Historical Geography of Ancient India c9.242

c9.242

Sūrpāraka (Pali Suppāraka).—It is modern Sopara or Supara in the Thana district, Bombay State, 37 miles north of Bombay and about four miles north-west of Bassim. It was the capital of Sunāparanta or Aparānta. (*Majjhima*, III, 268; *Saṃyutta*, IV, 61ff.). According to the Pali texts the people of Sunāparanta were reported as being fierce and violent. The distance of Suppāra from Sāvatthī was one hundred and twenty leagues (*Dhammapada Commy.*, II, p. 213). It is also called Sopāraga, Sopāraka, Sorpāraga, (Luders' List, Nos. 995, 998, 1095 and 1131), Saurpāraka, and Suppārika. Six Śilāhara Inscriptions in the Prince of Wales Museum refer to Sūrpāraka which is the modern Nala Sopara in the Bassim taluk of the Bombay State (*E.I.*, XXIII, Pt. VII). Sūrpāraka is mentioned in one of the inscriptions of Śaka Uṣavadāta. It was a great sea-coast emporium (*Dhammapada Commy.*, II, 210), rightly identified with Sopara of early Greek geographers. According to the *Harivaṃśa* (XCVI, 50), a sage named Rāma Jāmadagnya is credited with having built the city of Sūrpāraka. The *Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa* (57) mentions this city. All the *Purāṇas* agree in placing it in the west, but the *Mahābhārata* locates it in the south (Sabhāparva, XXX, 1169; Vanaparva, LXXXVIII, 8337). A ship containing 700 passengers lost her way and came to the port of Suppāra. The people of Suppāra invited them to disembark and greatly fed and honoured them (*Dīpavaṃsa*, IX, vv. 15-16). According to the *Mahāvaṃsa* (VI. 46) the port of Suppāraka situated on the west coast of India, was visited by Vijaya. Sūrpāraka seems to have been an important centre of trade and commerce where merchants used to flock with merchandise (*Divyāvadāna*, 42ff.). There was a householder named Bhava in this city who was a contemporary of the Buddha (*Divyāvadāna*, 24ff.).