The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s12.101

Language: English

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About 375 A.D. Chandra Gupta II ascended the throne of Ayodhyâ, where the seat of government had been removed by his father from Pataliputra, though the latter was still regarded as the official capital. Chandra Gupta (Vikramâditya) conquered the Śaka king Rudra Singh, son of Satya Singh and removed the seat of government to Ujjayinî about 395 A.D. (*Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society*, vol. 1, p. 211, and a Jaina work named *Buddha Vilâsa* quoted in the same volume at p. 413). Ujjayinî was at that time the capital of the Śaka kingdom comprising Surâshṭra, Malwa, Cutch, Sindh and Koṅkan. He was a patron of Buddhism and Jainism, though he himself was an orthodox Hindu, being the worshipper of Śiva according to some, of Vishṇu according to others. His coins show on the obverse a king shooting a lion with the legend "Mahârâjâdhirâja Śrî," and on the reverse a goddess seated on a lion with the legend "Sri Simha Vikrama" (Dr. Bhandarkar's *Peep into the Early History of India*, p. 390; Mr. V. A. Smith's *Early History of India*, p. 256). Dr. Hoernle, however, is of opinion that Yaśodharman, the general of the Gupta emperors, assumed the name of Vikramâditya in 533 A.D. after he defeated Mihirakula in the battle of Karura. But Mihirakula was a Hun and not a Śaka. It is said that in the reign of Vikramâditya, flourished the following celebrated persons: Kâlidâsa, the author of the *Raghuvamśa*, *Śakuntalâ*, etc., Amara Siṅha, author of the *Amara-kosha*;

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Varâhamihira, the author of the *Brihatjâtaka*, who died about 587 A.D. (*Literary Remains of Dr. Bhau Daji*, p. 108); Vararuchi (called also Kâtyâyana), the author of the *Vârttika* and the *Prâkritaprakâśa*; Ghaṭakarpara, the author of the *Yamaka Kâvya*; Dhanvantari, the author of the *Vriddha-śusruta Samhitâ*; Kshapanaka, also called Diṅnâgâchârya, a disciple of the Buddhist patriarch Vasubandhu (see Mallinâtha's commentary on *v*. 14, pt. 1 of the *Meghadûta*) and author of the *Nyâyapraveśa*; Śaṅku; and Betâlabhaṭṭa, the chronicler. They were called the "nine gems" of the court of Vikramâditya (Dr. Bhau Daji's *Sanskrit Poet Kâlidâsa* in R. Ghosh's *Literary Remains of Dr. Bhau Daji*; *Jyotirvidâbharaṇa*, ch. 22, *v*. 10). But these poets lived at different periods, and Kâlidâsa lived in the last decade of the reign of Kumâra Gûpta (about 445 A.D.) and he died a few years after the death of Skanda Gupta (*JRAS*., 1909, pp. 731-39). For the history of the Sah kings from Chastana to Rudra Sah, see the *Literary Remains of Dr. Bhau Daji*, pp. 111, 112. In the seventh century A.D. at the time of Śaṅkarâchârya, Sudhanva was king of Ujjayinî; he persecuted the Buddhists and obliged them to take refuge in the countries beyond the boundaries of India (Mâdhavâchârya's *Śaṅkaravijaya*, chaps. 1 and 5). In the midst of the city stands the celebrated temple of the Mahâdeva called Mahâkâla of the Purâṇas and Kâlapriyanâtha of the drama;

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it is one of the twelve great Liṅgas mentioned in the *Śiva Purâṇa*, (pt. 1, chaps. 38, 46). The shrine is claimed by the Jainas as being built by Avantisukumâra's son (*Sthavirâvali-charita*, XI, *v*. 177). Its sanctity is referred to by Kâlidâsa in his *Meghadûta* (I, *vs*. 37, 38). The temple of Mahâkâla stands in the centre of an extensive courtyard surrounded by walls. But the image is actually situated within a subterranean chamber which is reached by a subterranean passage, and just overhead is another chamber which contains the image of the Mahâdeva Pareśnâth. In front of the courtyard is a porch, the pillars of which are evidently of very ancient date. The temple, however, is a modern one. In the courtyard of the temple is a small reservoir called Koṭi-tîrtha (*Sthavirâvali-charita*, ch. 22). From the name of Mahâkâla, Ujjayinî was called Mahâkâlavana. Besides the temple of Mahâkâla, those of Siddhanâtha and Maṅgaleśvara are celebrated. The Chowbis-khâmbâ, which is evidently a gateway supported by 24 pillars of black stone beautifully carved, appears to be a very ancient structure. On the northern side of the town are situated the Kâliyadaha or the ancient Brahma Kuṇḍa of the *Skanda Purâṇa* and the temple of Kâla-Bhairab at Bhairogaḍ. At a short distance from the Daśâśvamedha Ghâṭ is situated the celebrated place called Aṅkapada now called Aṅkapâṭ, the hermitage of Sândîpani Muni where Kṛiṣhṇa and Balarāma were taught by the Ṛiṣhi;

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at Dāmodara Kuṇḍa they washed their Takhtās or slates. About two miles to the north of the town is Bhartṛihari’s guhā on the bank of the Siprā, which appears to have been a portion of the old town. A low doorway made of stone leads through a subterranean passage to various chambers supported on ancient pillars of black carved stone containing inscriptions (see Charaṇādri). At the temple of Haraśuddhī Devī Vikramāditya used to cut off his head every day and offer it to the goddess, which was, however, restored by the latter (Betāla-pañcha-viṁśati). The Gogashehid, an isolated hill in the south-east quarter of the city, is said to have contained the celebrated throne of Vikramāditya exhume by Rājā Bhoja of Dharaṇagara (Dvātriṁśatputtalikā). A beautiful bird’s eye-view of the city is obtained from the top of this hill (JASB., 1837, p. 813—Observations upon the past and the present condition of Ujjain or Oujein by Lt. Edward Conolly; Skanda Purāṇa, Avantya-khaṇḍa, Avantī-kṣhetra-Māhāt.). On the south-western side of the city is the observatory of Rājā Jai Singh of Jaipur now in ruins (for its description, see Asiatic Researches, vol. V). This observatory is the first meridian of the Hindu astronomers.