Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8.s3.29

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: