India As Described In Early Texts Of Buddhism and Jainism

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

Page 86

78 INDIA AS DESCRIBED IN DARLY TEXTS
Road extending from Rajagaha. It was situated near about the modern Pañcavați at Nasik. On the banks of the Godhāvari (Godāvarī) and at the point where it formed a doab stood the two Andhra kingdoms of Assaka (Sk. Ašvaka, Asmaka) with its capital at Potali or Potana (Paudanya of the Mahābhārata, i, 77.47), and Alaka or Mulaka, the latter standing to the north of the former.1 The Pali texts speak also of Kolapattana which was a harbour, probably on the Coromandel coast. In the Apadāna (ii, pp. 358-59) we have mention of the Andhaka (Andhra) and Damila (Drāvida) countries. Siddhattha, Rajagiri, Pubbasela and Aparasela were all localities near about the Andhaka seat of power, i.e., in the neighbourhood of Dhanakataka or Amarāvati. The Damiļa territories, as represented in the Pali obronicles, included the countries of Cola with Kancipura (modern Conjeeveram) as its capital, Pāṇya with Madhurasuttapattana (modern Madoura) as its chief town, and Kerala (Chera 4) which was no other than Asoka's Keralaputra. Kalinga finds mention in several texts both as a
1 Sutta-nipäta, verse 1011.
Milinda paniha, p. 369. a Kathavatthuatthakatha, quoted in Points of Controversy', pp. 6, 104; Law, The Debates Oommentary (PTS), p. 62,
4 calavamaa, liii, 9; lv, 5, 12. OL. S. K. Aiyangar, South Indian Oulture (The Cultural Heritage of India, III, p. 71).