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/39

Rh observed to warrant any opinions being definitely formed on the subject. I merely notice it as a remarkable fact, which may at a future period prove valuable. In connection with this point, I notice, as suggested by General Cunningham, that the name of the river which now flows immediately west of Arrah is Banás; the Sanscrit Parnâça and Parna Vâha could very well have been converted by the Greeks to Erranoboas.

I notice also, as suggested by General Cunningham, the close connection between the name of the river and of Banâsur, who figures so largely in the legends of Arrah, which General Cunningham has lately proved by ingenious and convincing arguments to be the famous Eka Chakra of the Mahábhárata, and the “Alow” of Buddhist writings. The name Erranoboas, however, as applied to the river whose confluence with the Ganges was at Pâṭaliputra, could not have been applied to any except the Gandak, as will be shown further on.

That a great volume of the waters of Son once flowed down the Banâs appears from the Mahábhárata (Sabha Parva, chap. 9) describing the assembly of Varuna. There we find, among the rivers mentioned, the “Mahanada Sona,” and the “Mahanadi Parnáça.” The drainage basin of the Banâs being too small, even by any possibility, to procure for the river draining it alone the title of “Mahanadi” or great river, it is clear that it must have derived the great volume of water which, flowing down it, could alone have procured for it the title of great, from the Sona, which to this day communicates with it. A great part of the Son then must, at the time of the Mahábhárata, have flowed down the present Banâs river, though the Son no longer sends any great volume of water down it.

It has been shown that at one period the Son flowed east of its present course down the bed of the Punpun river, joining the Ganges at Fatuha. It has further been shown that this was its course when the Râmâyana was written. It now remains to trace the changes in its course at other different times.

In the Buddhist writings it is stated that the vessel with which the relics of Buddha were measured out, after his cremation, was retained by the Brahman, who erected a stûpa over it on the banks of a river. The Brahman is in the Barmese account named Dauna, but from other sources it appears that the vessel used in the division of the relics