The Geography of the Puranas c4.1

c4.1

Foreword v Preface vii INTRODUCTION 1 I SOURCES OF PURĀṆIC GEOGRAPHY 15 II PURĀṆIC CONTINENTS AND OCEANS 28 III THE MOUNTAIN SYSTEM OF THE PURĀṆAS 47 IV THE RIVER SYSTEM OF THE PURĀṆAS 60 V REGIONS OF THE JAMBŪ DVĪPA: NORTHERN REGIONS (RAMAṆAKA, HIRAṆMAYA AND UTTARA KURU) 73 VI REGIONS OF THE JAMBŪ DVĪPA: KETUMĀLA (OR THE BASIN OF THE OXUS) 88 VII REGIONS OF JAMBŪ DVĪPA: BHADRAVARṢA 99 VIII BHĀRATAVARṢA: PHYSICAL 109 IX BHĀRATAVARṢA: REGIONAL CLASSIFICATION 126 X BHĀRATAVARṢA: JANAPADAS OR COMMUNITIES 133 XI BHĀRATAVARṢA: JANAPADAS, TOWNS AND ROUTES (GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS) 170 XII BHĀRATAVARṢA: ADJACENT ISLANDS AND PENINSULAS 179 XIII COSMOGONY, COSMOLOGY AND COSMOGRAPHY 184 Notes and References 197 Appendix 205 Select Bibliography 208 the *Gesta Romanorum*, the *Legenda Aurea*, and the *Speculum Historiale* of Vincent of Beauvais. The *Gesta Romanorum* is a collection of moral stories, often with a classical or oriental origin, which were adapted for the use of preachers. The *Legenda Aurea*, or Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine, is a collection of the lives of the saints, which was immensely popular in the Middle Ages. The *Speculum Historiale* is a vast historical compilation, which aimed to provide a complete history of the world from the creation to the author's own time. These works were not only important for their content, but also for the way in which they shaped the medieval understanding of history and morality. They provided a framework for interpreting the past and for understanding the role of the Church in the world.