History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.168

v5.c74.t2.168

There are numerous other sub-tīrthas in Banaras, some of which may be briefly noticed here. The Jñānavāpī may be mentioned first. The story of its origin is narrated in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, chap. 33. The Tri. S (pp. 148-150) refers to it. It is said that when Śiva (Īśāna) saw the Viśveśvara-liṅga a desire arose in him to bathe with its cool water. He dug a *kuṇḍa* with his trident to the south of the temple of Viśveśvara and with the water therefrom he bathed Viśveśvara-liṅga and Viśveśvara granted the boon that the tīrtha would be superior to all tīrthas and that, as Śiva is knowledge (verse 32), the tīrtha would be called Jñānoda or Jñānavāpī. One of the most popular and the most frequented temple is that of Durgā. In chap. 72 (verses 37-65) of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa there is a Durgāstotra called Vajra-pañjara which is referred to in Tri. S. p. 161. There is a temple of Bhairavanātha about a mile to the north of the temple of Viśveśvara. He is the *Kotwal* or police Magistrate of Kāśī and wields a stone cudgel (of enormous thickness). His *vāhana* is a dog. Vide Kāśīkhaṇḍa, chap. 30, for Bhairava. There are many temples of Gaṇeśa The Tri. S. (pp. 198-199) names 56 Gaṇeśas and indicates their locations, following Kāśīkhaṇḍa, chap 57 59-115 (ṣat-pañcāśad-Gaja-mukhān-etān-yaḥ saṁsmariṣyati). In Kāśīkhaṇḍa (57. 33) the name Dhuṇḍhi applied to Gaṇeśa is derived from the root 'dhuḍhi' in the sense of 'searching' (anveṣaṇe dhuḍhir-ayam prathitoṣti dhātuḥ). Compare the Marathi verb *dhuṇḍaṇe*.