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PART A
Nagara (twice)─a number of places, in which the donors originated, is mentioned
only once, for instance Asitamasā, Kamuchu(?), Kākaṁdī, Kosambī, Khujatiduka, Therākūṭa,
Dabhina, Naṁdinagara, Nāsika, Paḍela, Parakaṭa, Parikina, Bahaḍa, Benākaṭa, Bhogavaḍhana,
Venuvagāma, Sirisapada and Selapura.
A. Formation
If we compare these names with such place-names as are found in Sāñchī inscriptions,
certain formative elements of that time are conspicuous. We find :
(a) Names ending in -kaṭa : Karaha-kaṭa A 6, A 7, A 8, Para-kaṭa A 48, Bibikānadi-
kaṭa A 21, A 22, Benā-kaṭa A 49a, Bhoja-kaṭa A 23, A 24.
The ending -kaṭa probably goes back to Sanskrit kaṭaka[1] (modern kaḍā) in
the sense of ‘ circle, valley or camp’. It occurs also very often in Prakrit inscrip-
tions as -kaṭa or -kaḍa, for instance in Sāñchī in Beda-kaḍa, Bhadana-kaṭa (Bhadanakaḍa), Maḍalāchhi-kaṭa (Maḍalāchhi-kaḍa), Morajābhi-kaṭa (Morajaha(hi)-kaṭa
(Morejāhi-kaḍa), Sida-kaḍa (Seda-kaḍa), Viraha-kaṭa (Veroha-kaṭa).
(b) Names ending in ─gāma (Skt. ─grāma ‘village’) : Venuva-gāma A 52.
In Sāñchī we get a few more names with this ending, which is frequently
used in the formation of place-names : Kaṁdaḍi-gāma, Nava-gāma, Sāmika-gāma.
(c) Names ending in -kūṭa ‘peak’ or ¬–giri ‘ mountain ’ : Therā-kūṭa A 41, Mora-giri A 25, A 29.
In Sāñchī the names ending in some word for mountain are : Chuḍa-giri,
Chuḍa-mora-giri, Māhā-mora-giri, Boṭa-Śriparvvata.
(d) Names ending in –nagara ‘town’ : Naṁdi-nagara A 45.
In Sāñchī Nadi-nagara or Naṁdi-nagara and its derivatives occur very often.
We also get Aṭhaka-nagara.
(e) Names ending in –pada (Skt. –padre ‘a village’, cf. above the ending –gāma) :
Sirisa-pada A 53.
In Sāñchī this ending is found in Kuthu-pada (Kuthuka-pada), Tākāra-pada
(Tākāri-pada) Tiriḍa-pada ; Phujaka-pada, Rohaṇi-pada.
(f) Names ending in –pura ‘town’ : Sela-pura A 54.
In Sāñchī we find Adha-pura or its derivative.
(g) Names ending in ─vadhana (Sk. ─vardhana ‘growth’, ‘increase’) : Bhoga-vaḍhana A 51.
In Sāñchī we often have Bhoga-vaḍhana (or ─vadhana), besides Dhama-vaḍhana and Puña-vadhana.
(h) Other ending which are found in Sāñchī inscriptions, but which are not met with
in Bhārhut inscriptions are :
─ghara (Udubara-ghara, Kura-ghara, Kora-ghara, Kosa-ghara),
─patha (Kachu-patha, Subhaga-patha, Seta-patha, Sveta-patha),
─vaṭa or ─vada or ─vida (Skt. vṛta ‘enclosed, enclosure’?) in
Acha-vaṭa or ─vaḍa,
Puru-viḍa, Poḍa-viḍa,
─vana (Tuba-vana, Madhu-vana).
B. Identification
Some of the place-names in Bhārhut inscriptions are to be identified with certainty,
others only conjecturally ; the location of quite a number of towns or villages remains
unknown.
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Cf. the name of the town Dhaṁña-kaṭaka (List No. 1271) by the side of Dhaṁña-kaṭa (List No. 1225),
and Dhaṁña-kaḍa (List No. 1205), and Dhenukā-kaṭaka (List No. 1092) by the side of Denukā-kaṭa (List
Nos. 1090, 1093, 1096, 1097), and Dhenukā-kaḍa (List No. 1121).
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