1899.] 
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS OP MADAVARAJYA. 
187 
was believed to have shown herself as a swan in a lake situated on the 
summit of the hill. This Tirtha has long ago ceased to be visited by 
pilgrims, and all recollection regarding its position has been lost to Pandit 
tradition. Fortunately the old Mahatmya of the sacred lake has surviv¬ 
ed in a single copy. With the help of some indications furnished by 
it and an opportune notice of Abu-1-Fazl, I was able to make a search 
for this ancient Tirtha which ultimately led to its discovery at the 
present BucHbrar in the valley above indicated. 
For the detailed evidence regarding this identification I must refer 
to my note on Kalhana’s passage. 1 Here a brief reference to the topo¬ 
graphical peculiarity of the site will suffice. The Mahatmya describes 
the lake sacred to the goddess SarasvatI-B/ie</a as situated on the 
summit of a hill, and Gangodbheda as a spring flowing from it. At 
Biidvbrdr, a small Gujar hamlet, which occupies the position marked by 
Bhedagiri on the map, T found an ancient stone-lined tank fed by a 
spring on the top of a small hillock. The latter rises about seventy feet 
above the level of the narrow valley in which it is situated. From 
the side of the hillock issues a spring which is the natural outflow of 
the tank and exactly corresponds to the description given of Gangod- 
bheda. The name Bud^brdr is the direct derivative of Bhedadevl, ‘ the 
goddess Bheda,’ the popular designation of the Tirtha found in the 
Mahatmya; -brdr < Skr. bhcittarika is the equivalent of deni as in 
Sund^brar, Har^brar and other names. 
The water of the spring which fills the tank, is said to keep warm 
in the winter. This accounts evidently for the story told in the 
Mahatmya that snow never lies on the ground around the sacred tank. 
Also Abu-l-Fazl’s notice of the Tirtha mentions this particular feature: 
“ Near Shukroh (Sfirkru) is a low hill on the summit of which is a 
fountain which flows throughout the year and is a place of pilgrimage 
for the devout. The snow does not fall on this spur.” 2 
Also Sh'ivara helped to guide my search in the direction of 
Bud^brar and to confirm the subsequent identification. He mentions 
the route through Bhedavana , ‘ the forest of Bheda,’ as the line of retreat 
taken by the troops who after their defeat in the above-mentioned 
engagement near Drab a gam were fleeing towards Bajauri. 8 A glance 
at the map shows that the thickly wooded valley of BucRbrar is meant 
here. For a force beaten near Drab a gam it affords the most direct and 
* 
safest retreat to the Pir Pantsal Pass and hence to Rajaurl. The route 
leading through the valley joins the 4 Imperial Road ’ at Dubji and is 
shown on the map. 
1 See Rdjat. i. 35, Note A. 
* See Ain-i-Akb.y ii. p. 362. 
8 Compare S'riv. iv. 496 and the preceding narrative. 
