History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.119

v7.c95.119

In the Upaniṣads the geographical details are very few and are limited to the territory between the Himālayas and Vindhya (the Kauṣītaki Up. II. 13 speaks of two parvatas, the north and south, the Bṛ. Up. I. 1, 1-2 alludes to the eastern and western seas). Noble steeds were brought from Sindhu country (Bṛ. Up VI. 1. 13), the country of Gandhāra (Chān. Up. VI. 14. 2) appears to have been known and was at some distance from the place where the Upaniṣad was composed; the country Madra is mentioned in Bṛ. Up III. 3. 1 and III 7. 1. Janaka was a king of Videha at whose court brāhmaṇas from Kurus, Pañcālya, gather together for argument with Yājñavalkya (Bṛ. Up. III 1. 1), king Ajātaśatru of Kāśī (Banaras) humbled the vain Bālāki Gārgya (Bṛ. Up. II 1. 1), and Kauṣītaki IV. 1. 1, which latter mentions also the countries of Vaśa, Uśīnara, Kuru. Pañcāla and Videha); Kuru country occurs in Chān. Up. I. 10. 1. IV. 17. 10. Pañcāla country by itself in Chān. Up. V. 3. 1, Bṛ. Up VI. 2. 1; Aśvapat king of Kekaya (in the extreme North-west) imparted knowledge of Vaiśvānara-vidyā to brāhmaṇas.