Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.33

c8.33

Campāpurī or Campānagara or Campāmālinī is described as a place of pilgrimage in the Mahābhārata.¹⁴ Yuan Chwang calls this city as Chanp'o. It is a sacred place of the Jains. The city of Campā is situated at a short distance from modern Bhagalpur. The river named Campā formed the boundary between Aṅga and Magadha.¹⁵ It was surrounded by groves of Campaka trees even at the time of the Mahābhārata.¹⁶ Buddhaghosa, a Buddhist commentator, refers to a garden near the tank called Gaggarā which was full of five kinds of Campaka flowers.¹⁷ According to the Jaina Campakaśreṣṭhikathā Campā was in a very flourishing condition. There were perfumers, spice-sellers, sugar-candy-sellers, jewellers, leather-tanners garland-makers, carpenters, goldsmiths, weavers, etc.¹⁸ It was a seat of Magadhan viceroyalty from the time of Bhaṭṭiya, father of Bimbisāra. Near Campā there was a tank dug by queen Gaggarā of Campā known as Gaggarāpokkharaṇī which was famous as a halting place of the wandering ascetics and recluses, resounding with the din of philosophical discussions (Samayapavādakā). In the Daśakumāracarita we find that Campā¹⁹ has been described as abounding in rogues. Campā was besieged by Candravarman whose king Sinhavarman was indomitable as a lion (Daśakumāracaritam, p. 52). There lived a great sage named Marīci in the Aṅga country on the bank of the river Ganges outside the capital of Campā (Ibid., p. 59). In this city there was a prosperous merchant named Nidhipālita who had a quarrel with Vasupālita on the subject of good looks and of cash (Ibid., p. 67).