Essay name: Manasollasa (study of Arts and Sciences)
Author:
Mahadev Narayanrao Joshi
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
This essay in English studies the Manasollasa authored by Someshvara III, representing an ancient encyclopedic work encompassing over 8,000 Sanskrit verses. The text addresses diverse topics like polity, political sciences, architecture, jurisprudence, iconography, idol-making, and various arts and sciences such as mathematics.
Chapter 6 - Manasollasa: the first Encyclopaedia
30 (of 56)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
398
In the Gupta and the Post-Gupta periods, the rivers Saras-
vatī and Drṣadvati formed respectively the northern and
the southern boundaries of the Brahmavarta.
66 The rivers originating from the middle part of the
Himalayan range and flowing into the Bay of Bengal are
(1) Ganga, also called Bhagirathi and Jahnavi the most
sacred of the Indian rivers, rising from the hills near
Gangotri to the north of Kedaranath, (2) Yamuna taking
its rise from the Kalinda-giri a part of the Bandarpuchha
Hills, and uniting with Ganga at Prayaga, and Sarayū, Gomatī,
Kouśiki which join the river Ganga. Someśvara mentions
Prayaga-tīrtha. 68
67 It is the famous place of the conflu-
ence of Ganga and Yamuna and well-known as a place of
pilgrimage.
He refers also to the Maṇikarṇikā ghāṭa of
Gangā at Vāraṇṇāsi, where siva temple named Avimuktesvara
exists.
69 66. मनुस्मृत� [Գܲṛt ] 2.17.
सरस्वतीदृषद्वत्योर्देवनद्योर्यदन्तरम् �
तं देवनिर्मित� देशं ब्रह्मावर्� प्रचक्षत� �
[sarasvatīdṛṣadvatyordevanadyoryadantaram |
ta� devanirmita� deśa� brahmāvarta pracakṣate ||
] 67. जाहनवी सरितां श्रेष्ठा यमुन� नर्मदा शुभा �
तापी तरङ्गिणी पुण्� गौतमी पापनाशनी � [jāhanavī saritā� śreṣṭhā yamunā narmadā śubhā |
tāpī taraṅgiṇ� puṇya gautamī pāpanāśanī || ] I. 18. 128.
नद्य� रावणगङ्गायाः कूले पद्माकरे स्मृता � [nadyā rāvaṇagaṅgāyā� kūle padmākare smṛtā || ] 2.4.492.
68. प्रयागस्तीर्थराजश्� चिन्तितार्थप्रदायक� �
अर्ध्य तीर्थमदर्ध्य � सुरसार्थनिषेवितम� � [prayāgastīrtharājaśca cintitārthapradāyaka� |
ardhya tīrthamadardhya ca surasārthaniṣevitam || ] 118.131.
69. Dharmendra Kumar Gupta. Op.cit. p.74.
