Indian Antiquary Vol 62

SR No.: 032554
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 450
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

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124
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
JULY, 1933
The name Calou ('eye ') is a sanskritisation of the original name of the Oxus, viz., Aksu, which had been understood as aksu (=Skt. akşi, eye'). In Sanskrit literature we come across its other form, Vaksu (also Varikçu), which is the origin of the Mongolian Baksku, Tibetan Pakshu, and Chinese Folsu or Po-isu and is preserved in Valshan (modern Wokhôn.) Its neighbour, mentioned several times by Yuan Chwang, is spelt both as Sita and Sita (cold '). There is no room for doubting the identity of Cakşu with Aksu, i.e., the Oxus, supported, as this is, by the alternative and real form, Vakshu. The countries on the Caksu. as named in the Puraņas, are :
(1) Cina-maru (Vaya), Vira-maru (Matsya); (2) Kalika 23 (Váyu), Nangana (Matsya); (3) Sarva-malika2* (Vayu), Salika (Matsya); (4) Tuşâra (Tukhára)-cum-Andhra (Vayu), Tuşâra (Motsya); (5) Tampaka? (Vůyu), Barbara-Anga (Matsya); (6) Balhava (Brah. múnda), Pahnava (Vayu), Yaghna (Matsya) ; (7) Parada (Matsya), Pârata (Brahmanda), Darada (Vdyu): (8) Saka (Väyu, Matsya): Khasa (Brahmanda).26
Now, avoiding the question of the identification of each of these items, which is outside the scope of this paper, we are on firm ground in regard to Tuşâra, which is a well-known spelling for Tukhara (like Şasa for Khasa). Tukhára is sufficiently described by Yuen Chwang,?? who visited all parts of the area that was included in ancient Tukhara, i.e., the districts of the present Afghầnistân that go by the names of Tokhâristân and Badakhshân. The Tukhåra country does adjoin the Oxus, and does extend to the valley of the Chitral river, the country of the ancient Daradas and Cînas (=Şinas), on the east, and marches on the west with Balkh, which it once included within its limits. The Purâņic description would place Parada (the Palada of Asoka) between Balhava (Balkh) and Darada and Khasa (Dardistân), that is to say, the Paradas would be located in what is now Badakhshân.28 The Andhras were next to Tukhåra. They too were by the Oxus. In the time of Asoka there were no Tokhârîs there, and probably the Andhras and the Paradas were neighbours, the two peoples occupying the area between And-khui (Afghân Turkist) and the frontier of Chitral. It seems that the Paradas became insignificant in the early Gupta period, when the Vayu was written in its present form, as it gives their neighbours, the Daradas, in their place, contrary to the Matsya, which was closed in the Kushån-Andhra period (c. 250 A.D.). The neighbours of the Paradas, called Ambasthas by Varahamihira (FE-CGT: XVI, 22), were not the Ambrışthas of India proper, but the people whom Ptolemy (xviii, 3) calls Ambantai and places in the Paropanisadai, to the north of the Parietai (see his map in MoCrindle, p. 8). Ptolemy gives the other Ambastai separately.
23 Tala in the Brahmanda. 24 Masa-malika in the Brahmánda. 25 Lamydka in the Brahmanda. 26 The texts of the Matsya (c. 250 A.D.) and Vayu (c. 350 A.D.) are given below M. 120 : अथ वीरमरुश्चैव कालिकांश्चैव शूलिकान् ।
GRITURIT PUNT [] CTT 411 45
एतान् जनपदोश्चक्षुः प्लावयित्वोदधिनता। 46 V. i. 47: अथ चीनमरूं व नङ्गणान् सर्वमूलिकान् ।
साभांस्तुषारांस्तंपाकान् पनवान् दरदान् शकान् ।।
एतान् जनपदान् चक्षः प्लावयन्ती गतोदधिम्'। 44 Cf. Br. II. 18 : 444 &arata e
मद्रांस्तुषारॊल्लम्याकान् बाइवान पारटान् खशान् ।। 46
2011 37919: 14 fall 47 27 Life, pp. 195-196.
28 We should, however, note that Yuan Chwang's Varadosthana was probably somewhat farther south (see Si-yu-ki, ii, 285). Varadasthana would mean the land of the Varadas,' the form Varada being & softer development of Parada. The form is met with as early as in the Ramayana.