The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c30.28

v1.c30.28

The origin of the Çuṅgas is obscure. Their name, which means 'fig-tree,' may perhaps be tribal. According to Pāṇini (IV, 1, 117) they claimed to be descendants of Bharadvāja, the *purohita* of Divodāsa, king of the Tritsus (p. 82); and, as Bharadvāja is associated with Vītahavya³ from whom the Vītihotras (p. 316) probably derived their name, the two peoples may have belonged to the same region, that is to say, to the countries which, under the Maurya empire, were included in the viceroyalty of Ujjain. It is with the kingdom of Vidiçā, which forms part of this region, that the Çuṅgas are especially associated in literature and inscriptions.