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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
is identified with the region comprising the districts of Bilaspur, Raipur and Sambalpur1. And its capital should be somewhere in that region, with which Aruhatthal may be identified.
Kamalasankulapura:-Sumitra, the mother of Lakṣmaṇa is said to be the princess of the above place (22.107). The Raghuvamsa (9.7), the Padmapurana (Uttara, 269) and the Ananda Rāmāyaṇa (11.32, 70.71) mention that Sumitra was a princess of Magadha. The PCV also mentions it (2.8). At one place the PCV refers to Kusumanagara (Kusagganagara according to other manuscripts) as the birth place of Lord Munisuvrata (95.35) and at another place is called Kuśāgranagara which is another name of Rajagṛha. Thus Rajagraha, Kuśāgranagara and Kusumānagara appear to be indentical. The Kamala of Kamalasankulapura probably denotes the flower in general i.e. Kusuma and thus Kamalasankulapura could be identified with Rajagṛha. But in the ancient literature Kusumapura occurs for Pataliputra which later on became the capital of Magadha (HGAI, p.249). Kālidāsa also mentions Pațaliputra, Puspapura and Kusumapura as and the same place and as the capital of Magadha (IK, p. 2). The PCV also specifically mentions Kusumapura (48 83) and it should be a reference to Pataliputra. It seems that the PCV confuses the two capitals of Magadha at two different times in ancient history and thus Kamalasankulapura should be identical with Pataliputra which is mentioned as the capital of Magadha by Kalidasa who states that Sumitra belonged to the Magadha country.
the one
Kautukamangalapura (24.2):-Kaikey belonged to this place.
Aruhasthala and Kamalasanikulapura of the PCV are well identified with the birth places of Kausalya and Sumitra as mentioned in the Brahmanical literature. Thus it is probable that Kautukamangalapura of the PCV is the capital of Kekaya country which is mentioned in the VR as the country from which Kaikeyi hailed. The PCV locates Kautukamangalapura in the north and Kekaya country is also identified with the present district of Shahpur in the Punjab. The capital of Kekaya country is identified with Girjaka or Jalalpur on the Jhelum2, and so Kautukamangalapura is probably Jalalpur.
Kampilya:-Rama's teacher Airakucchi belonged to Kampilyapura (25.16). It was the capital of ancient Pañcala. It is identified with modern Kampil on the old Ganges between Budaon and Farrukhabad" in U.P.
1. VGA, p. 153.
2. HGAI, p. 98.
3. Ibid, p. 92.
