Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.131

c6.131

Bāhudā (Bāhukā or Bahukā).—Pargiter identifies this river with the modern Rāmagangā which joins the Ganges on the left near Kanauj (Pargiter, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, pp. 291-92). Some have identified it with the river Dhavalā, now called Dhumela or Burha-Rapti, a feeder of the Rapti in Oudh (N. L. Dey, Geographical Dictionary, p. 16). There was another river of this name in the Deccan (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣmaparva, 9, 322; Anuśāsanaparva, 165, 7653; Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhyākāṇḍa, 41, 13). The sage named Likhita had his severed arm restored by bathing in this river, which was accordingly named Bāhudā (Mahābhārata, Śāntiparva, 22; Harivaṃśa, 12). The Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa (Ch. 57) connects this river with the Himalayas along with the Gaṅgā and Yamunā. According to the Śivapurāṇa Gaurī was turned into the river Bāhudā by the curse of her husband Prasenajit. The Bāhudā is also called the Bāhukā according to the Majjhima Nikāya (I, p. 39). The Buddha bathed in this river. Many people could remove their sins by taking their bath in it. (Ibid., I, p. 39). It is also mentioned in the Jātaka (V. 388ff.) along with Gayā, Doṇa and Timbaru; the last two cannot be identified.