The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c5.s4.t22.10.3

c5.s4.t22.10.3

This identification is most important, as it establishes the fact that Multân or Kaspeira, in the territory of the Kaspeirei, whose dominion extended from Kashmir to Mathura, must have been the principal city in the Panjâb towards the middle of the second century of the Christian era. But in the seventh century it had already acquired the name of *Mulasthânapura*, or Multân, which was the only name known to the Arab authors down to the time of Abu Rihân, whose acquirement of Sanskrit gave him access to the native literature, from which he drew some of the other names already quoted. The name of *Adyasthâna*, or "First Shrine," is applied in the *Bhávishya Purána* to the original temple of the Sun, which is said to have been built by Sâmba, the son of Krishna; but *adya* is perhaps only a corruption of *Aditya*, or the Sun, which is usually shortened to *adit*, and even *ait*, as in *aditwár* and *aitwár* for *Adityawára*, or Sunday. Bilâduri calls the idol a representation of the prophet Job, or *Ayub*, which is an easy misreading of ايوب for اديت, *adit*. *Prahladápura*, or *Pahládpur*, refers to the temple of the *Narsingh Avatár*, which is still called *Pahládpuri*. When Burnes was at Multân, this temple was the principal shrine in the place, but the roof was thrown down by the explosion of the powder magazine during the siege in January, 1849, and it has not since been repaired. It stands at the north-eastern angle of the citadel, close to the tomb of Bahâwal Hak.