Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.3

c6.3

*Aciravatī.*—The river Aciravatī was also known as the Ajiravatī or the Airāvatī.¹ It was known to the Chinese pilgrim Yuan Chwang as A-chi-lo, flowing south-eastwards past the city of Śrāvastī.² According to I-Tsing Ajiravatī means the river of the Aji (dragon).³ This river is mentioned in the Jain texts as Erāvai.⁴ It has been identified with the modern Rapti in Oudh, on the western bank of which stood the ancient city of Śrāvastī,⁵ the third or the last capital of Kośala. If Saheṭh-Maheṭh on the south bank of the Rāpti be the modern site of Śrāvastī, it is positive that the Aciravatī of the Buddhist fame is no other than the modern Rāpti. The author of the *Daśakumāracaritam* knew this city as situated on a river which seems presumably to have been the Aciravatī or the Rāpti, though our author does not unfortunately name the river.⁶