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528
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
Saramaya:-They are unidertified.
Further they subjugate "Āṇandā tisirā vi ya khasă taha ceva honti mehalaya/ Sūraseņā palhiyā khandhārā kolauluga ya// (98.66).
Ananda -the Anandas:-They have been referred to as the allies of Ravana also when he is attacked by Rama (55.55). On the occasion of the war compaign of Lavana and Aikuśa the Anandas are mentioned along with the Trisiras, the Khasas, Mekhalakas etc. Anandas as a people have been mentioned in the Markandeyapurana and they are assumed to be occupying the region of the lower Krisņa river (EDAD, p. 328). Historically the Ananda dynasty is known to have ruled in the southern Andhradeśa, The Ananda dynasty succeeded the Bṛhatphalayanas (EDAD, p. 215). They rose in southern Andhra country and dislodged the Pallavas in c.300 A.D. Damodarvarman (295-315 A.D.) was the first king of Ananda dynasty but probably he was preceded by several kings (EDAD, p. 233; 336). The three kings Kandara, Ativarman and Damodar varman are assigned to the Ananda dynasty of the Guntur region and on their prakrit names it is suggested that they belonged to a period not later than the middle of the fourth century, A.D.
(VGA, p.64-65).
Khasa-the Khasas:-Mr. Stein identifies them with the Khakha tribe to which belonged most of the petty chiefs of the Vitasta valley below Kashmira and in the neighbouring hills'. B.C. Law locates them in the Tibet on the evidences of Mahabharata2 and some locate them on the bank of the Shailoda river near Pamira (Bha. Sa, p.154).
Mehalaya the Mekhalas Mekalas:-In ancient times the Amarakanṭaka range was called Mekala, whence the name of the tribe is derived. The Mekalas were a small tribe inhabiting the tract of country comprising the modern Amarakan taka, which is a part of the Vindhyas (TAI, p.374).
Surasena Sauraśenas :-Surasena was a Janapada with its capital at Mathura-north VH, I. p. 232). According to the VR, Śūrasena was a son of Satrughna, after whom the territory was known as Śaurasena (CAGI, p.706). The country is identified with the region west of the Jamuna river (BI, p.27) or the district of Mathura and the region still further south (CHI. I.p. 316).
1. Rajatarangini (Tr.) II, p.430.
2. TAI, p.400.
