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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
speaking the Paiśaci dialect1. Pargiter also takes the Bhutas as a north-western border tribe2. Then the people of modern Bhutana are still called as the Bhotiyas or Bhotas
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Vamana or the Vamanas-The Märkandeyapurana (55.35) refers to the Vamanas. They are identified with the Vanavas of the MB and their place is located in the north-west. It is presumed to be Bunnu in the north-west of the Punjab (Mar. Pu, Tr. p. 372).
Sindhu:-Thereafter Lavana and Ankuśa cross the river Sindhu and conquer various countries of the Aryans and the Non-Aryans. Sindhu is the river Indus emptying into the Arabian sea.
Thereafter the countries conquered by them are named as "Ahiravoyajavaņā kaccā sagakīralā ya nemālā varula ya căruvacchi varavadă ceva sopārā":
Ahirava the Abhiras:-The region of the Abhīras have been located at different places by different works. They are located In Saurastra, western Rajputana, and Daksiņāpatha (TAI. p. 79-81). They also formed independent dynasty after wresting portions of Maharastra from the Satavahanas (TAI, p.80). A settlement in central India between Bhilsa and Jhansi was called Ahirawārā VGA. p. 131).
Javana the Yavanas:-They have been mentioned along with the Abhiras, the Kacchas and the Sakas. Therefore their area should have been in the western part. A Yavana king has been referred to as the ally of the king Ativïrya of Nandyavartapura, who attacked Bharata (37.10). The Puranas refer to the Sakas, the Yavanas and the Tuşaras ruling in the north west during the early centuries of the Christian era (VGA, p. 12). The Khārvela Inscription refers to a Yavana king of Mathurā. Kalidasa refers to a Yavana ruler of the southern bank of Sindhu (TAI, p. 157; IK, p. 117).
Kaccha the Kacchavasins:-Kaccha has been identified with the lowlands of Kaccha, the swampy lands (CAGI, p. 348) lying in the west (Papini 4.2.133) in Gujarat (modern Cutch-GD, p. 82).
Saga = the Sakas:-The Sakas were the Scythians. Their ancestral land lay to the east of Sogdians and according to some, to the east of the Caspian sea (GD, p. 172). In the first century their settlements sprang up at Takṣaśila, Mathura and Ujjayanī (IP, p. 78).
1. Nagpur University Journal, No.7, Dec. 1941, p 44. 2, JRAS, 1912, pp, 290,711.
