Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.398

v2.c13.398

M. Lévi further points out that India received from this country the fruit which the Europeans call carambola and which is named in Sanskrit, after the land of its origin, Karmaraṅga (Bengali-Kāmrāṅgā). Now the Malaya name of this fruit is balimbing or belimbing, which has made its way in all parts of South India along with the Sanskrit name. This has supplied to M. Lévi the key to the solution of a geographical problem. Among the countries conquered by Rājendra Cola occurs the name Mevilimbaṅgam which has not been hitherto identified. Referring to the Malay name of the fruit, M. Lévi remarks as follows on the identity of Mevilimbaṅgam : “Mevilimbaṅgam should, therefore, be analysed, in the inscription of Tanjore, like Mā-Damāliṅgam, Mā-Ṇakkavāram, as Me-Vilimbaṅgam ; it is clear that Vilimbaṅgam is the Indian transcription of Malaya *belimbing* which is the equivalent of Karmaraṅga. The Indian name of the fruit, derived from the name of the country, has become in its turn the indication of the country itself.” Thus Sylvain Lévi thinks that Mevilimbaṅgam is but another name of Kāma-laṅkā=Lang-kia-su.