Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahabharata: Upayana Parva c3.19

c3.19

Dr. Moti Chandra's discussions on the economic data throw a flood of light on the true nature and significance of the various names of economic products brought as presents from each region. They help us to visualise the whole country as forming part of a well-knit system of commercial exchanges and intercourse. The picture embraces even the distant regions of the whole of Afghanistan and the Pamir region in Central Asia. Politically such unity became possible to conceive after the Mauryan emperor's conquests of Arachosia, Aria and Paropanisdi, but it appears that economically these regions were linked to the heart of India from much earlier times. The Jātakas and Pāṇini give evidence of the economic unity envisaged in the Upāyana-parva. The two maps have been prepared by Mr. Ram Subedar, who deserves our thanks. A word of explanation is necessary for the title Upāyana-parva which does not occur in the colophons of Mahābhārata text. On the basis of their subject matter, viz., bringing of presents (बलि-आहरण) to king Yudhishṭhira by kings of different regions, Chapters 47 and 48 are designated for the sake of convenience by the title ‘Upāyana-parva.’