Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8.s3.166

c8.s3.166

The Matsya country is placed to the north of Pulinda and to the east of Kaccha. This country is described as abounding in fish. If Pulinda of this verse is the same as that in verse 50, and Kaccha is the same as Kacchapa (Kacchar or Cochbihār), this Matsya-deśa may be identified with Virāṭa placed to the north-east of Bengal in a verse of the Bhavisya Purāṇa.² Virāṭa was the celebrated epic king of the Matsya country which has been located in the Alwar-Jaipur-Bharatpur region and its capital Virāṭa-nagara has been identified with modern Bairāṭ in the former Jaipur State. But this ancient Matsya country seems to be mentioned in our text as Virāṭa (verse 25). It is difficult to say whether the author's intention was to distinguish between Matsya and Virāṭa, both located in the same area or whether he has made a confusion between the actual Matsya country in Eastern Rajasthan and a tract of land in Bengal.