History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t5.2

v5.c74.t5.2

An express reference to the Narmadā has not so far been traced in the Vedic Literature. The Śatapatha Br. (XII 9 3. 1) refers to one Revottaras who was a Pātava Cākra and sthapati (a chief) and whom the Sṛñjayas expelled (SBE vol. 44 p. 269)¹⁵⁹³. Revā is another name for Narmadā¹⁵⁹⁴ and it is possible to say that Revottaras was named after Revā A vārtika on Pāṇ. IV. 2. 87 derives the word Mabiṣmat (as the name of a country) from 'Mahiṣa'. This is generally identified with Māhiṣmatī (on the Narmadā). So the name Narmadā was probably known to the author of the Vārtikas (about the middle of the 4th century B. C) The Raghuvaṁśa VI. 43 speaks of Māhiṣmatī as the capital of Anūpa on the bank of the Revā (i e. Narmadā).