History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.311
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.311
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According to Paurāṇic geography there are seven *dvīpas*, viz. Jambu, Plakṣa, Śālmala, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śaka and Puṣkara (Viṣṇupurāṇa II. 1. 11 ff) and each dvīpa is divided into *varṣas*. Jambudvīpa has 9 varṣas of which Bharatavarṣa is the first (Viṣṇupurāṇa II. 2. 12 ff). The Mahābhārata speaks of 13 dvīpas (Ādi. 75. 19, Vanaparva 3. 52 and 134. 20) and 18 dvīpas also (Droṇa 70. 15). For Bharatavarṣa vide H. Dh. vol. II. pp. 17-18. Manu II. 20 looks upon the holy land of Kurukṣetra, of the Matsyas, Pañcālas and Śūrasenas as 'the chosen country' the learned brāhmaṇas in which were to be the leaders and guides of the whole world in appropriate thoughts and actions. The Viṣṇu (II. 3. 2), Brāhma, Mārkaṇḍeya 55. 21-22 and other purāṇas proudly assert that Bharatavarṣa is the land of action (karmabhūmi). This is patriotism of a sort but not of the kind we see in western countries. Bharatavarṣa itself has comprised numerous countries from the most ancient times. The names of countries and the tribes or people inhabiting them were the same (vide Pāṇini IV. 1. 168, IV. 2. 81 ). In the Ṛgveda we come across the tribes of Yadus, Turvaśas, Druhyus, Anus and Pūrus ( Ṛg. I. 108. 8, VIII. 10. 5 &c. ) and the countries of Cedi ( VIII. 5. 39 ), Kīkaṭa ( III. 53. 4 ), Ṛjīka ( VIII. 7. 29 ), Ruśama ( V. 30. 12 ), Vetasu ( X. 49. 4 ). In the Atharvaveda V. 22 several peoples or countries are mentioned of which Bahlīkas ( in vv 5 and 9 ), Mūjavat ( vv 5 and 8 ), Gandhāri, Aṅga, Magadha ( in v.
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14 ) deserve notice. The Ait. Br. ( 38. 3 ) divides India into five divisions in the east, south, west and north ( the Uttara Kurus and Uttara Madras ) and in the centre ( Kuru-Pañcāla and Vaśa-Uśīnara ). India was divided into two parts, Dakṣiṇāpatha ( from the Narmadā southwards ) and Uttarāpatha at least some centuries before Christ, since the Hāthīgumphā Ins. ( E. I. vol. 20 at p. 79 ) mentions a great many kings of Uttarāpatha and the Mahābhāṣya refers to lakes in Dakṣiṇāpatha.¹⁷⁹ In the Brāhmaṇas frequent mention is made of the Kuru-Pañcālas ( Tai. Br. I. 8. 4), Uttarakuru, Uttara-madra, Kuru-Pañcālas, Vaśa-Uśīnaras ( in Ait. Br. 38. 3), Kuru-Pañcālas, Aṅga-Magadhas, Kāśi-Kośalas, Śālva-Matsyas, Vaśa-Uśīnaras in Gopatha II. 10 ( ed. by Gaastra ). The Gandhāras occur in Chāndogya Up. ( VI. 14. 1 ), Videha in Bṛ. Up. III. 1. 1, Madras in Bṛ. Up. III. 3. 1. In the Mahābhārata there are long lists of countries in various connections, which are more than 200 ( e. g. Sabhā 4. 21-32, 20. 26-30, Sabhā 25 ff, Sabhā 52. 13-19, 53. 5-9, Virāṭa 1. 12-13, Bhīṣma 9. 39-69, 50. 47-53, Droṇa 11. 15-18, 70. 11-13, Aśvamedhika 73-78, 83. 10 ff. ) The Baudhāyana-gṛhyaśeṣasūtra I. 17 prescribes a maṇḍala for the worship of the Sun and names nine countries in the eight directions and in the centre as representatives. The Purāṇas also contain long lists of countries e. g. Matsya 114. 34-56, Mārkaṇḍeya 57. 32-67 and chap. 58, Brāhma 17. 10-15 and 25. 25-39.
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The same country sometimes has two names ( e. g. Vidarbha and Krathakaiśika denote the same country in Raghuvaṁśa VII. 1 and 32 ). ‘Buddhist India’ (by Rhys Davids p. 23) mentions the sixteen peoples ( or countries ), lists of which occur in the Aṅguttaranikāya I. p. 213, IV. p. 252 and in the Dīghanikāya II. p. 200 viz. Angas, Magadhas, Kāsis, Kosalas, Vajjis, Mallas, Cetis (Cedis), Vamsas (Vatsa?), Kurus, Pāñcālas, Matsyas, Śūrasenas, Aśmakas, Avantis, Gandhāras, Kambojas. Varāhamihira's Bṛhatsaṁhitā, Baudhāyana-gṛhyaśeṣasūtra I. 17, Kāmasūtra V. 6. 33-41, Bārhaspatya Arthasāstra (III. 83-117), the Kāvyamīmāṁsā of Rājaśekhara (17th chapter) name numerous countries. This last divides India into five regions and gives the names of about 70 countries in the four directions but none from Central India. The Bhāvaprakāśana (pp. 309-310) gives a list of 64 countries and states that Dakṣiṇāpatha (Deccan) is a fourth of Bharatavarṣa and that in the Tretā and Dvāpara ages people afraid of being overwhelmed by ice came down to the south.179a 56 countries are named in some Tantra works (vide 'Indian Culture' vol. VIII. p. 33). In the lexicon called Vaijayantī of Yādavaprakāśa (11th century A.D.) edited by Dr. G. Oppert, over a hundred countries and capitals of some of the countries are named (in the Bhūmikāṇḍa and chapter on deśa thereof).