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Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8: IV. Account of Fifty-six Countries

Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8

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IV. Account of Fifty-six Countries

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There is the manuscript of a small work entitled *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* (G. 9660 ; foll. 1B-3B) in the library of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. While entering it in the *Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Government Collection under the Care of the Asiatic Society of Bengal*,¹ Pandit H. P. Sastri remarked that it may ‘be part of some Tantra’; but he did not try to find out the Tantra to which it belongs. The *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* is, however, actually the seventh Paṭala of Book III of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*. There are four fragmentary manuscripts of this Tantra in the Society’s library; but only one of them² contains the section in question. A few years ago, Book I (Kālī-khaṇḍa) of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, edited by B. Bhattacharya, was published in the Gaekwad Oriental Series ; but the remaining Books are still in manuscripts. Bhattacharya, formerly Director of the Oriental Institute, Baroda, kindly sent me, at my request, a copy of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, Book III, Paṭala vii. His letter to me dated the 2nd April, 1941, reads : “This reading is based on four manuscripts.........We have in our library only one manuscript of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*; but the readings found in it contain omissions and errors which are corrected with the help of other manuscripts. I feel that the accompanying reading is fuller and free from errors as far as the manuscript material permits.” In my edition of the *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* published here, I have therefore utilised the following three manuscripts :—

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¹ Vol. IV, 1923, pp. 35f.

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² 323/55E4, foll. 209A-212A.

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A—Manuscript of the *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* in the library of the Asiatic Society (No. 9660).

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B—Manuscript of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra* in the library of the Asiatic Society ( No. 323).

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C—Copy of the manuscript of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, Book III, Paṭala vii, kindly supplied by B. Bhattacharya.

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The Śakti-saṅgama Tantra, to which the Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga belongs, is a late work that is roughly assignable to the seventeenth century. In his introduction to the Kālikhaṇḍa (Book I of the Śakti-saṅgama Tantra), B. Bhattacharya assigns the work to the period between 1555 and 1607 A.D. or roughly to circa 1581 A.D.¹ This date is, however, based on the supposition that ‘in the Tantrasāra by Kṛṣṇānanda Āgamavāgīśa (written sometime after 1577 A.D.),² the Śakti-saṅgama Tantra is largely quoted’.³ As a matter of fact, there is not a single quotation from the Śakti-saṅgama in the Tantrasāra. The Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga (verse 11), on the other hand, refers to the inclusion of Ujjayinī in the country of Mahārāṣṭra and this seems to point to the Marāṭhā occupation of Malwa under Bajī Rāo I (1720-40 A.D.). V. 16 again speaks of Karṇāṭa in the sense of ‘the Carnatic’ and not of the Kannada-speaking country. We know that the successors of Veṅkaṭa II (1630-42) of the Āraviḍu dynasty of Vijayanagara kings, even though they ruled a small tract in the east coast and had little or no authority over the Kannada country, still called themselves ‘Lords of Karṇāṭaka’. The verse seems to point to a date when the name Karṇāṭaka had become stereotyped as the designation of a part of the east coast. This was done possibly about the time when Zulfiqār Ali Khān (1692-1703 A.D.) was created the ‘Nawab of the Karṇāṭaka’ by the Mughal emperor Aurangzib.⁴ If these suggestions are correct, the Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga cannot be assigned to a period earlier than the first quarter of the 18th century. The manuscript of the Tantra, here marked B, contains the date Śaka 1674=1752 A.D. when apparently the manuscript was copied. But that the Śakti-saṅgama Tantra was composed sometime before 1744 A. D. is indicated by the fact that two of its stanzas are quoted by Harikṛṣṇa Miśra in his *Vaidikavaiṣṇavasadācāra* composed between 1713 and 1744 A.D.¹

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¹ Ibid., p. vii.

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² As we have shown elsewhere, the Tantrasāra was composed in the first half of the seventeenth century. See The Śākta Pīṭhas, p. 80. Reference has been made to a manuscript of this work bearing the date ‘Saṃvat 1586’ (Gode, Studies, Vol. I, pp. 154 ff., Poleman, Census of Indic Manuscripts in U. S. A, etc.). But Saṃvat in this case seems to be a misreading for Śaka.

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³ Cf. p. vi.

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⁴ See infra.

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¹ See Poona Orientalist, Vol. XXI, 1956, pp. 4 ff.

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The *Ṣatpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* belongs to that class of works which is called the gazetteer literature in Sanskrit and on which Pandit H.P. Sastri wrote an interesting but short paper in *J.B.O.R.S.*, Vol. IV, pp. 14-25. The work gives an account of fifty-six countries lying in and on the borders of India. The list is drawn from the pilgrim's point of view and most of the localities mentioned are holy places. The majority of the localities are again Śaiva and Śākta Tīrthas and this fact indicates Tantric influence. The importance of the number 56 is, however, not determinable. This number is found adhered to in some other works of the class. The earliest work containing a list of fifty-six countries seems to be the *Candragarbhasūtra* or *Candragabhavaitulya* (translated into Chinese by Narendrayaśas in 566 A.D.)² mentioning them in connection with the Buddha's manifestations in Jambudvīpa. All of them cannot be identified; but 'apparently less than half are within India proper'.³ It has been suggested that the Sūtra was composed or re-edited in Central Asia; it is therefore possible that the importance attached to the number fifty-six is essentially foreign. Similar lists are found in some other medieval Tantric texts; *e.g.*, the *Sammoha Tantra* (composed before 1450 A.D. according to Gode)⁴ gives two lists of fifty-six countries. These two lists are quoted below since they can be compared fruitfully with the list of the *Ṣatpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* under study.

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² See Bagchi, *Le Canon Bouddhique*, Tome I, p. 270.

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³ See Elliot, *Hinduism and Buddhism*, Vol. III, p. 215; Lévi, *B.E.F.E.O.*, Tome V, pp. 261 f.

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⁴ A.B.O.R.I., Vol. XIX, pp. 184f.

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कादौ षट्पंचाशद्देशाश्च (देशा) हादावपि तथा प्रिये ।
तद्देशशक्तिसंयोगस्त (न्तद् or गात्तद्) राज्यमिति कीर्त्तनम् ॥१
तत्संगमजपेनै(नै)व तद्देशराज्यमाकृयात्(?) ।
तत्रादौ कादिदेशाश्च (श्च) कथ्यते(न्ते) परमेश्वरि ॥२

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अंगवंगौ कलिंगश्च कालिंग(गः) केरलस्तथा । काश्मीर(रः) कामरूपश्च महाराष्ट्रोऽथ एव च ॥ ३ सौराष्ट्रो द्रविडश्चैव(व) तैलिंगमलयाद्र(द्रि)कौ । कर्णाटवन्त्यवैदर्भसर्पा(प्ता?)भीर(राः)समालवा(वाः) ॥ ४ चौ(चो)लयां(पां)चालकां भोज(जाः)वैराद्र(द्र)पाम्यां(ण्डौ) विदेहभूः । वाल्हीकश्च किरातश्च कैकटा(कर्वटा)वन्तको(?) तथा ॥ ५ ऐराकभोटात्तचीन(ना) महाचीनस्तथैव च । नेपाल(लः) शीलहट्टश्च गौडकोशलमा(म)गधा(धाः) ॥ ६ श्नो(उ)त्कलाः कुंतलहूनाः(णाः) कोंकणः केकयस्तथा । शूरसेनः कौरवाश्च सिंहलश्च पुलिंदका(काः) ॥ ७ कच्छसेवनमद्राश्च सौवीरलाटवर्वराः । मत्स्या(त्स्याः) सैंधव इत्येत(ते) षट्पंचाश(शत्) प्रकीर्त्तिता(ताः) ॥ ८

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II

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कादिदेशाः समाख्याता हादिदेशाः(शान्) शृणु प्रिये । अंगवंगकलिंग(गाः)स्यात् कालिंगः स्यात् सु(सौ)वीरक(कः)॥ १ काश्मीरश्चैव काम्बोजा(जाः) सौराष्ट्रो मगधस्तथा । महाराष्ट्रो मालवस्तु नेपालः केरलस्तथा ॥ २ चोलयां(पां)चालगौडाश्च मलयांढ(याल)श्च सिंहलः । व्योंकविडो व्योन्तश्चैव(?) का(क)र्णटो लाट एव च ॥ ३ मलाटश्चैव पानाटाः पावाद्यान्धक(?)पुलिन्दकः(काः) । हु(हू)णकौरवगान्धारविदर्भाः सविदेहका(काः) ॥ ४ वाल्हीक(को) वर्वरो देवि केकयः कोशलोऽपि च । कुन्तलश्च किला(रा)तश्च शूरसेनश्च सेवर(नः) ॥ ५ वना टःटंक(ग)णश्चैव कोंकणा मत्स्यमद्रकौ । मैड(मरु)सैन्धवसन्धथाः(?) पार्श्वकीकौ(पारसीकस्) ततः स्मृतौ(तः) ॥ ६ इयोजाल(?) यवनौ देवि जल(?)जालन्ध(न्ध्र)साल्वला(काः) । सिन्धुश्च वंगदेशश्च हादिपर्यायवाधका(चकाः) ॥ ७¹

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¹ Quoted by P. C. Bagchi, *Studies in the Tanras*, pp. 97-99, from a late Newari manuscript in the Durbar Library, Nepal. The text is faulty; but it can be partially corrected with the help of other materials and may also be used in correcting the latter. It is, however, possible that some of the mistakes belong to the original. The Kādi and Hādi sets of Tantric groupings are given 9 subdivisions each. There is also a fourfold division: 1. *Kerala* extending influence from Aṅga to Mālava, 2. *Kāśmīra* from Madra-desa to Nepāla, 3. *Gauḍa* from Śilahatta to Saindhava, and 4. *Vilāsa* prevalent everywhere.

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The geographical informations derived from the *Saṭṭañcāśaddeśavihāga* are very interesting, and in many cases they throw welcome light on some problems.¹ But the difficulties in dealing with the text are also numerous. The sources of the author's informations are works like the epics, the Purāṇas and the Tantras and above all travellers' or pilgrims' tales. The author might have himself visited some of the places on pilgrimage. The manuscripts he relied on may have misled him in some cases with their wrong readings and many such mistakes may be also due to the copyists of his work.² Moreover the author, like many of the Tantric writers of his time, seems to have only an insufficient knowledge of Sanskrit. Partly due to this fact and partly to the inadvertence of the copyists, a great confusion has been created with reference to the actual position of many countries and others bordering on them. As will be indicated below in the notes on the countries, many of these mistakes can be quite easily corrected.³ It must, however, be admitted that we cannot expect in all cases accurate geographical knowledge from our author who had to depend on a pilgrim's knowledge and had no opportunity of consulting any scientifically compiled text on geography or a scientifically prepared map. In some cases therefore, we find that the position of one country given in relation to another is only partially true or even wrong.⁴ Owing to the same reason, some countries are given as abutting on each other, though they are actually separated by other countries.⁵ The author generally mentions places, usually those sacred to Śiva and Pārvatī, as boundaries of the countries. Some of these places are difficult to identify, and in many cases the name of a god or god dessin a particular temple actually indicates the whole district round the shrine.² This difficulty is enhanced by the fact that, while in some cases the boundary mentioned is to be included in the country, in others it is to be excluded from it.¹ In many cases again, more than one country are mentioned in the same area and they overlap one another.² In view of the above observations, it will be seen that the *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga* only attempts a rough estimate of the extents of countries, and sometimes the extents recorded are wider or narrower than they are actually.

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¹ See notes on verses 3, 21, 39, 46, 49, etc.

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² Cf. verses 5, 43, 47, etc.

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³ Cf. verses 19, 23, 47, 48, etc.

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⁴ E. g., verse 18 wherein 'east' seems to be used for 'south-east.'

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⁵ Cf. verses 13, 25, 33, 57, etc.

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⁶ Cf. verses 12, 36, 39, etc.

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¹ Cf. verses 9, 11, 14, etc.

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² Cf. verses 4, 12, 14, 42, etc.

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The 8th Paṭala of the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, Book III, is also very interesting to the students of early Indian geography. It gives an account of a fivefold division of India. The Chinese authors generally refer to the Five Indies, *viz.*, the Northern, Western, Central, Eastern and Southern, and the *Bhuvanakośa* section of the Purāṇas divide the country into Madhyadeśa, Udīcya, Prācya, Dakṣiṇāpatha and Aparānta, although sometimes the Himalayan and Vindhyan regions are added to them. The *Kāvyamīmāṃsā* of Rājaśekhara also refers to this fivefold division when it speaks of Pūrva-deśa beyond Vārāṇasī, Dakṣiṇāpatha beyond Māhiṣmatī, Paścād-deśa beyond Devasabhā and Uttarāpatha beyond Pṛthūdaka. The five divisions of India as given in the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra* from the Tantric point of view are different. They are Indra-prastha, Yama-prastha, Varuṇa-prastha, Kūrma-prastha and Deva-prastha. We have appended this interesting section as a supplement to the text of the *Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga*.

Ṣaṭpañcāśaddeśavibhāga

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(Śaktisaṅgama Tantra, Book III, Chapter VII)

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ॐ श्रीगणेशाय नमः ³

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³ Not found in B and C.

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शंकर उवाच ⁴
रहस्यतिरहस्यं हि⁵ प्रोक्तं देवि तवाग्रतः ⁶
देशव्यवस्था देवेशि कथ्यते शृणु यत्नतः ⁷ ।। १

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⁴ Not found in B and C.

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⁵ C—च.

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⁶ Not found in A.

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⁷ B—तत्सरः.

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वैद्यनाथं समारभ्य भुवनेशान्तगं (ग:) शिवे । तावदंगाभिधो¹ देशो यात्रायां नहि दुष्यति² ।। २ रत्नाकरं³ समारभ्य ब्रह्मपुत्रान्तगं (ग:) शिवे⁴ । वंगदेशो मया प्रोक्तः सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकः⁵ ।। ३ जगन्नाथात् पूर्वभागात्⁶ कृष्णातीरान्तगं (ग:) शिवे । कलिंगदेशः संप्रोक्तो वाममार्गपरायणः⁷ ।। ४ कलिंगदेशमारभ्य पंचाष्टयोजनं शिवे । दक्षिणस्यां महेशानि कालिंगः परिकीर्त्तितः ।। ५ सुबह्माण्यं समारभ्य यावद्देवो जनार्दनः । तावत्केरलदेशः स्यात्तन्मध्ये सिद्धिकरलः⁸ ।। ६ रामेश्वरो वेंकटेशो⁹ हंसकेरलबोधकः ।। ७ अनन्तशैलमारभ्य यावत्स्यादुडुपं पुरम्¹⁰ । तावत्सर्वेशनामा तु¹¹ केरलः परिकीर्त्तितः ।। ८ शारदामठमारभ्य कुंकुमाद्रितटान्तकम्¹² । तावत्काश्मीरदेशः स्यात्पंचाशद्योजनान्तकः¹³ ।। ९ कालेश्वरश्वेतगिरिं¹⁴ त्रिपुरानीलपर्वतम् । कामरूपाभिधो देवि गणेशगिरिमूर्द्धनि ।। १० त्र्यंबकं¹⁵ समारभ्य मध्ये चोज्जयिनी शिवे ।

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¹ B—°विधो.

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² C—दुष्यते.

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³ A—वज्ञाकारं; C—वत्राकरं.

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⁴ C—परे.

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⁵ AB—°प्रदर्शकः.

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⁶ Read जगन्नाथपूर्व.

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⁷ B—रामं.

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⁸ A सिद्ध°.

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⁹ A विकुंठेशो; B—वेंकटेशो. Read रामेश्वरावेंकटेशं.

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¹⁰ AB—परे.

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¹¹ —सर्वे समानास्तु.

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¹² B—°माधि°.

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¹³ BC—°न्तकम्

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¹⁴ B—केरलेश्वर; C—कोलेश्वर. Read °श्वराच्छ्वेत°.

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¹⁵ BC—त्रिपंचकं due possibly to the wrong spelling त्रियंबकं. Better read त्र्यंबकेशं.

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मार्जारतीर्थं¹ राजेन्द्र² कोलापुरनिवासिनी ॥ तावद्देशो महाराष्ट्र: कर्णाटस्याभिगोचर:³ ॥ ११ जगन्नाथार्द्ध्वभागे⁴ अर्वाक् श्रीभ्रमराम्बिका । तावदंधाभिधो देश: सौराष्ट्रं शृणु साम्प्रतम्⁵ ॥ १२ कोंकणात्पश्चिमं⁶ तीर्त्वा समुद्रप्रान्तगोचर: । हिंगुलाजान्तको⁷ देवि शतयोजनमाश्रित:⁸ ॥ सौराष्ट्रो देशो देवेशि नाम्ना तु गुर्जरभिध:⁹ ॥ १३ श्रीशैलन्तु समारभ्य चोलेशान्मध्यभाग: । तैलंगदेशो देवेशि ध्यनाध्ययनतत्पर: ॥ १४ मूकां बिकां समारभ्य मलयाद्र्यन्तगं¹⁰ शिवे । मलयालाभिधो¹¹ देशो मन्त्रसिद्धिप्रवर्त्तक: ॥ १५ रामनाथं समारभ्य श्रीरंगान्तं वरेश्वर¹² । कर्णाटदेशो देवेशि साम्राज्यभोगदायक:¹³ ॥ १६ ताम्रपर्णी¹⁴ समारभ्य शैलाद्धेरुत्तरार्द्धत:¹⁵ । अवन्तीसंज्ञको¹⁶ देश: कालिका तत्र तिष्ठति ॥ १७ भद्रकाली महत्पूर्व¹⁷ रामदुर्गाच्च¹⁸ पश्चिमे । श्रीविदर्भाभिधो देशो वैदर्भी तत्र¹⁹ तिष्ठति ॥ १८

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1. B—°तीर.
2. B—राजेन्द्र; C—राजेन्द्र:.
3. B—कपाटस्वाभि°.
4. Read जगन्नाथ ऊर्द्ध्व°.
5. AC—सादरं.
6. A—कोंकणासम्भिमं.
7. C—°न्तकं.
8. B—जन्तुयोजनने शत:; C—जन्तवो जनलेशतः.
9. A—षण्मातुरजराभिध:.
10. B—मनपाडचान्तगं. Read °न्तग: r °न्तकं.
11. A B—मलपाला°.
12. B C—बिलेश्वर.
13. B—भोम°.
14. B—समासाद्य.
15. B—शैलाद्धेरुत्तररोद्धत:; C—शैलद्धेत्यत्तरतोद्धत:. Read शैलाधर्द्ध°.
16. Usually अवन्ति.
17. A—मरुपूर्वा. Possibly स्थानात्पूर्वे. Read भद्रकालीदक्षपूर्वे. Cf. below, p 76, note 13.
18. A—दुर्गा च.
19. C—वेदभास्तत्र; A—वैदर्भा तत्र.

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गुर्जरत्पूर्वभागे¹ तु द्वारकातो हि² दक्षिणे । मरुदेशो महेशानि उष्ट्रोत्पत्तिपरायणः ॥११९ श्रीकोंकणधषोभागे³ तापीतः पश्चिमोत्तरे⁴ । आभीरदेशो देवेशि विंध्यशैले व्यवस्थितः ॥१२० अवन्तीतः पूर्वभागे गोदावर्यास्तथोत्तरे । मालवाख्यो महादेशो धनधान्यपरायणः⁵ ॥१२१ द्राविडतैलंगयोर्मध्ये⁶ चोलदेशः प्रकीर्त्तितः । लम्बकर्णश्च ते प्रोक्ता भेदोह्वान्तरो⁷ भवेत् ॥१२२ कुरुक्षेत्रात्⁸ पश्चिमे तु तथा चोत्तरभागतः⁹ । इन्द्रप्रस्थान्महेशानि दशत्रियोजनोत्तरम्¹⁰ । पाञ्चालदेशो देवेशि सौन्दर्यगर्वभूषितः ॥१२३ पाञ्चालदेशमारभ्य म्लेच्छादक्षिणपूर्वतः । काम्बोजदेशो देवेशि वाजिराशिपरायणः¹¹ ॥१२४ वैदर्भदेशादूर्ध्वं च इन्द्रप्रस्थाच्च दक्षिणे । मरुदेशात्पूर्वभागे विराटः परिकीर्त्तितः¹² ॥१२५ काम्बोजादक्षभागे¹³ तु इन्द्रप्रस्थाच्च¹⁴ पश्चिमे । पाण्डुदेशो¹⁵ महेशानि महाशूरवकारकः ॥१२६

c8.s1.28

1. Read गुर्जरपूर्वभागात्.
2. Read द्वारका यस्य.
3. A—श्रीकोंक°. Read श्रीकोंकणस्त्वधोभागे.
4. A B—पश्चिमे वरे. Read तापी च पश्चिमोत्तरे.
5. A—धनधाम.
6. B—तिलंग. Read तैलंगद्रविडान्तरे. Note that the rules of metre are often disregarded.
7. B—ह्यपरान्तरे.
8. Read °क्षेत्रं.
9. B—°भारतः
10. A—योजनाद्वयः; B—योजनद्वये. Read योजनान्तरम्.
11. Read वाजिराजि.
12. A C—वैराटदेशः प्रकीर्त्तितः.
13. A—भोजा°. Note that the word dakṣa is used in our text as well as in many other Tantra works in the sense of dakṣiṇa.
14. A B—इन्द्रदेशा°.
15. B—पाण्ड्यदेशो; C—याभ्यदेशो corrected to पाण्ड्यदेशो.

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गंडकीतीरमारभ्य¹ चम्पारण्यान्तकं शिवे। विदेहभूः समाख्याता तैरभुक्त्यमिधः² स तु ॥२७ काम्बोजदेशमारभ्य म्हाम्लेच्छात्तु पूर्वके। बाल्हीकदेशो³ देवेशि अश्वोत्पत्तिपरायणः ॥२८ तप्तकुंड⁴ समारभ्य रामक्षेत्रान्तकं शिवे । किरातदेशो देवेशि विन्ध्यशैले च तिष्ठति ॥२९ करतोयां समारभ्य हिंगुलाजान्तकं शिवे । वक्रान्तदेशो⁵ देवेशि महाम्लेच्छपरायणः ॥३० हिंगुपीठं समारभ्य मल्कशान्तं⁶ महेश्वरि । खुराशनाभिधो⁷ देशो म्लेच्छमार्गपरायणः ॥३१ तन्मध्ये चोत्तरे देवि ऐराकः⁸ परिकीर्त्तितः ॥३२ काश्मीरन्तु समारभ्य कामरूपाच्च पश्चिमे । भोटान्तदेशो देवेशि मानसेशाच्च दक्षिणे ॥३३ मानशेषा(सेषा)इक्षुपूर्वं चीनदेशः प्रकीर्त्तितः ॥३४ कैलासगिरिमारभ्य⁹ सरयोनितः परे । आमागान्त¹¹ महेशानि महावीनाभिधो¹¹ भवेत् ॥३५ जटेश्वरं समारभ्य योगिन्यन्त¹² महेश्वरि । नेपालदेशो देवेशि शिलहट्टं शृणु प्रिये ॥३६ गणेश्वरं समारभ्य महोदध्यन्तगं (गः) शिवे । शिलाहट्टाभिधो देशो पर्यन्ते तिष्ठति प्रिये ॥३७¹³

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1. B—नीर°.
2. B—तिरभुक्ता°. Read °भिधा सा.
3. A—वाहिक; B—वाहीक.
4. BC—तत्ताकुण्ड.
5. B—वभक्तान (बदक्षाण: ?).
6. A—मल्कोशान्तं; B—मल्कशान्तं. Read मक्केशान्तं.
7. B—पुरासना°; C—खुरासना°. A reads मल्कशान्तं महेश्वरि । after करतोयां समारभ्य and thus omits the stanza referring to Vakrānta-deśa.
8. B—ऐकीरः.
9. B—कैलानरं समारभ्य; C—कैलासतीरमारभ्य.
10. A—आमोरंगं; B—आमारागां.
11. B—चीनाधिपो.
12. B—योगिनिन्तं.
13. Not found in A.

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वंगदेशं समारभ्य भुवनेशान्तगं (गः) शिवे¹ । गौडदेशः समाख्यातः सर्वविद्याविशारदः ॥३८ गोकर्णशात्पूर्वभागे² आर्यावर्त्तात्तु चोत्तरे । तैरभुक्तात्³ पश्चिमे तु महापुर्यश्च पूर्वतः⁴ । महाकोशलदेशश्च⁵ सूर्यवंशपरायणः ॥३९ कालेश्वरं⁶ समारभ्य तप्तकुडान्तकं शिवे । मगधाख्यो⁷ महादेशो यात्रायां नहि दुष्यति । दक्षोत्तरक्रमेणैव क्रमात्कीकटमा(म)गधौ ॥४० चरणाद्रि समारभ्य गृध्रकूतान्तकं⁸ शिवे । तावतकीकटदेशः स्यादुत्तरो⁹ मा(म)गधो मतः ॥४१ जगन्नाथप्रान्तदेश¹⁰इचोत्कलः¹¹ परिकीर्त्तितः ॥४२ कामगिरिं समारभ्य द्वारकान्तं महेश्वरि । श्रीकुन्तलाभिधो देशो हूणं शृणु महेश्वरि ॥४३ कामगिरेर्क्षभागे मरुदेशात्तथोत्तरे । हूणदेशः समाख्यातः शूरास्तत्र वसन्ति हि¹² ॥४४ अथ घट¹³ समारभ्य कोटीशस्य तु मध्यगः¹⁴ । समुद्रप्रान्तदेशो हि कोंकणः¹⁵ परिकीर्त्तितः ॥४५ ब्रह्मपुत्रात्कामरूपान्मध्यभागे¹⁶ तु कैकयः ॥४६

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¹ A—भुवनेशं महेश्वरि; B—भुवनेशान्तं महेश्वरि.

c8.s1.33

² Read गोकर्णशादक्षभागे.

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³ A—तैरभुक्तात्.

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⁴ A B—सर्वतः.

c8.s1.36

⁵ C—देशः स्यात्.

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⁶ AC—व्यासेश्वरं.

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⁷ B—मगधा°.

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⁸ B C—°न्तगं.

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⁹ A—स्यात्तदूद्ध्वं.; B—स्यदूद्ध्वं वस्तु.

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¹⁰ B—प्रोतदेश°; C—प्रोतदेश

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¹¹ C—°इचोत्कलः.

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¹² B—च.

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¹³ A—अध्येरद्धं; B—अथत्यदं.

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¹⁴ B—कोटीशश्च वसकगे; C—मध्यगे.

c8.s1.46

¹⁵ A—कौंकणः.

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¹⁶ B—°गत.

c8.s1.48

मगधाक्षभागे¹ तु विन्ध्यात्पश्चिमतः शिवे । सौरसेनाभिधो² देशः सूर्य(यदु)वंशप्रकाशकः ॥४७ हस्तिनापुरमारभ्य कुरुक्षेत्राच्च दक्षिणे । पाञ्चालपूर्वभागे तु³ कुरुदेशः प्रकीर्तितः ॥४८ मरुदेशात्पूर्वभागे कामार्द्रदक्षिणे शिवे । सिंहलाख्यो महादेशः सर्वदेशोत्तमोत्तमः ॥४९ शिलहट्टात्⁴ पूर्वभागे कामरूपात्तथोत्तरे । पुलिन्ददेशो⁵ देवेशि नरनारायणपरः ॥५० गणेश्वरातपूर्वभागे समुद्रादुत्तरे शिवे । कच्छदेशः समाख्यातः सेवन⁵ᵃ शृणु सादरम् ॥५१ पुलिन्दादुत्तरे भागे कच्छाच्च पश्चिमे शिवे । मत्स्यदेशः समाख्यातः मत्स्यबाहुल्यकारकः ॥५२ वैराटपाण्डचयोर्मध्ये⁶ पूर्वदक्षमेण च । मद्रदेशः समाख्यातः माद्रीशास्त्र⁷ तिष्ठति ॥५३ शूरसेनात्⁸ पूर्वभागे कण्ठकात्⁹ पश्चिमे वरे । सौवीरदेशो देवेशि सर्वदेशाधमाधमः¹⁰ ॥५४ अवन्तीतः पश्चिमे तु वैदभर्दक्षिणोत्तरे¹¹ । लाटदेशः समाख्यातो वर्वरं शृणु पार्वति ॥५५ मायापुरं समारभ्य सप्तशृङ्गात्तथोत्तरे ।

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1. Read मगधो दक्षपूर्वे.
2. Usually शूर° or शौर°.
3. A--पाञ्चालात्. Read पाञ्चालः पूर्वभागे तु or पाञ्चालपूर्वभागस्तु.
4. A--सिलात् evidently for सिंहलात्.
5. A--पुलिन्ध°; B--पुलिन्द्र°. 5a. See below, p. 105 and note 1.
6. Better read पाण्डुविरःटयोर्मध्ये. A--माद्रीकास्तत्र; C--माद्रीतत्त्वाऽत्र. Read माद्रीशास्त्र, मद्रेशस्तत्र or मद्रेशी तत्र.
8. Read शूरसेनः.
9. AB--कण्टकात्. Should we read कण्ठकः ?
10. A--देशः सर्वोत्तमोत्तमः; C--°धमोधमः.
11. Read पश्चिमोत्तरे.

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बर्बरारख्यो महादेशो सैन्धवं शृणु सादरम् ॥५६ लंकाप्रदेशमारभ्य मक्कान्तं¹ परमेश्वरि । सैन्धवारख्यो महादेशः पर्वते तिष्ठति प्रिये ॥५७ एते षट्पंचाशद्देशा मया प्रोक्ता तव प्रिये² । एतन्मध्येऽपि देवेशि देशभेदास्त्वनेकशः । कोटिशः सन्ति देवेशि एते मुख्याः प्रकीर्त्तिताः ॥५८ रहस्यातिरहस्यं च गोप्तव्यं³ पशुसंकटे । इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं किमन्त्यच्छ⁴ तुमितुच्छसि ॥५९

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¹ A —मच्छान्तं.

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² C—°देशान्मया प्रोक्ताद्य भंकिततः. In the place of this stanza, A has a concluding verse which reads as follows after minor corrections :

c8.s1.53

³ B—गोप्तकं.

Supplement

c8.s2.1

⁴ From B only.

c8.s2.2

( *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, Book III, Chapter VIII )

c8.s2.3

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

c8.s2.4

देवेश श्रोतुमिच्छामि पंच प्रस्थान⁵ साम्प्रतम् । इन्द्रप्रस्थं यमप्रस्थं वरुणप्रस्थमेव च । कूर्मप्रस्थं महादेव देवप्रस्थं च पञ्चमम् ॥१ ⁶इन्द्रप्रस्थं महेशानि शृणु वक्षे⁷ यथाक्रमम् । इन्द्रप्रस्थं महेशानि योगिनीसंयुतम्⁸ ॥२ मथुरागोकुलं पूर्व⁹ भागे तस्य व्यवस्थितम् । वृन्दावनं कोलदेशे हस्तिनापुरमुत्तरे ॥३

c8.s2.5

⁵ Read प्रस्थानि.

c8.s2.6

⁶ Read श्रीभगवानुवाच before this stanza. Better read पंच : स्थानि देवेशि in place of इन्द्रप्रस्थं महेशानि.

c8.s2.7

⁷ Read वक्ष्ये.

c8.s2.8

⁸ Read योगिनीपुरसंयुतम्.

c8.s2.9

⁹ Read पूर्वे.

c8.s2.10

षट्पंचाशन्निमिता देशा मया प्रोक्ता तवानघे ।
तेषां शास्ता भवेद्यो वै चक्रवर्त्ती स उच्यते ॥

c8.s2.11

द्वारका पश्चिमायां च गदावर्त्तस्तु दक्षिणे । इन्द्रप्रस्थं मध्यभागे कालिकामुखगोचरम् ॥४ द्रावाही¹क्षेत्रमुद्दिष्टमिन्द्रप्रस्थं तदुच्यते । सिंहासनं चाश्वपतस्तदेव परिकीर्त्तितम् ॥५ यमप्रस्थं महेशानि दक्षिणस्यां व्यवस्थितम् । सोमेश्वरः पश्चिमायां सप्तश्रृंगात्तु पूर्वगाः² ॥६ मायापुरं वामभागे व्यंकटेशस्तु दक्षिणे । यमप्रस्थं भवेन्मध्ये कमलामुखगोचरम् ॥७ शंखावर्त्तो भवेत्तत्र क्षेत्रं मायाभिधं भवेत् । सिंहासनं नरपतस्तक्षे परिकीर्त्तितः³ ॥८ ततः पूर्वं जगन्नाथः प्रान्ते कविपति भवेत्⁴ । वारुणारव्यं तथा देवि कथ्यते श्रृणु साम्प्रतम् ॥९ मक्केश्वर⁵ पश्चिमायामुत्तरे हिंगुला भवेत् । त्रैलोक्यविजया देवि दक्षभागे प्रकीर्त्तिता ॥१० राजावर्त्तस्तत्र भवेत्तत्र शीतामुखं च तत् । तदन्ते सागराः सप्त समुद्राश्च तदन्तके ॥११ तावत् श्रीवारुणारयन्तु⁶ प्रस्थं प्रोक्तं मया तव । कूर्मप्रस्थं महेशानि कथ्यते श्रृणु साम्प्रतम् ॥१२ गोकर्णेश⁷ दक्षभागे कामाख्या पूर्वगोचरः⁸ । उत्तरे मानसेशः स्यात् पश्चिमे सारदा भवेत् ॥१३ त्रिगुणा वर्त्तते तद्धि⁹ वज्रेस्यामुखमीरितम्¹⁰ ।

c8.s2.12

1. The intended reading may be वाराही°.
2. Possibly we have to suggest सप्तश्रृगन्तु पूर्वके.
3. Read °कीर्त्तितम्.
4. Read °पतिर्भवेत्. *Kavi-pati* may be an error for *kari-pati*, i.e. *gaja-pati*.
5. Read °श्वरः.
6. Read तावच्छ्री°. But the rules of *sandhi* and metre are often disregarded.
7. Read गोकर्णेशो.
8. Read °गोचरा.
9. Possibly त्रिगुणावर्त्तस्तत्र हि.
10. Possibly वज्रेशी°.

c8.s2.13

षट्पंचाछघाटि चामुंडागणैर्व्याप्तित्तु¹ तद्भवत् ॥१४ पूर्वे वैरजनाथस्तूत्तरेऽमरकण्टकम्² । कांचीपुरं मध्यभागे मोहनावर्त्त मे(ए)व च ॥१५ ललिताया मुखं तच्च विद्यागणविभूषितम् । कामाख्यात्र समुद्दिष्टं महामन्त्रविभूषितम् ॥१६ नवलक्षमहाविद्या सगणे परिभूषितः³ । पंच प्रस्थानि देवेशि कथितानि मया तव ॥१७

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¹ Possibly षट्पंचाशद्वश्चामुंडागणैर्व्याप्तित्तु.

c8.s2.15

² Possibly पूर्वे वैरजनाथस्तु उत्तरे or पूर्वे वै चन्द्रनाथस्तु उत्तरे.

c8.s2.16

³ Possibly महाविद्याः स्वगणैः परिभूषिताः.

Fifty-six Countries

c8.s3.1

1. Aṅga (v. 2).

c8.s3.2

Aṅga is said to have extended from Vaidyanātha upto Bhuvaneśa. Vaidyanātha is no doubt the same as Baidyanāth-dhām in the Santal Parganas District, very near the southern frontiers of the Monghyr and Bhagalpur Districts, in Bihār. Bhuvaneśa reminds us of the celebrated Bhubaneswar in the Puri District of Orissa.

c8.s3.3

The ancient Aṅga country is supposed to have comprised the present Monghyr and Bhagalpur Districts of Bihar excluding the parts lying to the north of the Ganges. Its capital Campā is believed to have been situated at the confluence of the Ganges and the Campā (modern Cāndan) and the two villages Campā-nagar and Campāpur, near Bhāgalpur, are supposed to represent the acutal site of the ancient capital of Aṅga. Epigraphic evidence, however, seems to suggest the location of the ancient city near the Lakhisarai station on the Eastern Railway, in the western fringe of the Monghyr District.¹ There are traditions regarding the expansion of the boundary of the Aṅga country especially in the south. The *Kathāsaritsāgara*,² e.g., refers to the Aṅga city called Viṭaṅkapura which was situated on the seashore. The commentary on Vātsyāyana’s *Kāmasūtra* (VI, 6) places Aṅga to the east of the Mahānadi.

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¹ *J.B.R.S.*, Vol. XLI, Part 2, p. 8.

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² 25, 35; 26, 116; 82, 3-16.

c8.s3.6

It will be seen that Baidyanāthdhām is situated near the southern limits of the original Aṅga country; but Vaidyanātha may here indicate the district round the holy place, and the reference to Bhubaneswar may point to the country’s extension towards the Bay of Bengal. The verse appears to place Aṅga to the south of the Ganges, and it must be admitted that there is no definite evidence indicating the extension of the Aṅga country to the north of that river. According to some manuscripts of the *Bhaviṣya Purāṇa* (see No. 37 below), Vaidyanātha-Mahādeva lay in the Jāngala-Jhārīkhaṇḍa country which was situated to the north of the Dārukeśvara river and to the west of the Bhāgīrathī, between Pañcakūṭa (the former Pañcakoṭ State in the Manbhum District) and Kikaṭa (the Gayā region in South Bihar).

c8.s3.7

2. *Vaṅga* (v. 3).

c8.s3.8

The country of Vaṅga is described as extending from the sea as far as the Brahmaputra. The sea is no doubt the Bay of Bengal in the south and Brahmaputra, the northern boundary, seems to indicate that portion of the river which bifurcates from the Jumna. Vaṅga therefore included the eastern part of the Sundarbans in the south and half of the Mymensingh District in the north. The verse seems to exclude the region to the east of the Brahmaputra and the Meghnā (cf. v. 37) and agrees with medieval epigraphic evidence which places the heart of Vaṅga in the Vikramapura-bhāga comprising the Munshiganj and Madaripur Subdivisions of the Dacca and Faridpur Districts of East Pakistan. The original habitat of the Vaṅga people has been discussed in a separate chapter (Ch. XI) below.

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3-4. *Kaliṅga* (v. 4) and *Kāliṅga* (v. 5).

c8.s3.10

Kaliṅga extended from the east of Jagannātha as far as the banks of the Kṛṣṇā. Jagannātha here evidently refers to the celebrated deity in the shrine of Purī in the Puri District of Orissa. It is interesting to note that the Tantric texts recognise Purī as one of the Pīṭha-sthānas where the Bhairava is Jagannātha and the Bhairavī Vimalā. That the Purī region was also called Utkala is known from v. 42.

c8.s3.11

The name Kaliṅga has been used here in a wide sense. The *Mahābhārata* (III, 114, 4) recognises the Vaitaraṇī river as the north-eastern boundary of Kaliṅga, and at the time of Aśoka and Khāravela it certainly comprised the Puri-Cuttack region in the east. At the time of the Eastern Gaṅga king Anantavarman Coḍagaṅga, the Kaliṅga kingdom extended from the Ganges to the Godīvarī. The statement in the commentary on the Kāmasūtra (VI, 6) that Kaliṅga lies to the south of Gauḍa-viṣaya appears to indicate the extension of ancient Kaliṅga as far as the Ganges. The expansion of Kaliṅga from the Mahānadī to the river Kṛṣṇā in the south seems to be referred to in an inscription of the fifth century A.D.¹ The reference in our text may, however, be to the dominions of the Sūryavaṃśī Gajapatis of Orissa. Their empire originally included certain tracts lying to the south of the Kṛṣṇā, though they were later ousted from those areas by the kings of Vijayanagara.

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¹ Cf. *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. XXX, p. 114. Some allied topics have been discussed in a separate chapter (Ch. VII).

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On the southern confines of Kaliṅga was a country called Kāliṅga according to our text. But we do not know of any country of this name to the south of the Kṛṣṇā from any other source. The author probably refers to the Nellore-Guntur region which once formed parts of the dominions of the Sūryavaṃśī Gajapatis of Orissa.

c8.s3.14

5. *Kerala including Siddhikerala* (v. 6).

c8.s3.15

The Kerala country is said to have extended from Subrahmaṇya upto Janārdana and Siddhikerala to have formed a part of it. Roughly speaking, Kerala comprised the coastal region inhabited by the Malayāḷam-speaking people. But our text makes separate mention not only of two other Keralas called Haṃsa (v. 7) and Sarveśa (v. 8), but also of Malayāla (v. 15).

c8.s3.16

There are many temples of Subrahmaṇya (Kārttikeya) in South India and it is difficult to determine which of them is meant. The same is the case with Janārdana, as we can trace several Janārdana temples in the area in question. It is, however, possible that Subrahmaṇya here indicates the village of that name in the South Kanara District, which is famous for its temple and cattle fair, and that Janārdana is the temple at Varkala or Varkkalai between Quilon and Trivandrum.

c8.s3.17

6. *Haṃsa-Kerala* (v. 7).

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The territory including Rāmeśvara and Veṅkaṭeśa is called Haṃsa-Kerala, a name otherwise unknown. The shrine of Rāmeśvara and the celebrated Veṅkaṭeśvara temple at Tirupati are quite well known; but it is difficult to determine whether they are acutally intended. If, however, the verse refers to the country from Rāmeśvara to Tirupati, the name Haṁsa-Kerala would appear to indicate the same territory as the old Drāviḍa.

c8.s3.19

7. Sarveśa-Kera'a (v. 8).

c8.s3.20

The Kerala country designated by the name Sarveśa extended from the Ananta-śaila upto the city called Uḍupa. The Ananta hill may refer to Trivandrum which is known as Ananta-śayana or Anantapura. It is possible that the place is referred to by Varadarāja (17th century) whose Saṁskṛtamañjarī speaks of the southern Tīrthas called Janārdana-kṣetra, Gokarṇa-kṣetra (in the North Kanara District), Anantasena (°śayana ?)-kṣetra, and Subrahmaṇya-kṣetra. Uḍupa-pura is possibly Uḍipi, headquarters of the Uḍipi Taluk in the South Kanara District. The celebrated Vaiṣṇava saint Madhva was born at Kalyāṇapura near Uḍipi.

c8.s3.21

8. Kāśmīra (v. 9).

c8.s3.22

Kāśmīra (Kashmir) is described as the country lying between the Śāradā-maṭha and the Kuṅkum-ādri and extending over 50 yojanas. The Kuṅkuma hill cannot be satisfactorily identified; but it may refer to the Kuṅkuma (saffron)-growing plateau above Pampur near Srinagar, capital of Kashmir.¹ Śāradā-maṭha is evidently modern Sardi near the confluence of the Kishenganga and Kankatori rivers in Kashmir. The shrine of the goddess Śāradā is mentioned in Kalhaṇa's Rājatarangiṇī (VIII, 2556, 2706). According to Stein, the old shrine is in complete ruins and it is substituted by the late Śāradā temple at Guṣa (ancient Ghoṣa) which is now visited by the pilgrims.²

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¹ Cf. Watt, The Commercial Products of India, p. 429.

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² See Rājatar., trans., Vol. II, pp. 279, 289.

c8.s3.25

9. Kāmarūpa (v. 10).

c8.s3.26

The country of Kāmarūpa is said to have extended from Kāleśvara to the Śveta-giri and from Tripura to the Nīla-parvata.

c8.s3.27

The ‘Blue Mountain’ seems to be the Nil-ādri or Nilakūṭa, the name of the Kāmakhyā hill according to the *Kālikā Purāṇa* (Ch. 79, v. 74). The Gaṇeśa-giri seems to be referred to as lying in the heart of Kāmarūpa. Tripura can be quite satisfactorily identified with Tripurā (Tipperah) which is now partly in East Pakistan. The heart of ancient Kāmarūpa was the Gauhati region of Assam. The celebrated temple of Kāmakhyā, called the *Yoni-pīṭha*, lies not far from the city of Gauhati. According to Hiuen-tsang, Kāmarūpa lay to the east of the Kāratoyā, while the *Yoginī Tantra* includes in the country the Brahmaputra valley together with Rangpur and Cochbihar.

c8.s3.28

10. Mahārāṣṭra (v. 11).

c8.s3.29

Mahārāṣṭra (i. e. the Marāṭhī-speaking area) extended from Tryambaka to Karṇāṭa, and comprised Ujjayinī, Mārjāra-tīrtha and Kolāpura-nivāsinī. Tryambaka is certainly the celebrated Tryambakeśvara Śiva-liṅga near Nāsik and here indicates the whole of the Nasik area. Ujjain and Kolhāpur are also well-known localities. Kolāpura-nivāsinī appears to be the goddess Mahālakṣmī of the great shrine at Kolhāpur. As has already been pointed out, the inclusion of Ujjain appears to refer to the Marāṭhā conquest of Malwa during the rule of Peshwā Bājī Rāo I (1720-40 A. D.); and in that case we have to assume that the *Śaktisaṅgama Tantra*, or at least the Deśavibhāga section of it, was composed not earlier than the first quarter of the 18th century. Karṇāṭa of this verse seems to be different from that of v. 16 and to indicate the original Karṇāṭa, i.e. the Kannaḍa-speaking area. It is interesting to note that the *Kāmasūtra* (VI, 5, 29) commentary (middle of the thirteenth century) locates Mahārāṣṭra between the Narmadā and Karṇāṭa:

c8.s3.30

11. Andhra (v. 12).

c8.s3.31

Andhra is said to have been the country which has Jagan-nātha above and Bhramarāmbikā below. Jagannātha is the celebrated god of Purī; but here the district round the shrine seems to be indicated. Bhramarāmbikā is no doubt the famous Bhramarāmbā who is one of the 18 Śaktis in India and is enshrined on the Śrīśaila with the god Mallikārjuna, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. It has to be noted that our author separates Andhra from Tailaṅga (v. 14) and also from Kaliṅga (vv. 4-5).

c8.s3.32

12. Saurāṣṭra or Gurjara (v. 13).

c8.s3.33

From Koṅkaṇa up to Hiṅgulāja in the west lies, according to the verse, the Saurāṣṭra country covering a hundred yojanas on the coast. This country has also been called Gurjara. Koṅkaṇa is the strip of land between the Western Ghāṭs and the Arabian Sea, and Hiṅgulāja is the famous Tīrtha of Hiṅglāj near the Arabian Sea (between lat. 25° and 26° and long. 65° and 66°), more than 100 miles to the west of Karachi.

c8.s3.34

Surāṣṭra originally indicated the southern part of Kathiawar; but in the later period the name Gujarāt is found to be used in a wide sense to comprise the whole of Kathiawar and the adjoining regions. The verse in question gives a wide extent of the country. It must, however, be remembered that from a pilgrim’s point of view Gujarāt may be roughly placed between the Northern Koṅkan (comprising the modern Thana District of Bombay State) and the district round Hiṅglāj. Pilgrims seem to have reached Somanātha in Kathiawar by boat from the Northern Koṅkan and then proceeded to Hiṅglāj again by boat.¹

c8.s3.35

¹ Cf. v. 57.

c8.s3.36

13. Tailaṅga (v. 14).

c8.s3.37

From the Śrī-śaila up to the middle of the distance between the same and Coleśa lies the Tailaṅga country. Coleśa may indicate the god of the celebrated Bṛhadeśvara temple at Tañjāvūr. Tailaṅga is the same as the name Telengana and is related to Telugu. But the origin of this geographical name is unknown. The author’s separation of Tailaṅga from Andhra (v. 11) is comparable to that of Kāliṅga from Kaliṅga (vv. 4-5). Really Tailaṅga means the Telugu-speaking area which is the same as Andhra.² An inscription³ of 1358 A. D. gives the following boundaries of the Tilinga or Tailaṅga country :

c8.s3.38

² The description does not suit the present Telengana area of Andhra Pradesh.

c8.s3.39

³ Ep. Ind., Vol. XIV, p. 90.

c8.s3.40

पश्चात्पुरस्ताद्यस्य देशौ महाराष्ट्रकलिंगसंज्ञौ ।
अवागुदक् पाण्ड्यकान्यकुब्जौ देशस्त तत्रास्ति तिलिंगनामा ॥

c8.s3.41

that is, the Telugu country is bounded by Mahārāṣṭra in the west, Kaliṅga in the east, Pāṇḍya in the south and Kānyakubja in the north. There is reference here to the old empire of the Kākatīyas. Of course, in this age, the Kānyakubja country was no longer a political unit; but the reference may be to the empire of the Turkish Sultāns of Delhi.

c8.s3.42

14. Malayāla (v. 15).

c8.s3.43

The Malayāla country, which is separated from the tracts called Kerala (vv. 6-8), is described as lying between Mūkāmbikā and the Malay-ādri. The Malay-ādri or Malaya range has been identified with the Travancore hills. The goddess is no doubt one of the same name worshipped at Kollūr or Barkalūr in the northern part of the South Kanara District, formerly in Madras but now in Mysore. This goddess is mentioned in inscriptions like C.P. Nos. 3-6A of *A.R.Ep.*, 1927-28, and in stone inscription No.403 of the same year. See also the *Śivatattva-ratnākara*, Kallola V, Ch. I, vv. 27ff.

c8.s3.44

15. Karṇāṭa (v. 16).

c8.s3.45

The Karṇāṭa country is said to have extended from Rāmanātha upto Śrīraṅga. Śrīraṅga is either Śrīraṅgam opposite Tañjāvūr on the other side of the Kāverī or Śrīraṅgapattana (Seringapatam) near Mysore. Rāmanātha seems to be either the Rāmanāthapuram (former Ramnad) District, or the Rāmanātha Maṭha in the Madurai District, or the Rāmeśvara Tīrtha near the junction of the rivers Tuṅga and Bhadra.¹ The possible reference to Śrīraṅgam or Ramnad as a boundary of Karṇāṭa suggests that it is not the ancient Karṇāṭa country, the heart of which was in the Kannaḍa-speaking land, *Kannaḍa* being the same as Sanskrit *Karṇāṭa*. With the expansion of the empire of the Kanarese kings of Vijayanagara, the name Karṇāṭa extended over a large part of the Deccan. After the battle of Talikoṭa in 1665 A.D., the Vijayanagara kings withdrew first to Candragiri (Chittoor District) and then to Vellore (North Arcot District). But, as has already been indicated, even when their kingdom became confined to a very small area far away from ancient Karṇāṭa, they were known as the Rāyas of Karṇāṭaka. About the end of the seventeenth century, Zulfiqār Ali Khān (*circa* 1692-1703 A.D.), the progenitor of the Nawābs of Arcot, was created the ‘Nawāb of the Carnatic (Karṇāṭaka).’ It is not impossible that the verse actually refers to the kingdom of these Nawābs of the Carnatic.

c8.s3.46

¹ See *Bomb. Gaz.*, Vol. I, Part ii, pp. 377, 397. This was however a very small place which has not yet been identified.

c8.s3.47

16. Avanti (v. 17).

c8.s3.48

Avanti is described as extending from the Tāmraparṇī as far as the northern side of some hills and as the place of the goddess Kālikā. This Tāmraparṇī is an unknown river and not the celebrated rivulet of that name in the extreme south of India.¹ The hills referred to may be the Western Vindhyas.

c8.s3.49

¹ See above, p. 52, note 5.

c8.s3.50

Avanti is generally identified with the district round Ujjain (in the former Gwalior State) which was its capital.² Kālikā mentioned in the verse is evidently the Śakti of the celebrated Mahākāla of Ujjain.

c8.s3.51

² Cf. Mālava below, No. 20.

c8.s3.52

17. Vidarbha (v. 18).

c8.s3.53

The country of Vidarbha is said to have been situated to the east of Bhadrakālī and to the west of Rāmadurga or with Rāmadurgā to its west. This Bhadrakālī appears to be the same goddess as Kālikā [of Ujjain] mentioned in the preceding verse. Rāmadurga reminds us of the former State of this name in the South Marāṭhā country lying between Belgaum and Bijapur, although it is far from Vidarbha, i.e. modern Berar. The Ujjain region lies to the north or north-west of Berar. Even if we accept an old tradition according to which Avanti included the Māhiṣmatī (modern Māndhātā in the Nimar District or Maheswar in the former Indore State) region on the Narmadā, it cannot be placed to its west. I have therefore suggested the reading *Bhadrakālī-dakṣapūrve*, ‘to the south-east of Bhadrakālī’.

c8.s3.54

18. *Maru* (v. 19).

c8.s3.55

The Maru country seems to be described as lying to the north-west of the Gujarāt region and to the north of Dvārakā and also as famous for its camels. It is the great Indian desert called the Thar or Rājputānā desert. The land no doubt also includes the Mārwār (i.e. Maru) or Jodhpur area.

c8.s3.56

19. *Ābhīra* (v. 20).

c8.s3.57

The Ābhīra country appears to be placed on the Vindhya between the Koṅkaṇa in the south and the Tāpi or Tāptī in the north-west.

c8.s3.58

The Ābhīras originally lived in the desert; but they gradually pushed towards the south.¹ In the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., Aberia or the Ābhīra country lay not far from Surāṣṭra or Southern Kathiawar. In the 3rd century A.D., the Ābhīras founded a kingdom comprising parts of the Northern Koṅkan and the Nāsik region. But it is difficult to believe that this area was called Ābhīra in the late medieval period. The reference seems to be to the Ahirwas fort in the former Indore State, lying at lat. 22° 31′, long. 76° 31′. But, in that case, we have to read *śrī-Koṅkaṇāt purva-bhāge*, since the area in question does not lie to the south of the Koṅkaṇ. The *Kāmasūtra* (VI, 4, 24) commentary applies the name Ābhīra to the tracts including Śrīkaṇṭha (Thanesar) and Kuru-kṣetra.

c8.s3.59

¹ See *The Age of Imperial Unity*, pp. 221 ff.

c8.s3.60

20. *Mālava* (v. 21).

c8.s3.61

The great country of Mālava is described as lying to the east of Avanti and to the north of the Godāvarī. The verse evidently indicates Eastern Malwa, the ancient name of which was Ākara or Daśārṇa having its capital at Vidiśā (modern Besnagar near Bhilsa in the former Gwalior State). It has to be noticed that the *Kāmasūtra* (VI, 5, 22 and 24) mentions Avanti and Mālava separately and its commentary identifies Mālava with Pūrva-Mālava and gives the name Avanti to the Ujjain region. Bāṇa’s Kādambarī supports the same tradition when it associates Mālava ladies with the Vetravatī (modern Betwa) surrounding Vidiśā and speaks of Ujjayinī as a city of the Avanti country in the present West Malwa.¹

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¹ Cf. Siddhāntavāgīśa's ed., pp. 19, 183.

c8.s3.63

21. Cola (v. 22).

c8.s3.64

The Cola country is said to have been situated between Drāviḍa and Tailaṅga (v. 14), and the three countries, which were very similar to one another, were also known generally as the [land of the] Lambakarṇas.

c8.s3.65

The Cola country proper was the Tañjāvūr-Tirucirāpalli region. The verse, however, appears to refer to the country of the Telugu Coḍas of the Anantapur-Cuddappa area.

c8.s3.66

22. Pāñcāla (v. 23).

c8.s3.67

Pāñcāla appears to have been described as lying at 13 or 30 yojanas from Indraprastha with Kuru-kṣetra both in the west and the north. Indraprastha is the modern Delhi region and Kuru-kṣetra was the country to the south of the Sarasvatī and to the north of the Dṛṣadvatī, in the Karnal-Ambala region of the Eastern Punjab.

c8.s3.68

Ancient Pāñcāla was divided into two divisions, viz., the northern and the southern, and the former comprised roughly the modern Rohilkhand Division of U. P. Ahicchatrā, capital of North Pāñcāla, has been identified with modern Rāmnagar in the Bareily District, while Kāmpilya, which was the capital of South Pāñcāla, has been located at modern Kāmpil in the Farrukhabad District to the south of the Ganges.

c8.s3.69

23. Kāmboja (v. 24).

c8.s3.70

The Kāmboja country is described as extending from Pāñcāla and lying to the south-east of the Mleccha country. This Mleccha is apparently the same as Mahā-Mleccha of v. 28 and indicates the Muslim countries on the north-western borders of medieval India.²

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² Cf. Nos. 25 and 27 below.

c8.s3.72

The ancient Kāmbojas may be supposed to have lived in various settlements in the wide area between the Punjab and Balkh ( cf. No. 27 ). From a pilgrim’s standpoint therefore the country may have been described as having Pāñcāla in the south-east and the Muhammadan countries in the north-west. The horses of the Kāmboja country are often found mentioned in literature and inscriptions. The Kāmbojas living in Aśoka’s empire are mentioned in his inscriptions along with the Yavanas or Greeks of the Kabul valley and Kandahar where an edict in two versions meant for these two peoples has been discovered.

c8.s3.73

24. Virāṭa (v. 25).

c8.s3.74

The country called Virāṭa or Vairāṭa is placed to the north of Vidarbha, to the south of Indraprastha and to the east of Maru-deśa.

c8.s3.75

Of course Vidarbha is far to the south ; but the ancient Virāṭa or Matsya country actually lay in the Alwar-Bharatpur-Jaipur region to the south of the Delhi area and to the east of the desert. Vidarbha was never its southern boundary ; but it may have been mentioned as a country lying in the south—whatever be the distance—of the Virāṭa country. One of the Śākta Piṭhas is said to be in Virāṭa where the Devī is Ambikā and the Bhairava Amṛta. There was a Virāṭa country in Northern Bengal, according to some manuscripts of the *Bhavisya Purāṇa*.¹ The Nivṛti country (comprising Vardhanakūṭa= Bardhankoṭ, Kacchapa=Cochbihār or, more probably, Kachhar, and Rangpur) has there been described as :

c8.s3.76

¹ See No. 37 below.

c8.s3.77

निवृत्तिः सा च यत्रैव जनिष्यति तृणादिकम् ।
वरेन्द्रोत्तरभागे च विराटस्य च सन्निधौ ।
वंगस्य पश्चिमोत्तरे निवृत्तिविषयो मतः ॥

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This Virāṭa is apparently connected with the ‘Birāṭ-rājār Garh’ in the Rangpur District, or Bairāṭṭā in the Dinajpur District, in the northern part of Bengal and has nothing to do with the country of the same name mentioned in our text.

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25. Pāṇḍu (v. 26).

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The Pāṇḍu or Pāṇḍya country is placed to the south of Kāmboja and to the west of Indraprastha or the Delhi region.

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It is interesting to note that there is evidence of the existence of an ancient Pāṇḍu country in the Punjab. Ptolemy’s Geography¹ places the country of Pandouoi (i.e. Pāṇḍava) about the Bidaspes=Vitastā=Jhelam and includes in it Sagala=Sākala=Siālkot. Poros (i. e. Puru or Paurava), contemporary of Alexander, evidently belonged to this Pāṇḍu country. The *Vedic Index* suggests that either the Jhelam region was the early home of the Purus where some remained while others migrated to the east, or that region was later conquered by the Purus who had been settled in the east. But it is difficult to determine how this ancient tradition finds an echo in the late medieval text before us.

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¹ VII, i, 46.

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26. Videha or Tairabhukti (v. 27).

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The Videha country, also called Tirabhukta or Tairabhukti, is described as extending from the banks of the Gaṇḍakī as far as the Camp-āraṇya. Gaṇḍakī-tīra here appears to indicate the southern boundary of the country and the place where the modern Gaṇḍak falls into the Ganges. Camp-āraṇya is the modern Campāraṇ which seems to be the northern boundary. The name Tirabhukti still survives in the modern form Tirhut. It is the same as the Darbhanga-Muzaffarpur region of Upper Bihar to the north of the Ganges.

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27. Bāhlika (v. 28).

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The Bāhlika country is said to be bordering on Kāmboja and situated to the east of Mahā-Mleccha. Bāhlika was Bactria (modern Balkh) in the north of Afghānistān; but Vāhīka was an old name of the Punjab. The reading Bāhlika is better as the country is placed between Kāmboja and the great Mleccha world of the west. It is interesting to note that the Kāmbojas, elsewhere associated with Pāñcāla (v. 24), are here connected with the northern part of Afghānistān.

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28. *Kirāta* (v. 29).

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The Kirāta country is described as extending from Tapta-kuṇḍa as far as Rāma-kṣetra and as lying on the Vindhyas. Tapta-kuṇḍa may indicate the hot springs at Rājgir in the Patna District, Bihar, or those near Monghyr. Rāma-kṣetra may be Rāma-giri or Rāmtek. Kirāta here seems to indicate some Vindhyan hill tribes, though in old literature they are usually connected with the Himalayan region. The fact is that such names as Pulinda and Kirāta really indicated particular hill tribes; but later their meaning expanded so as to signify any hill tribe.

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29. *Vakrānta* (v. 30).

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The Vakrānta country is said to have extended from the Karatoyā as far as Hiṅgulāja and abounded in a large number of Mlecchas. The Karatoyā river mentioned here is not easy to identify; but the reference to the Hiṅlāj area as one of the bordering regions suggests that Vakrānta-deśa is possibly not Wakhan, but very probably Makran between Baluchistan and Persia. Pargiter¹ notices three Karatoyās; the first a tributary of the Brahmaputra in North Bengal, the second belonging to the Himalayan region in North India and the third rising from the Vindhyan range. The second seems to be indicated in the verse; but the plurality of the name may have been caused by wrong readings.

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¹ Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, trans., p. 301.

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30. *Khurāśana* (v. 31).

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The country called Khurāśana (Khorashan) is described as extending from the Hiṅgu-pīṭha, i.e. Hiṅgulāja, upto Makkeśa. Makkeśa, ‘lord of Mecca,’ is an imaginary Śiva-liṅga at Mecca, the most sacred of the Muslim holy places. According to a popular Bengali tradition, apparently influenced by the Tantras, in an underground room underneath the floor of the Kaaba at Mecca there lies Śiva in deep sleep; pious Hindus are never allowed to approach him; if, however, a devout Hindu could place on his head a *bilva-patra* only once, the god would at once rise up and destroy all the Muhammadans of the world.

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Khorashan is the north-eastern province of Persia, to the west of Afghānistān; but the name here seems to be employed to indicate the kingdom of Persia as known in the late medieval period.

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31. *Airāka* (v 31).

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In the northern part of the country of Khurāsana, i.e. the Persian kingdom or Western Asia, is placed Airāka, i.e. Iraq.

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32. *Bhoṭānta* (v. 33).

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The Bhoṭānta country is said to have extended from Kāśmīra and lay to the west of Kāmarūpa and to the south of Mānaseśa. Bhoṭānta is evidently Bhoṭān and Mānaseśa refers to the god Śiva at the Mānasa lake (Mānsarovar) in the Himalayas. Modern Bhoṭān in a small state to the north of Bengal; but the Tibetan people are also known as Bhauṭṭa or Bhoṭa. Taken in this wider sense, Bhoṭānta may actually be placed between Kāśmīra in the west and Kāmarūpa in the east.

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33. *Cīna* (v. 34).

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Cīna-deśa is described as lying to the south-east of Mānaseśa. The country to the south-east of the Mānasa-sarovara is Tibet which appears to be indicated by the name Cīna in the verse. Tibet formed a part of the dominions of the Chinese emperors. Abul Fazl’s *Ain-i-Akbarī* refers to ‘Pegu which former writers called Cheen, accounting this to be the capital city’, and seems to include Burma in the Cīna country.¹ According to Pargiter, Cīna comprised the country of Tibet ‘along the whole range of the Himalayas’.² The Cīnas are sometimes linked in the *Mahābhārata* with the Kāmbojas of the north-west³ and often mentioned among the retinue of the king of Prāgjyotiṣa or Assam in the east¹ and are also sometimes placed near the source of the Ganges in the country lying midway between the two regions.²

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