Development And Impact Of Jainism In India And Abroad

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Arham Spiritual Center

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DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT OF JAINISM IN ASIA AND ASIAN DWIPA
The territory of Suvarnabhumi is still unknown. But our ancient Texts refer to the names of those countries and dvipas which are situated in the South East Asia and whose geographical position could be decided in a better way.
In this connection, the following verses may be mentioned where India is said to be divided into nine parts :
Bharatasyasya varsasya nava bhedan vibodha me. Samudrantarita jneyaste tvagamyah parasparam. Indradvipah kaseruman tamraparni gabhastiman. Nagadvipastatha saumyo gandharvo varunsastatha.
Aya tu navamastesa dvipah sagarasmavrtah.
Yojanana sahasram vai dvipa 'yam dakshino satam. The nine parts were indradvip, kaseruman, Tamraparni, Gabhastiman, Nagadvipa, Saumya, Gandharava, Varuna and Daksina. Of these, Indradvipa, Kaseruman, Varuna and Tamraparni may be clearly identified with Burma, Malaya, Bornio and Srilanka respectively. Nothing much is known about Gabhastiman and other countries. The Garuda and Vaman Puranas mention the names of Kataha and Simhal in place of Saumya and Gadharva-Nagadvipah Katahascasimhalo varunasthatha.
The references to Kataha dvipa are obviously found in Jain and other literature. The Kathasaritsagara refers to a story of Candrasvamin who went to Narikeladvipa, Katahadvipa, Karpuradvipa, Suvarnadvipa and Simhal Dvipa in search of Kanakavarma. Here the Narikeladvipa may be identified with Nikovardvipa, kataha with Kedaha in Malaya Prayadvipa and Karpuradvipa with Bornio. Some more Dvipas in South East Asia are included into the Vyupurana (18th Chapter) as follows : Anagadvipa (In Bay of Bengal), Malayadvipa (Malaya), Yamadvipa (Yamakopti close to Srilanka), Sankhadvipa (close to Malaya), Kusadvipa and Varahadvipa (Barava), Yavadvipa (Java), Suvarnakudya (Phunan-Combodia, Kin-lin, Malaya Prayadvipa) Samudradvipa (Sumatra), Karmaranga (Malaya Prayadvipa,) Varusaka (Varusa Sumatra) and Balidvipa (Bali).
The Jainas and other traders used to visit very often the Svarnadvipa with the purpose of earning wealth. There were three routes to reach Svarnabhumi : (1) first route from Northern India to Tamralipati through the Ganges, then Andaman-Nicobar Dvipa and Malaya Prayadvipa: (2) the second route was starting from eastern sea-ports like Dantapur, Cinnaganjam and Kaveripattanam to Malaya Prayadvipa through Bay of Bengal; and (3) the third route was starting from Simhal to Malaya through Nicobar. There were some more ways to reach the South East Asian countries from Malaya Prayadvipa. Singapur is situated in the South of Malya. There were three options for Indian traders : (i) starting from the Southern Part of Sumatra to reach the eastern courtiers like Campa, Kambuj-Combodia and Vietnam. This route was very long and full of calamities; (ii) from Malakka to the eastern countries, this route was the shortest one but full of robbers; (iii) the third route was adopting the land route through eastern part of Bay of Bengal and by unloading the goods there to reach sea-ports of Siam through land route. This route was more favourable and fearless of robbers. Likewise, Sea voyage from Tamralipti to Burma and then Siam, Champa and Kambuj was also easier.
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