Studies in the Geography of Ancient and Medieval India c8.s4.2

Language: English

c8.s4.2

The Prasthas or Tantrik territorial divisions of ‘India’ are enumerated as five, viz. (1) Indra-prastha, (2) Yama-prastha, (3) Varuṇa-prastha, (4) Kūrma-prastha, and (5) Deva-prastha. The word prastha means ‘a level expanse’, ‘level plain,’ ‘table-land on the top of a mountain’, ‘the top of a mountain’, etc. The word also indicates ‘going on a journey’ and hence possibly, ‘pilgrimage’. This fivefold division of India may therefore have been made from a Tantric pilgrim’s point of view. The association of Aśvapati and Narapati with Indra-prastha and Yama-prastha respectively reminds us of the medieval imperial title Aśvapati-Gajapati-Narapati-rāja-tray-ādhipati.¹

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