Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.41

c6.41

A certain country monk came to the ferry on the Aciravatī and expressed his desire to cross this river before a ferryman with the help of his boat. The ferryman asked him to wait but he refused. At last he was put into his boat. Due to bad steering his robe was wet and it became dark before he reached the farther shore.¹⁹ This river could be seen from the terrace of the Kosalan king Pasenadi’s palace.²⁰ Five hundred lads who used to visit this river engaged themselves in wrestling on its bank.²¹ Viḍūḍabha, the son of king Pasenadi, met the Śākyas on its bank and completely routed them.¹ Sometimes this river became so full that disastrous floods occurred, in one of which Viḍūḍabha and his army were swept into the sea.² Anāthapiṇḍika, the great banker of Sāvatthī, lost eighteen crores of his wealth by the destructive floods of this river which swept away his hoarding on its bank.³ A merchant had a treasure buried in the bank of this river. When the bank was eroded away, the treasure was carried into the sea.⁴