole court and 
army of King Ananta when the latter removed his residence to Vija¬ 
yesvara. 6 * The narrative of the civil wars which fills the last Book of 
Kalhana’s Chronicle shows the importance of the town by frequent 
references to the military operations of which it was the object. 6 One 
of these passages proves that there was a bridge over the Vitasta here 
already in the twelfth century, just as there is one still. 
Vij^bror has remained a town of some importance and still boasts 
of a considerable number of Brahmans, mostly Purohitas of the Tirtha. 
The latter being conveniently situated on the pilgrims’ way to Martanda 
1 See Jonar. (Bo. ed.), 762; for an earlier mention of this emblem see ib ., 127. 
2 Rdjat. ii. 62. 
3 Compare Rdjat . i. 38 note ; also ii. 134. In the same way I&brdr represents 
Iseivara; with the feminine-bmr for bhattdrikd we have SundVbrqr for Samdhyddevi , 
Budqbrar for Bhedddevl , etc. 
The forms ‘ Bijbiara,’ ‘ Bijbihara,’ 1 Bijbehara,’ etc., under which the local name 
figures in European books, are all based on a faulty Panjabi pronunciation. A 
fanciful etymology of the name which sees in the first part of the word vidyd 
‘ learning ’ and in the second ‘ Vihara ,’ has found favour in the guide-books and may 
be mentioned here for curiosity’s sake. 
* See Rdjat. i. 317. 
6 See Rdjat. vii. 336 sqq. 
6 Rdjat. viii, 746 sqq., 969 sqq., 1140, 1509 sqq., eto. 
