THERAGUHA, Nandivardhana

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The possible existence of sacred grotto, temple cave or place called Theraguha at a place called Nandivardhana has been deduced in the course of literary archaeology (note 1). SITUATION 1915: LEVI (1915: 80-81) identified Nandivardhana with the village of Nagardhan / Nandardhan (note 2) about 6 km approximately south-southwest of Ramtek (note 3). This would place Theraguha at the foot of the Ambaghar Hills of the Nagpur Plateau (Madhya Pradesh). Here, at Ramtek and its vicinity the rocks are of granite and gneiss. At Dungari [note 4], at Palora [note 5] and Parsúní [note 6] are found crystallized marbles passing into gneiss, capable of receiving a fine polish. Some of them contain a small quantity of carbonate of magnesia. At Khorari, a dolomite or magnesian marble is found also in gneiss (VOYSEY 1829b: 127). SITUATION 1938: TARN, W W (1938 edited 1997: 253) proposes to look for Nandivardana somewhere on the river Jhelum (Pakistan). SITUATION 1954: LAW, B C (1954 revised 1967: 380) reers to Epigraphia Indica xv, 41; xxiv, pt. vi: 263; xxviii, pt. 1, January, 1949 -- not seen. CULTURAL HISTORY: According to LEVI (1915: 80-81) and TARN (1938 edited 1997: 253) it is Pseudo-Plutarch (De fluviis i, 5) who narrates a story according to which an old woman condemned to death was buried alive on the river Jhelum in a mound called Therogonos (Therogonos), from which serpents then issued every year. LEVI, S (1915: 80) identifies the classical Prakrit Theraguha with the classical Greek Therogonos recorded in the classical Latin compilation -De Fluviis- (i, 5) of Pseudo- Plutarch: Traité des Fleuves, attribué à Plutarque (c'est une simple collection de notes ramassées par un compilateur inintelligent, épris de merveilleux). En traitant de l'Hydaspe [Hydaspes] … l'auteur s'exprime ainsi (1, 5): -Ils enterrent aussi tout vive une vieille femme condamnée à mort, chaque année, auprès du tertre dit Therogonos; et aussitôt il accourt du haut de la cime un grand nombre de repiles et serpents qui dévorent les animaux muets volants à l'entour. Comme l'écrit Chrysermos (de Corinthe) au livre LXXX de l'Histoire des Indes; et Archelaos en fait plus expresse mention au livre III des Rivières [note 7].- Quelle que soit la valeur du fait, le nom paraît authentique; et la mention de -la vieille- garantit l'équivalence de Thera° = pacrit thera°. TARN, W W (1938 edited 1997: 253) suspects a case from India of lost ancient Greek story: The serpent story was not invented [by Pseudo-Plutarch] to explain Therogonos but the Indian name was turned into Therogonos because of the serpent story; one is reminded of the poisonous serpents of Egypt who congregated at the tomb of the prophet Jeremiah [note 8], but the story cannot be complete as we have it, whatever it means.ers to Epigraphia Indica xv, 41; xxiv, pt. vi: 263; xxviii, pt. 1, January, 1949 -- not seen. CULTURAL HISTORY: According to LEVI (1915: 80-81) and TARN (1938 edited 1997: 253) it is Pseudo-Plutarch (De fluviis i, 5) who narrates a story according to which an old woman condemned to death was buried alive on the river Jhelum in a mound called Therogonos (Therogonos), from which serpents then issued every year. LEVI, S (1915: 80) identifies the classical Prakrit Theraguha with the classical Greek Therogonos recorded in the classical Latin compilation -De Fluviis- (i, 5) of Pseudo- Plutarch: Traité des Fleuves, attribué à Plutarque (c'est une simple collection de notes ramassées par un compilateur inintelligent, épris de merveilleux). En traitant de l'Hydaspe [Hydaspes] … l'auteur s'exprime ainsi (1, 5): -Ils enterrent aussi tout vive une vieille femme condamnée à mort, chaque année, auprès du tertre dit Therogonos; et aussitôt il accourt du haut de la cime un grand nombre de repiles et serpents qui dévorent les animaux muets volants à l'entour. Comme l'écrit Chrysermos (de Corinthe) au livre LXXX de l'Histoire des Indes; et Archelaos en fait plus expresse mention au livre III des Rivières [note 7].- Quelle que soit la valeur du fait, le nom paraît authentique; et la mention de -la vieille- garantit l'équivalence de Thera° = pacrit thera°. TARN, W W (1938 edited 1997: 253) suspects a case from India of lost ancient Greek story: The serpent story was not invented [by Pseudo-Plutarch] to explain Therogonos but the Indian name was turned into Therogonos because of the serpent story; one is reminded of the poisonous serpents of Egypt who congregated at the tomb of the prophet Jeremiah [note 8], but the story cannot be complete as we have it, whatever it means.