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67
THE SALVAS
(Karnaparvan, Chap. 5, 42).1 The Salvas are several times referred to in the Mahabharata2 as Danavas and Daityas, i.e. demons,probably because of their fabled enmity to Visņu who is termed Salvari', foe of Salva.
The Vayu and Matsyapuranas locate the Salvas amongst the central peoples (i.e. Madhyadeśa); but the Visnupurana places them in the extreme west, along with the Sauviras, Saindhavas, Hūņas, Sakalas, Madras, etc.; and the Brahmapurana (Chap. 19, 16-18) also locates them in the Aparanta or western country. In the Bengali recension of the Rāmāyaṇa (Kişk. Kända, XLIII, 23) also they are classed among the western nations.
Commenting on Salvavayava in the sloka Salvavayava pratyagrathakalakutaśmakadin' (4, 1,173), the Käsika on Panini's Astadhyayi names Udumbara, Tilakhala, Madrakāra, Yugandhara, Bhulinga, and Saradatta as the six avayavas or parts of the Salvajanapada. Bhulinga here is probably the same as 'Bolingai' of Ptolemy. In the sloka na pracya Bhargadi Yaudheyadibhyah' (4, 1, 178), the Kasika includes the Karuṣas, Kaśmiras, and Salvas. The Käsika on another sutra (4, 2, 76) refers to a city of the Salvas named Vaidhumagni, built by Vidhumagni; and elsewhere the Käsika includes the Salvas among the Kacchādi-gana, along with the Kaśmiras (4, 2, 133; 4, 1, 169).
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1 According to, Mbh., XII, 234, 8607 and XIII, 137, 6267, Dyutimant was a certain king of the Salvas who gave his kingdom to Reika.
2 III, 14, 633-4; 17, 695, 710; 885-6.
3 II, Chap. III, śloka 16-8.
4 McCrindle's Ptolemy, p. 163.
