Banaras is Bana-Ras : Ustad Bismilah Khan.

The Baruna and the Asi , two rivers, flow into the Ganga,

Between them lies Banaras, a city known far and wide,

It lies in the land of Kasiwar, and so is also called Kashi,

The birthplace of Suparshvanath and Parshvanath,

This is where the two revealed the shiva path,

Since then the city has been known as Shivpuri in the world

of men.

In this manner did the city of Banaras acquire its many

names.

Those who say otherwise speak falsely and in ignorance.

From the Ardhakathanak ( A Half Story) by Banarasi Das

-translated by Ms Rohini Chowdhury from Braj Bhasa.