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THE KĀRŪSAS OR KARŪSAS
Mārkandeya Purāna, they are mentioned along with the Keralas and Utkalas, and in the Brahmāndapurāna with the Mālavas, Utkalas, and Daśārņas (all dwelling in the Vindhya region); while in the Visnupurāna (Bk. II, Chap. III) they are associated with the Arbudas and Mālavas. Further, the Visnupurāna definitely refers to them as dwelling along the Pāripātra hills. In the Bālakānda of the Rāmāyana (XXIV, 18) the Karūsas and the Maladas are named together; the Maladas are probably the Molindae of Pliny, whereas the Kārūsas may be identified with the Chrysei.1
The Kārūsas figure in the Kuruksetra war along with the Kekayas, Pañcālas, Matsyas, Cedis and Kosalas, who rallied on the side of the Pāņdavas.2 At one time during the war, the Cedi, Kāśi, and Kārūşa peoples seem to have been led by Dhrstaketu, King of the Cedis.3 Another King of the Cedis was Vasu, a descendant of Kuru, who having conquered the Yādava kingdom of Cedi, extended his conquests eastwards as far as Magadha, and apparently north-west also, over Matsya. He divided his territories of Magadha, Cedi, Kausāmbi, Karūsa, and Matsya among his five sons (see Chap. on Cedis).
1 M. V. St. Martin's Etude sur la Geog. Grecque, p. 199. 2 See Udyoga, Bhisma and Drona Parvans. 3 Udyogaparvan, Chap. 198, 2; Bhīşmaparvan, Chap. 56, 13.
