According to Hindu mythology, Nepal derives its name from an ancient Hindu sage called ''Ne'', referred to variously as ''Ne Muni'' or ''Nemi''. According to ''Pashupati Purāna'', as a place protected by ''Ne'', the country in the heart of the Himalayas came to be known as ''Nepāl''. According to ''Nepāl Mahātmya'', ''Nemi'' was charged with protection of the country by Pashupati. According to Buddhist mythology, Manjushri Bodhisattva drained a primordial lake of serpents to create the Nepal valley and proclaimed that ''Adi-Buddha'' ''Ne'' would take care of the community that would settle it. As the cherished of ''Ne'', the valley would be called ''Nepāl''. According to ''Gopalarājvamshāvali'', the genealogy of ancient Gopala dynasty compiled , Nepal is named after ''Nepa'' the cowherd, the founder of the Nepali scion of the Abhiras. In this account, the cow that issued milk to the spot, at which ''Nepa'' discovered the ''Jyotirlinga'' of ''Pashupatināth'' upon investigation, was also named ''Ne''.