Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c21.8

c21.8

5 During the life time of Mahāvīra, the spread of Jainism was limited, and Jain monks did not seem generally to have crossed the boundaries towards east of Sāketa beyond Anga-Magadha, towards south beyond Kosambī, towards west beyond Thūnā and towards the north beyond Kunālā, which corresponds to the tract of a portion of modern Bihar eastern United Provinces, and a part of western U. P But later on, at the time of Samprati, who was a devout Jain this geographical limit was changed and the Jain monks could traverse as far as Sindhu Sovīra and Surāstra in west, Kalinga in the east, Dravida, Āndhra and Coorg 'Kudukka' in the south and some part of the eastern Punjab It seems that Jain monks because of restrictions of food etc never left the shores of India and went abroad like the Buddhist monks and even Mahāvīra did not go beyond Bihar, north-western Bengal and a part of the eastern United Provinces, his visit to Sindhu Sovīra and other parts of India seems to be doubtful As far as possible the geographical names have been identified, yet unfortunately a bulk of them remain unidentified, particularly the small villages in Bihar, where Mahāvīra toured during his ascetic life.