The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c6.s1.2

v1.c6.s1.2

The expression Deccan is a corruption of the Sanskrit word *Dakṣiṇa* which means ‘right hand’ or ‘the south’. The name is familiar to Indian literature and inscriptions, and is also found in the *Periplus of the Erythraean Sea*, written by a Greek mariner of the first century A.D. Fa Hien in the fifth century refers to it as ‘Ta-Thsin’. Other variants of the name are Dākṣiṇātya and Dakṣiṇāśā. But the most popular designation of the region in classical Sanskrit literature and inscriptions is Dakṣiṇāpatha.