History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t3.1
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t3.1
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v5.c74.t3.1.1
Till now it has not been possible to trace an express Vedic reference to Mathurā, the chief city of the country of Śūrasena. But its existence from at least the 5th century B C. appears to rest on firm ground. It is stated in the Anguttaranikāya (I. 167, ekam samayam āyasmā Mahākaccāno Madhurāyam viharati Gundāvane) and Majjhima (II. 84 same words) that Mahākaccāyana, a famous disciple of Buddha, assiduously preached in Mathurā the principles of his Master. Megasthenes appears to have known Mathurā and its connection with Heracles¹⁵⁵⁸ (Hari-Kṛṣṇa ?). The word ‘Māthura’ (meaning a resident of Mathurā, or born in or coming from Mathurā) occurs in Jaimini's Pūrva-mīmāṁsā-sūtra.¹⁵⁵⁹ Though Pāṇini's sūtras do not expressly mention Mathurā, the latter is included in the Varaṇādi-gaṇa (Pāṇ. IV. 2. 82). Pāṇini is, however, aware of Vāsudeva and Arjuna (IV. 3. 98), the Andhaka and Vṛṣṇi clans of Yādavas to which Kṛṣṇa belonged (IV. 1. 114) and probably knew the name Govinda (III. 1. 138 and vārtika ‘gavi ca vindeh sañjñāyām’). Mathurā is several times mentioned by the Mahābhāṣya of Patañjali who¹⁵⁶⁰ in a famous passage refers to dramatic representations, paintings and stories which depict the destruction of Kaṁsa by Vāsudeva. He also cites a quarter of a verse about the killing of Kaṁsa by Vāsudeva as a well-known past event. Whether the town Śaurya mentioned in the Mahābhāṣya on Vārtika 2 on Pāṇini II.
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4.7 (Śauryam ca Ketavatā ca Śaurya-Ketavate) is the same as Mathurā is doubtful, even though the Uttarādhyayanasūtra speaks of Mathurā as Śauryapura (S. B. E. vol. 45 p. 112). The Ādiparva (221. 46) indicates that Mathurā was famed for excellent cows in those days. When Haṁsa and Dimbhaka, brave commanders of Jarāsandha, drowned themselves in the Jumnā and when Jarāsandha sorrowfully went to Magadha Kṛṣṇa says 'we shall again joyfully reside in Mathurā' (Sabhāparva 14. 41-45). Ultimately Kṛṣṇa is said to have left Mathurā owing to the constant attacks of Jarāsandha and established the Yādavas in Dvārakā¹⁵⁶¹ (Sabhāparva, 14. 49-50 and 67). The Brahmapurāṇa, on the other hand, states that the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas on the advice of Kṛṣṇa left Mathurā through the fear of Kālayavana. Vide also Vi. V. 23. 8-15. The Vāyu (88. 185) states that Śatrughna, the brother of Rāma, killed the demon Lavaṇa, son of Madhu and established Mathurā in Madhuvana while the Rāmāyaṇa (Uttara-kāṇḍa 70. 6-9) informs us that Śatrughna took twelve years to make Mathurā a fine and prosperous city. In the Ghaṭa-jātaka (Fausböll, vol. IV. pp. 79-89 No. 454) Mathurā is called Uttara Madhurā (to distinguish it from Madhurā of the Pāṇḍyas in the south) and the story of Kaṁsa and Vāsudeva is narrated, which differs in some material points from the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas. In the Raghuvamśa XV.28 it is mentioned as Madhurā and as founded by Śatrughna.
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Hiouen Thsang states that in Mathurā there existed in his day three *stūpas* built by Aśokarāja, that there were in Mathurā five Deva temples, 20 *sanghārāmas* (Buddhist convents) with 2000 Buddhist priests (Beal's B. R. W. W. vol. I p 179). James Allan (in 'Catalogue of the coins of Ancient India' 1936, p. CXVI) states that the coins of the Hindu kings of Mathurā cover the period from the beginning of the 2nd century B. C to the middle of the first century B. C. For some ancient coins from Mathurā, the Cambridge History of India, vol. I. p. 538 and plate V (No. 5-10) may be referred to. An interesting and informative work is 'Mathurā' by F S. Growse (2nd ed. 1880). Inscriptions contribute important evidence about the history and antiquity of Mathurā.¹⁵⁶² The famous inscription of Khāravela (E. I. vol. XX. at p. 79) includes among the exploits of that king of Kalinga the retreat of the Yavana king Dimita to Madhurā (i. e. Mathurā). Several Inscriptions of such Kuṣāṇa rulers as Kaniṣka, Huviṣka and others relating to Mathurā have been published of which the following may be mentioned: Inscription on a Nāga image at Mathurā of 'Mahārāja-rājātirāja Kanikkha' in *saṁvat* 8 (E I. vol. 17. p. 10)¹⁵⁶³; the Mathurā pedestal Inscription of Kaniṣka in the 14th year (E. I. vol. 19 p. 96); inscription on the pedestal of the image of a seated Bodhisattva at Mathurā in the reign of Huviṣka in *saṁvat* 33 (E I. vol. 8 pp. 181-182);
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Inscription of a king Vāsu (rest of the name lost) of the year 74 (E. I. vol. 9 p. 241) and of the time of Śoṇḍāsa (E. I. vol. 9 p. 246); seven Brāhmī inscriptions from Mathurā and its vicinity (E. I. vol. 24 pp. 194-210) There is further an interesting inscription recording the dedication of a stone slab in the temple of Nāgendra Dadhikarṇa by Nandibala and other sons of some actor (Śailālaka) brothers of Mathurā (E. I. vol. I. at p. 390). From the Viṣṇu-purāṇa VI. 8. 31 it follows that an image of Hari had been installed in Mathurā before that purāṇa was composed. The Vāyupurāṇa¹⁵⁶⁴ informs us in a prophetic vein that seven Nāga kings will rule over Mathurā, Prayāga, Sāketa and Magadha before the Guptas. Alberuni's India (vol. II. p. 147) states that Māhurā (Mathurā) is crowded with brāhmanas.