Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahabharata: Upayana Parva c3.14

c3.14

The Bhuvanakosha chapter in the Mahābhārata seems to represent an archaic textual tradition as its material is also found incorporated in several of the Purāṇas, viz., Vāyu, Matsya and Mārkaṇḍeya. Some valuable work on it had been done by Dr. Pargiter in his edition of the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa and by Dr. B.C. Law in his *Geographical Essays*, but there is yet scope for much intensive work and the need for producing a collated critical text of the Bhuvanakosha chapters on the basis of as many good manuscripts of the Purāṇas and the Mahabharata (Bhīshma-parva) as available, similar to the text of the Parvasangraha-parva prepared by Dr. Sukthankar, is very great. It is expected that the critical edition of the Bhīshmaparva now under preparation by Dr. S. K. Belvalkar will clarify and settle the readings of a good many names of the Janapadas and rivers in this chapter. Indeed, the presentation of the entire geographical material from the Mahābhārata in the form of a single dissertation would be very handy and useful to advance the cause of historical research in this direction.