India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c7.s2: Section 2. Country

India as Known to Pāṇini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashṭādhyāyī c7.s2

Language: English

Section 2. Country

c7.s2.1

*GEOGRAPHICAL HORIZON*—Pāṇini knew of a wider geographical horizon. The extent of the country known to him is indicated by several landmarks mentioned in the *sūtras*. The western-most point is Prakaṇva corresponding to the term *Pari-kanioi* mentioned by Herodotus and to the modern country of Ferghana. It may be noted that Pāṇini names Ṛishi Praskaṇva in *sūtra* VI.1.153 and from this name is derived as a counter-example, as given by the *Kāśikā*, the name of the country called Prakaṇva. To the south of Ferghana lay Kamboja (IV.1.175), which as will be shown later may be identified with the region of Badakshan-Pamir. South of it lay Kāpiśī (IV.2.99), capital of the kingdom of Kāpiśa, which may be identified with modern Kafiristan, south-east of the Hindukush. South of Kāpiśī was situated Gandhāra (IV.1.169) comprising the valley of the Kabul river, with its frontier outpost at Takshaśilā (IV.3.93).

c7.s2.2

There are also mentioned from west to east *janapadas*, of (1) Madra (IV.2.131), (2) Uśīnara (IV.2.118), (3) Kuru (IV.1.172), (4) Bharata, called also Prāchya-Bharata as the dividing line between north (Udīchya) and east (Prāchya) (IV.2.113).

c7.s2.3

Eastern India is known by its divisions called (1) Kosala (IV.1.171) (2) Kāśi (V.2.116) (3) Magadha (IV.1.170) (4) Kaliṅga (IV.1.170) and Sūramasa (IV.1.170).

c7.s2.4

On the west side the country of Kachchha is mentioned (IV.2.133), and also the islands of the adjoining sea (*anu-samudra dvīpa*, IV.3.10).

c7.s2.5

Further up, modern Sind is mentioned under the name of Sauvīra. Pāṇini had a direct knowledge of the country as he shows acquaintance with its social life (formation of its *gotra*-names) as will be explained later.

c7.s2.6

The southern limit of his horizon is indicated by the mention of Aśmaka (IV.1.173) of which the capital as known from other sources was Pratishṭhāna, modern Paiṭhaṇ on the Godāvarī.

c7.s2.7

*DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTRY*—Udīchya and Prāchya are the two broad divisions of the country mentioned by Pāṇini, and these terms occur in connection with the linguistic forms known to the eastern and northern grammarians. The Udīchya country included Gandhāra and Vāhīka, the latter comprising Madra and Uśīnara, and possibly Trigarta also. The Kuru region in the south-east of the Punjab was contiguous with the Bharata *janapada*. The Bharata region separated the east from the west, as shown by Pāṇini’s reference to Prāchya-Bharata, on which Patañjali remarks that the proper Prāchya country lies outside the sphere of the Bharatas (II.4.66; I.493, *anyatra prāg-grahaṇe Bharata-grahaṇaṁ no bhavati*). The river Śarāvatī mentioned in Pāṇini (VI.3.120) formed according to commentators the boundary between the two divisions of Udīchya and Prāchya. It may probably be identified with the Dṛishadvatī or Chitāṅg flowing through Ambala district.

c7.s2.8

Both Udīchya and Prāchya were taken as the home (*Lōka*) of standard Sanskrit both in Pāṇini’s time and earlier. In the time of Patañjali, however, this became contracted to Āryāvarta as the home of the *śishṭas* (persons proficint in the *śāstras*) whose language set its norm.

Linked texts (1)

Aṣṭādhyāyī — Pāṇini, Sanskrit