Essay name: Purana Bulletin
Author:
Affiliation: University of Kerala / Faculty of Oriental Studies
The "Purana Bulletin" is an academic journal published in India. The journal focuses on the study of Puranas, which are a genre of ancient Indian literature encompassing mythological stories, traditions, and philosophical teachings. They represent Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit and cover a wide range of subjects.
Purana, Volume 8, Part 1 (1966)
31 (of 340)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Jan. 1966] MEGASTHENES AND THE INDIAN CHRONOLOGY 23 fled in the shape of a cow and, on being pursued, pleaded not to be
destroyed and she surrendered herself to his demands. Prithu
is also the earliest among the kings to be called chakravartin鈥�
that is, in F. E. Pargiter's words," "sovereigns who conquered
surrounding kingdoms and brought them under their authority,
and established a paramount position over more or less extensive
regions around their own kingdom." As the earth-vanquisher
and the chakravartin prototype he is exactly like Dionysus who,
"at the head of an army, marched to every part of the world".
He also resembles Dionysus uniquely and exclusively by
many of his peace-time achievements. The Atharvaveda (VIII.
10. 24) gives him, as V. M. Apte' writes, "the credit of introducing
the art of ploughing". Pusalker" sums up many of his constructive
activities: "He levelled the whole earth, clearing it of ups and
downs, and encouraged cultivation, cattle-breeding, commerce
and building of cities and villages."
Here we may recall Diodorus's phrase on Dionysus: "cities
are called by his name in the vernacular dialects." Apropos of
Hiuentsang's travels (c. 640 A. D.) in India, A. Cunningham'
writes of the town which the Chinese scholar mentioned as Pehoa:
"The place derives its name from the famous Prithu-Chakra-vartti,
who is said to have been the first person that obtained the title
R膩ja." Then Cunningham refers to the legendary events after
the death of Prithu's father Vena: "On his death Prithu
performed the 艢r膩ddha, or funeral ceremonies, and for twelve days
after the cremation he sat on the bank of the Sarasvati offering
water to all comers. The place was therefore called Prith奴daka
or Prithu's pool, from daka or udaka water; and the city which
he afterwards built on the spot was called by the same name.
The shrine of Prith奴daka has a place in the Kurukshetra Mah膩tmya,
and is still visited." S. Majumdar adds by way of annotation
1. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition (London, 1922), p. 399.
2. The Vedic Age, p. 460.
3. Ibid., p. 271.
4. The Ancient Geography of India, edited with an Introduction and Notes
by S. Majumdar (Calcutta, 1924), p. 385.
5. Ibid., p. 702.
