India As Described In Early Texts Of Buddhism and Jainism

Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Bimlacharan Law

Page 73

GEOGRAPHY
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species, montion is constantly made of vyagghā (ordinary tigers), dīpī (panthers), taracchā (hyenas), acchā or bhallukā (bears), majjārā (cats). These speak also of kukkuras or sunakhas (dogs). The kchaggā or palāsadā (rhinoceros), gavajā (gayals), usabhā (bulls), mahisā (buffaloes) and diverse spocies of deer (migā) : the ruru, rohanta, tipallattha, citta, pasada, nigrodha, sākha, eni, and the rest. We have mention also of ajā (goats) and eļakā (rams). The Himalayan forests are said to have abounded in elephants living in herds or as rogues, distinguished as vāmаnika (dwarfish), uccākaļärikā, uccākaņerukā, and chaddantā (six-tusked). The lastmentioned class are associated with the Chaddanta lake and noted for the high quality of the ivory. They contained horses (assā) of diverse breeds, the sindhu and valāha being the two best of them. They abounded also in such reptiles and ajagarā (pythons), nāgā or sappā (snakes) divided into four families of virūpakkha, erāpatha, chavyāputta and kanha. They do not fail also to refer to the water-snakes feeding on green frogs (bhekā) and godhā (iguanas). The rivers were habitats of sumsumārā (porpoises and crocodiles), kumbhilā (alligators), makarā, ogāhā and tantiggāhā. The rivers and lakes were full of fish: pāthīnā, muñjarohitā, maggurā and
1 JRAS , 1888–Animals classed as deer in the 'Jatakas, p. 642