Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/34

This fertile spot whereon we stand,
Was once the high-souled Vasu’s land.
Behold as round we turn our eyes,

Five lofty mountain peaks arise." (Griff. Râm., I, p. 160.)

Clearly showing that from the banks of the Son where they rested, the Râjgir mountains were visible. From no part of the banks of the present course of the Son are the Râjgir hills visible; neither are they visible from Patna; but from the point where I have indicated the Son to have entered the bed of the present Murhar river, the mountains of Râjgir are visible and continue visible for a good distance down—certainly down to where the Murhar crosses the Patna branch road.

(Griff. Râm., Vol. I, page 170.) In the morning Râmâ asks,—

"Here fair and deep the Sona flows,
And many an isle its bosom shows.
What way, O saint, will lead us o’er,
And land us on the further shore?"

To which Viswamitra replies,—

"The way I choose,
Is that which pious hermits use."

And crossing the Son, they reach the banks of the Ganges that evening, showing clearly that the road from Viswamitra’s hermitage to Vaisâli crossed the Son. Next day crossing the Ganges, they go to Vaisâli.

The point where Râmâ crossed the Ganges to go to Vaisâli and on to Mithila is well known traditionally; it is at the junction of the Ganges and the Gandak, and is known as Râmbhadr; and as the old high road from Vaisâli southwards crossed the Ganges here, as proved by Buddhist writings (see supra on the foundation of Patna), the tradition which associates Râmbhadr with Râmâ’s journey is countenanced. Râmâ therefore crossed the Ganges at Patna. A glance at the map will show that if the Son flowed then in the course it follows now, Râmâ could not only not have seen the Râjgir hills from its banks, but could have got to Patna (then not in existence) without crossing the Son, for, as he with Viswamitra journeyed northwards to Vaisâli, they must have started from a point south or nearly south of Patna, and consequently on the eastern banks of the Son, and their route to Vaisâli would not have crossed the Son at all; and even if we adopt Mr. Ravenshaw’s line of th old Son, Râmâ