The Geography of the Puranas c11.s2.25

c11.s2.25

Vahlika has been identified by many scholars with Bactria which is obviously wrong. Bactria belonged to the basin of the Oxus which lies north of the Hindūkush and which according to the Purāṇas, as discussed in earlier chapters, was in the Ketumāla region of the Jambūdvīpa and not in Bhāratavarṣa. It was far beyond the limits of the latter. Besides, whenever the Purāṇas intend to mention regions or people outside the territorial limits of Bhāratavarṣa, they expressly mention this fact to avoid confusion.