Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.670

c6.670

*Soṇa (Soṇā)*.—It is the greatest known lower tributary of the Ganges. Arrian’s Sona, the modern Son, which takes its rise in the Maikāla (Mekala) range in the district of Jabbalpur and flowing north-east through Baghelkhand, Mirzapur and Sahabad districts, joins the Ganges near Patna. According to the *Rāmāyaṇa* (Ādikāṇḍa, 32 sarga, vs. 8-9), this beautiful (*ramyā*) river was flowing through the five hills encircling Girivraja and also through Magadha, hence it was called Māgadhī. The *Padmapurāṇa* (Uttarakhanda, vs. 35-38) refers to this great river. The *Purāṇas* count it as one of the important rivers that rise from the Ṛkṣa range. Crossing this river Dadhici reached the site of his father’s seclusion (*Harṣacarita*, Ch. I). Kālidāsa refers to this river in his *Raghuvaṃśa* (VII. 36). Its course past Rājagṛha in Magadha was probably known as the Sumāgadhā or Sumāgadhī. It is fed by five tributaries in the district of Baghelkhand, four tributaries in the district of Mirzapur, one in the district of Palamau and one in the district of Sahabad. This river falls into the Ganges above Patna (cf. *Raghuvaṃśa*, VII. 36—*Bhāgirathīsoṇa ivottaraṅga*). For further details, vide B. C. Law, *Rivers of India*, p. 26.