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/36

12 been Siddhâsrạma, which Griffith has translated in his Râmâyana as the “perfect hermitage.” It is remarkable that close to Deokund, on the banks of the Punpun river, is a village named Siddhrâmpur. So strong a similarity of names, combined with such close identity in position, justifies the inference that this is the position of Viswamitra’s hermitage. At all events, the place is clearly somewhere between it and Deokund, where the mela is held.

Reverting now to the journey of Râmâ from Ayodhya to the confluence of the Sarayu and the Ganges, we find that, assuming it to have had its junction in those days where it has now, Râmâ travelled about 75 miles daily; but, as stated before, this distance must be diminished if, as is probable, the junction was higher up. The distance from Viswamitra’s hermitage at Siddhrâmpur to the Ganges is actually about 70 miles, of which only a small portion was travelled on the first day, when Tádaká was killed in the great forest. It is remarkable that just about 50 miles from Deokund and 20 from the Ganges, near Bihia station, an extensive forest still exists, which may accordingly, with great plausibility, be identified with the Tádaká forest.

The only link wanting to complete the chain of evidence regarding the identifications proposed, is the want of all mention of the crossing of the Son before reaching Viswamitra’s hermitage. This may be merely due to there being nothing remarkable about it worth noting or needing mention.

Let us see now what light the Mahábhárata throws on the old course of the Son (Sabha Parva, chap. 20, ver. 24 et seq.)—

The above extract first states that the Pándava brothers with Krishna crossed the Gandak and the Çarkarávartta and a mountain stream. The next passage states in greater detail what they did. Crossing the Sarayu, they saw Eastern Koçala, then they saw Mithila and Malla. No doubt this is