EARLY ARAB GEOGRAPHERS.
near the city of Bárí. The Hindús believe that the Gangá has its source in paradise, and, descending to the earth, is divided into seven streams, the centre one being denominated the Gangá. The three eastern streams are the Balan, the Ládafi, and Nalin.[1] The three western streams are the Sít, the Jakash, and Sind.[2] When the Sít leaves the snowy mountains it flows through the countries[3] of Silk, Karsíb, Hír, Barbar, Híra, Sakarkalt, Mankalakúr, and Sakrít and falls into the western ocean. On the south of it is the river
- ↑ [A.
. C. 
. D. 
.]
- ↑ These are evidently the Sítá and Chakshu of Bháskara A′chárya. Mr. Colebrooke gives us the following passage from that astronomer:— “The holy stream which escapes from the foot of Vishnu descends on mount Mem, whence it divides into four currents, and passing through the air it reaches the lakes on the summit of the mountains which sustain them. Under the name of Sítá this river joins the Bhadraswa; as the Alakánandá it enters Bharatavarsha; as the Chakshu it proceeds to Retumala, and as the Bhadra it goes to the Kuru of the north.” Siddhánta Siromani; Bhavana Kosha, 37 and 38. See also Vishnu Purána, p. 171. Professor Wilson observes, “The Hindús say that the Ganges falls from heaven on the summit of Meru, and thence descends in four currents; the southern branch is the Ganges of India; the northern branch, which flows into Turkey, is the Bhadrasomá; the eastern branch is the Sítá; and the western is the Chakshu or Oxus.” Sanskrit Dict. Art. Meru. But the Rámáyana mentions seven streams, and from that work Bírúní evidently copied his statement. The true Sanskrit names were almost identical with those given in the text. The eastern streams are Hládaní, Pavaní and Naliní; the western are Sítá, Suchakshu, and Sindhu. In the centre flows the Bhágírathí. The Matsya and Padma Puranas give the same account. See Rámáyana, Lib. I. XLIV. 14, 16. Ed. Schlegel. [The three western rivers ought to be the Sír, Síhún, or Jaxartes; the Jíhún or Oxus; and the Indus. Jakash is probably a corrupt form of Chakshu, and bears a suspicious resemblance to the classic Jaxartes. Of all the countries mentioned in connection with the Sít and Jakash, Marv appears to be the only one that can be identified with any degree of probability.]
- ↑ [The names of these countries are so discrepant, that Sir H. Elliot omitted those of the Sind and Ganges as being “illegible,” but he printed the text as it is found in the Calcutta and Lucknow copies. These, with the three copies in England, ought to afford sufficient means for settling the names with tolerable accuracy. To facilitate comparison, the various readings are set out below in
it the Jamnuárí and the Kathení unite with the Gomatí. The map of Oude which is given in the “Agra Guide,” calls these rivers the Saraen and Perhí, names which conform pretty well with the رھٮ and سرو of M. Reinaud's manuscript. [General Cunningham says, “The second of these rivers is undoubtedly the Gumti, which in Sanskrit is the Gomati. The first is either the Behta, or else the Rahrai which joins the Behta; and the third is the Sarain, a good sized stream, which passes by Sitapur. Both the Behta and the Sarain join the Gumti near Bári, which still exists as a good sized village.” Arch. Rep. for 1862-3 in Jour. As. Soc. Ben. page xvii.]
