Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.690

c6.690

Tamasā.—The Khoh Copperplate Inscription of Mahārāja Sarvanātha mentions this river, which is modern Tamas and Tons. It rises in the Mahiyar State on the south of Nagaudh and running through the northern portion of Rewa, it flows into the Ganges, about 18 miles south-east of Allahabad (C.I.I., Vol. III). The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa mentions this river (Canto LVII, 22). According to Pargiter, it flows into the Ganges on the right bank below Allahabad. The Kūrma Purāṇa (XLVII, 30) gives a variant Tāmasī. Some hold that the Tamasā or the east Tons has its origin in Fyzabad. It joins the Ganges to the west of Ballia after flowing through Azamgarh. This is considered as the historical river of the Rāmāyaṇa fame (Rāmāyaṇa, Adikāṇḍa, 2 sarga, v. 3). Rāma made his first halt on the bank of this river which was not far from the Ganges, and after crossing it undertook a journey on road and afterwards reached the river Śrimatī. Rāma praised this river and desired to have a bath in it as it was free from mud (Rāmāyaṇa, Adik., 2 sarga, vs. 4-6). According to the Raghuvamśa, Daśaratha decorated the bank of this river by erecting many sacrificial posts (IX, 20). The bank of this river was crowded with ascetics (Raghuv., IX. 72). The South Tons flows north-east from the Ṛkṣa mountain to fall into the Ganges below Allahabad. It is fed by two tributaries on the left and by two on the right.