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Swami Samantabhadra.
This verse reveals that before reaching Karhataka, Samantabhadra had traveled to and debated in various countries and cities, including Pataliputra (Patna), Malava (Malwa), Sindh, and the country of Thakk (Punjab), Kanchipuram (Kanjeevaram), and Vaidesha (Bhilsa). These were the main countries and regions where he had sounded the trumpet of debate, and where no one had opposed him.
1. Cunningham Sahib, in his book Ancient Geography, equates the country of 'Thakk' with the country of Punjab (S. I. J. 30). Mr. Lewis Rice Sahib also writes it as Punjab in his book on the inscriptions of Shravanabelagola. And Mr. Edward P. Rice Sahib, the author of 'History of Kannada Literature', has identified it as a country in Punjab by writing it as 'In the Punjab'. However, many Jain scholars have corrected the reading of 'Thakk' to 'Dhak' and identified it as 'Dhaka' in the Bengal region, which is incorrect. In Punjab, 'Attock' is a region. It is possible that the entire Punjab was called 'Thakk' in ancient times, or that the name 'Thakk' refers to that particular region near Sindh. The verse also places 'Thakk' in the same compound word after 'Sindh', which suggests that it is the country of Punjab or its Attock region, not Bengal or Dhaka. In that region of Punjab, there are many other names of this kind, such as 'Thattha'. Rao Bahadur R. Narasimhachar M.A., a scholar of ancient history, has also written 'Thakk' as the country of Punjab.
2. The region of Vidisha is called Vaidesha, which was the capital of the Dasharna country and is now called Bhilsa. Rice Sahib had interpreted 'Kanchipure Vaideshe' as 'to the out of the way Kanchi', which was incorrect and has been corrected in the revised edition of the Shravanabelagola inscriptions. Similarly, Mr. Aiyangar's interpretation of it as 'in the far off city of Kanchi' is also incorrect.