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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
sojourned on its other side in the forest. It was here that Kaikeyi and Bharata followed Rama to call him back to Ayodhya (32. 42-50). The river is identified with modern Gambhira, a tributary of the Yamuna above the Cambal, flowing east from Gangapura.1
Daksinapatha:-Rama asked the people who followed him, to allow him to go to the Dakṣinapatha (32. 13). Rama while consoling his mother before his departure from Ayodhya tells that he might go to the Vindhyas, or to the Malaya or in the vicinity of the sea (31.100). There are other references such as Dakkhinadesa (32.55), Dahiņa Bharaha (103.7) and Dakkhiņāvaha (26.68) which denote the same region. The Dakṣinapatha comprised the region from the Vindhyas upto rhe shore of the southern ocean. Southern India is identified with the whole of the Peninsula from Nasik and Ganjam to the cape Comorin in the south or very nearly the whole of the region lying to the south of Narmada and Mahanadi (CVGI, p. 31f).
Citrakuta -From there Rama began his journey towards the south (Dakkhiņadesābhimuha caliya 32.55). Proceeding further he reached a Tāpasakula. He stayed there for a night and then reached, passing through the forest, Citrakuta hill (duruppayasiroham pecchanti Cittakuḍam te 33.4). He sojourned there for four months (33.11). This is the modern hill of Chittor, a range of the Aravali mountains, in the Udaipura division of Rajasthan.
Avanti-From there Rama entered the Avantīdeśa (pattā Avantivisayam 33.11), the capital of which was Ujjeni (33.25) and it was ruled by king Simhodara. The Vasudevahindi (p. 36, 49) refers to Ujjenī as the capital of Avantījanapada. Avanti as a great Janapada is referred to in the Ava. Cu (I. p. 39). During the time of Lord Mahāvīra, Pradyota was the king of Avanti (Ava. Cu, II. p. 162). The Vividha Tirthakalpa refers to Avanti as a city (p. 83). The Skandapurana mentions that Avanti was the other name of Ujjeni. Avanti came to be known as Ujjeni in honour of the visit of Mahadeva to that city on the victory of destroying the demon, Tripura". Avanti roughly corresponds to modern Malwa. Nimara and adjoining parts of Madhya Pradesh. It was one of the 16 great Janapadas of ancient times. Ujjeni is the modern Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
1. HGAI, p. 36 & RI, p. 39.
2. Skandapurana, Ch. 43. (HGAI,p. 7; VGA, p. 404.)
3. HGAI, p. 52.
