Geography of Early Buddhism c7.s1.2

c7.s1.2

The Papañcasūdanī (Vol. I, pp. 225-226) gives us a story of the origin of the Kurus. It is stated that King Mandhātā, a Cakkavatti king of Jambudīpa, conquered Pubbavideha, Aparagoyāna, and Uttarakuru besides the devalokas. While returning from Uttarakuru a large number of the inhabitants of that country followed Mandhātā to Jambudīpa, and the place in Jambudīpa where they settled became known as Kururaṭṭham including provinces, villages, towns, etc. This explains the word ‘Kurusu’ occurring in Pāli Buddhist literature. The Buddha is said to have delivered a number of religious discourses in the Kuru country and a large number of people times between the Kurus and the Pañcālas for the possession of Uttara Pañcāla. Sometimes Uttara Pañcāla was included in Kururaṭṭha (Somanassa Jātaka, No. 505; Mbh. I, 138) and had its capital at Hastināpura (Dvd., p. 435), at other times it formed a part of Kampillaraṭṭha (Brahmadatta Jātaka, No. 323; Jayaddisa Jātaka, No. 513; and Gaṇḍatiṇḍu Jātaka, No. 520). Sometimes Kings of Kampillaraṭṭha held court at Uttara Pañcālanagara; at other times Kings of Uttara Pañcālaraṭṭha held court at Kampilla (Kumbhakāra Jātaka, No. 408)'.¹ This is the reason why King Dummukha of Uttara Pañcāla had his capital not at Ahicchatra but at Kampilianagara.