Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c7.s1.144

c7.s1.144

the same as Vakṣu or Vaṃkṣu, i.e. the Oxus or Amu Darya, while the second western river called Sītā may be no other than the Jaxartes or Syr Darya. As the eastern stream Hlādinī or Hrādinī is said to have run through the country of the Kirātas, who were hill-men inhabiting the eastern Himalayas, this river may be tentatively identified with the upper Brahmaputra. Indradvīpa, through which the other eastern river called Pāvanī passed, is identified by some scholars with Burma. Cf. subsection G below. See also the note in the same subsection on Vetrapatha and Śaṅkupatha (in Suvarṇabhūmi) through which the Pāvanī is said to have passed. This river may thus be tentatively identified with the Irawadi. The third eastern stream called Nalinī cannot be identified; but it is said to have entered into the sea in the Śaimi maṇḍala which reminds us of Siam. The name of Siam (Syāma-raṭṭha), which is unconnected with Sanskrit śyāma, is derived from that of a tribe called in Chinese Sien, Burmese Shan, Malayan Syam, Annamite Xiem and Cham Syām. The Nalinī may thus be tentatively identified with the Salween or the Mekong. It must be remembered that the theory attributing the origin of all the seven rivers to the same lake in the Himalayas has to be regarded as a mere flight of fancy. The lists of countries washed by the rivers do not appear to be always accurate.