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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN and Lanka, Śrīparvata is not very very far from this place. It is situated in the south also. Thus Mahendranagara can be identified with Mahendravadi (Mahendrapura).
Lankapuri :-From Mahendranagara. Hanumat reaches Larkāpuri (53.I). He accomplishes his mission and returns to Kiskindhipura (54.1). There are references which establish that Lanka was situated in the sea. It is said that Rama along with the army of the Vānaras reached Lankā which was situated in the middle of the sea (sāgaravarassa majjhe 54.44). Sita also asks Hanumat as to how he could reach her after crossing the waters (laugheūņa jalaņihi 5 3.25) and so on (rayaņāyaram samuttarium 53.51; sāyaravaram uttariūņam 63.4; uttariūnar imam salilanāham 63.8). Rāvana is said to have crossed the sea while returning to Larka after defeating Lord Yama. The sea has been described in 6 verses with its surging waves (8.257263). At the time of narrating the origin of the Rakşasa Vamsa it is said that Vidyadhara Meghavāhana was made the first Lord of the Rākşasadvipa which was situated in the sea (sayaravare 5.126). That 'dvípa' had in its middle the Trikūța hill and Laňkāpuri was situated in the valley of that hill (5.127-129). The Uttarapurāra (68.254-256, 294, 501, 509,& 724), the Mahapuräna (69.2; 73.6, 12; 74.2,7; 77.5), the TSP (IV. p. 245,273; I. p. 165) and the RPS (Ch. 3 p. 16) give ust he same account. The PCV farther mentions that Laikā abounded in trees of coconut and areca catechu (53.79). Therefore the present island of Ceylon can be identified with the Rakşasadvipa, Larkāpuri with a town in it and the Trikata hill with a hill in it. It is believed by some that Trikūța is identical with the present Mantotte in Ceylon'.
Rāma, before reaching Lankāpuri, is said to have defeated king Samudra of Velandharapura (also called Suvelapura 54.43) situated in the valley of Velandharaparvata (54.39). Both these places seem to be situated on the southern coast of India, opposite Ceylon. Further Rāma reaches Haṁsadvīpa and camps there before attacking Larkāpuri (54.45). Hamsadvīpa is said to be situated near Lankāpuri.
Allies of Rāma :- Various peoples (55.16-17) are said to have made alliance with Rāma to fight against Rāvana. They are as follows :"Kaidīvavāsiņo bahave māhindamalayatīrā siripavvaya
haņuruhāiya// Keligila ya rayaņā taha ya velandharā ya nahatilayā sajjhārāyā
ya tahā dahamuha-divă sayā ceva"//
1. See also 19. 14,20. 2. GD, p. 113
