Prastha
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R), Jaipur |
Prastha (प्रस्थ) is a suffix added after a place name to denote a place outside the grama, a waste land not used by men either for ploughing or sowing. Prastha literally means - a table land on the top of a mountain; any clear piece of level ground; an ancient; measure of quality.
Mention by Panini
Prastha (प्रस्थ) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi. [1]
V. S. Agrawala[2] writes that Panini mentions village names in category ending Prastha.
20. Prastha (प्रस्थ) (IV.2.122, IV.2.110) - Panini mentions Karkīprastha and Mālāprastha in sutra VI.2.87-88, and in the Ganapatha adds: Maghī-prastha, Makarī-prastha, Karkandhū-prastha, Shami-prastha, Karīra-prastha, Kaṭika-prastha, Kavala-prastha, Badarī-prastha, Shālā-prastha, Shoṇā-prastha (Sonepat), Drākshā-prastha, Kshaumā-prashtha, Kanchi-prastha, Eka-prastha, Kāma-prastha.
To these Kasika adds: Indra-prastha (well known epic town), Kuṇḍda-prastha, Hrada-prastha, Suvarna-prastha, Dakshi-prastha, Māhaki-prastha.
In Pali text Prastha denotes a place outside the grama, a waste land not used by men either for ploughing or sowing. It may be noted that places ending with the Prastha (Hindi=pat) are confined mostly to Kuru Country, such as Panipat, Sonipat, Baghpat, Tilpat etc. and to the region of Himalayas watered by Ganges.
Mention by Historians
Tej Ram Sharma[3] mentions ....Some scholars identify the Madras with Vahlika (or Vahika). [4] Sakala as a Vahikagrama is also mentioned by Patanjali. [5] From the references in the Mahabharata, Vahika would appear to have stood for the whole of Punjab. [6] The Vahika-gramas of Sakala and Patanaprastha, as referred to in the grammatical works, [7] imply the inclusion of Madrajanapada in the Vahika country.
In Mahabharata
- Khandava-prastha (खांडवप्रस्थ) (mbt:II.29.2)
- Patanaprastha (Pāṭana-prastha) (पाटनप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha:4.1.14) (Dr Naval Viyogi: Nagas – The Ancient Rulers of India/General Index of Nagas, The Ancient Rulers of India,p.171)
List pf places ending with Prastha
- Aushadhi Prastha (औषधिप्रस्थ) (AS, p.722)
- Badariprastha (Badarī-prastha) (बदरीप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Dakshiprastha (Dakshi-prastha) (दाक्षिप्रस्थ) (Kasika),
- Drakshaprastha (Drākshā-prastha) (द्राक्षाप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Ekaprastha (Eka-prastha) (एकप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Hradaprastha (Hrada-prastha) (ह्रदप्रस्थ) (Kasika),
- Indraprastha (Indra-prastha) (इंद्रप्रस्थ) (Kasika),
- Jambu-prastha (जम्बूप्रस्थ)
- Kamaprastha (Kāma-prastha) (कामप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha)
- Kanchiprastha (Kanchī-prastha) (कांचीप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Kariraprastha (Karīra-prastha) (करीरप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Karkandhuprastha (Karkandhū-prastha) (कर्कन्धूप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Karkiprastha (Karkīprastha) (कर्कीप्रस्थ) (VI.2.87-88)
- Katukaprastha (Kaṭuka-prastha) (कटुकप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Khandava-prastha (खांडवप्रस्थ) (mbt:II.29.2)
- Kshaumaprastha (Kshaumā-prashtha) (क्षोमाप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Kunddaprastha (Kuṇḍda-prastha) (कुंड्डप्रस्थ) (Kasika),
- Kuvalaprastha (Kuvala-prastha) (कुवलप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Maghiprastha (Maghī-prastha) (मघीप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Mahakiprastha (Māhaki-prastha) (माहकिप्रस्थ) (Kasika).
- Makariprastha (Makarī-prastha) (मकरीप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Malaprastha (Mālāprastha) (मालाप्रस्थ) (VI.2.87-88)
- Mangalaprastha मंगलप्रस्थ (AS, p.683)
- Oshadhiprastha (ओषधिप्रस्थ) (कुमारसंभव)
- Patanaprastha (Pāṭana-prastha) (पाटनप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha:4.1.14) = Pathankot or Paithan
- Shakraprastha (शक्रप्रस्थ)
- Shalaprastha (Shālā-prastha) (शालाप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha),
- Shamiprastha (Shamī-prastha) (शमीप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha) = Shamipati
- Shatakratuprastha (शतक्रतुप्रस्थ) (==Delhi)
- Shonaprastha (Shoṇā-prastha) (शोणाप्रस्थ) (Ganapatha) = Sonepat
- Suvarnaprastha (Suvarna-prastha) (सुवर्णप्रस्थ) (Kasika) = Sonepat
- Vishaprastha (विषप्रस्थ)
- Vrishaprastha (वृषप्रस्थ)
References
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.67, 253
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.67
- ↑ Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions/Tribes,p.146
- ↑ N. L. Dey, Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval India. p. 49
- ↑ II. 294.
- ↑ S. B. Chaudhuri, Ethnic Settlements in Ancient India, p. 117.
- ↑ Patanjali, II, 298 ; Indian Culture, Calcutta. VI.128-36. Patanaprastha is the same as Paithan or Pathankot situated at the entrance of the Kangra valley. Vide, Ibid, f. n. 1, p. 117, f. n. 7.