Cosmography and Geography in Early Indian Literature c6.s3.18

c6.s3.18

Although much of what is said about the seven island-continents in the Purāṇas is apparently imaginary,⁴⁷ a vague knowledge of the territories of Western Asia and Northern Africa seems to be exhibited by a few of the names. Thus the Sun-worshipping Magas of Śāka-dvīpa undoubtedly point to the identification of the said island-continent with modern Seistan in Eastern Iran, which was known as Sakastān in the ancient and Sigistān in the medieval times. It is well known that the Magi priests brought thence their Mithra or Mihira (Sun-god) into India where they became famous as the Maga or Śākadvīpīya Brāhmaṇas.⁴⁸ Seistān was called Scythia by the Greeks and, when the Scythians (Śakas) of Eastern Iran occupied the lower valley of the Indus, it was first called Scythia and later Indo-Scythia (i.e. the Indian Śakasthāna as distinguished from the Iranian Sakastān).