Goratha

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Goratha (गोरथ) was the name of hill where the capital of Magadha i.e. Rajagriha was situated.

Variants

• Goratha (गोरथ) (AS, p.303)
• Gorathagiri (गोरथगिरि) (AS, p.303)

In Mahabharata

Gorathagiri (गोरथगिरि) in Mahabharata (II.18.30)

Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 18 mentions Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna journey to Magadha for destruction of Jarasandha. Gorathagiri (गोरथगिरि) is mentioned in Mahabharata (II.18.30). ...At last those heroes of unfaded glory arrived at Magadha in the heart of (the country of) Kushamba. Reaching then the hills of Goratha (Gorathagiri), they saw the city of Magadha (Magadhapura) that was always filled with kine and wealth and water and rendered handsome with the innumerable trees standing there.

गोरथ

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ... गोरथ (AS, p.303): ' गोरथं गिरिमासाद्य ददृशुर्मागधं पुरम्'-- महाभारत सभा0 20, 30. महाभारत के इस उल्लेख से स्पष्ट है कि गोरथ, मगध की राजधानी गिरीब्रज या राजगृह की पहाड़ी का नाम था. श्री कृष्ण, अर्जुन और भीम जरासंध के वध के लिए गिरिव्रज जाते समय पहले इसी पर्वत पर पहुंचे थे. कलिंग नरेश खारवेल के अभिलेख से सूचित होता है उसने अपने राज्याभिषेक के आठवें वर्ष में गोरथगिरि पर आक्रमण करके राजगृह नरेश को बहुत व्यथित किया था (प्रथम सदी ईसा पूर्व).

Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela

Hathigumpha inscription consists of seventeen lines incised in deep cut Brahmi letters of the 1st Century BC on the overhanging brow of a natural cavern called Hathigumpha in the southern side of the Udayagiri hill near Bhubaneswar in Orissa....Gorathagiri finds mention in Line:7-8

Line.7 - अनुगह अनेकानि सतसहसानि विसजति पोरं जानपदं [।।] सतमं च वसे पसासतो वजिरघरवति ... स मतुक पद [पुनां] स [कुमार] ...[।।] अठमे च वसे महति सेनाय महत गोरधगिरिं

Line 7-8 - And in the seventh year of his reign [the Queen] of Vajiraghara, blessed with a son attained motherhood.

Then in the eighth year, having destroyed the strong (fort) of Gorathagiri, with a mighty army [ His Majesty] oppressed Rājagriha.