Indian Antiquary Vol 16

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 9

JANUARY, 1887.)
EARLY ACCOUNT OF THE DAKHAN.
referred to in the most general terms; as when general terms: but there are abundant tradithe lair of the lion of the Vijayan legends is tions of the island of Ceylon, Lankadvîpa," said to be in "a lone valley in the deep moun- Sirhaladvipa," Ratnadvipa," "the island of tains" of Lâļa," and the route taken by him in gems, '* " the country of the Rakshasis' or following the track of the fugitives in their "the island of the Râkshasas." There are flight towards the home of the princess, lay the "five hundred islands connected with the " through the mountains and valleys". The southern continent Jambudvîpa,"8" which may only hills named in them are the Sachabadha be the Laocadives or the Maldives. In the hill" in the northern watershed of the Narmada, legend of the cargo of red-sanders,88 the termithe hill Mudugiri' on the sea-shore nearnation dvipa must be rendered by its wider Suppåra ; Mailigiri," not far from Mudugiri, meaning of peninsular-continent, as in the inland ; and the mount Pandu or Pandagiri instance of the name Jambudvîpa above. " in that southern region."
The general name for the Dakhan in the Of its forests, we read of the Giwulu translations of these legends is the southern forest near the river Godavari ;1' the forest of region', the southern continent,'* "the red-sanders ;'' and the forest of Mulu in the south, South India,'* and Southern region of Sunâ parantaka:" and this last India." dwindles into a mere temple-grove in the name Southern India is naturally divided, both
Muluarama' given to it in one of the Panna physically, and, in & well-marked general legends."
manner, historically, into (1) the Northern and Some portion of the country on the banks (2) the Southern Dakhan, lying respectively to of the NarmadA was a sandy desert in the north and the south of the line of the main those days. We read also of a wilderness course of the river Kțishội. The maritime in the land of LALA," and of the wilderness of portions of the Northern Dakhan known Tambapanni" in Ceylon.
to these legends are (1) Orissa," and (2) The only rivers of the Dakhan mentioned Kalinga," in the upper portion of the Easby name are the Narmada," the Mahivati," tern coast; with (3) LAļa, occupying both and the Godavart."
banks of the estuary of the NarmadA and There are a few notices of the sea which running over into Kathillwad, and (4) "the washes the shores of the Dakban. That por- region of Sun&parantaka," Aparanta, or tion of the Indian Ocean which lies a four- Aparantaka," in the upper portion of the months' voyage in a continuous course beyond western coast. To these may also for the prethe Five-hundred islands,' was called the sea sent purpose be added (5) Avanti" and (6) of the seven gems :'* and still farther onwards the Navabhuvana," both of which had in the same open sea was a portion which was communications through the Narmada with the “agitated by the flames proceeding from hell,"0 веа. which may probably refer to the volcanio re- On the eastern coast of the Southern gions of the Eastern Archipelago.
Dakhan we have (7) the region of the red Other islands of this sea are spoken of in sanders tree, the very limited area within
13 Si-yu-ki, IT. 286.
1. Ibid. 237. 10 Uph. I. 7; II. 22 ; III. 113: Man. Bud. 210, 260. 11 Man. Bud. 260.
17 Man. Bud. 260. w Rom. Hist. Bud. 276. 10 Man: Bud. 53. 10 Ibid. 57.
11 Toid. 209. * Ibid. 260.
13 Man, Bud. 210. * Uph. I. 60, II. 27, 164: Turn. 48, 46: ante, XIII. 38 (forests).
* Uph. I. 70: Turn. 50. » Uph. I. 7; II. 22; III. 113: Man. Bud. 209. 31 Sacred Bks. XIX. 244.
Man. Bud. 53, 334 : Sacr. Bks. X. (pt. 2), 184. * Man. Bud. 18.
20 Man. Bud. 18. 31 ante, Vol. XIII. 85. * Si-yu-kai, II. 285 : ante, Vol. XIII. 37. * Bi-yu-ki, II. 239. 3. Si-yu-ki, II. 240, 246. 45 Rom. Hist. Bud. 333. 3. Lal. vist. 232, 278.
» Man. Bud. 18: Inir. Ceyl. As. Soc. for 1858-59, p. 14.
28 Man. Bud. 57. 39 Rom. Hist. Bud. 276. 10 Man, Bud. 13.
1 Sacr. Bke. X. (pt. 2), 184. * Rom. Hist. Bud. 39, 275, 282. - Si-yu-ki, II. 58 : Rock. 44, 92. ** Si-vu-hi, II. 204f8.
* See ante, VIII. 2ff. : As. Res., XX. 85, 317: Uph.I. 69; II. 168: Turn. 43: Jour. As. Soc. Beng. VII. 1014: Jour. Ceyl. As. Soc. II. 8, 8: E. Monach. 225: Man. Bud. 54, 55: Bigandet. 844Dath. 88: Rom. Hist. Bud. 43: Si yu-ki, II. 2071f.: Lal, vist., 115, 116: ante, XIII. 87: Sacr. Bks. XI. 25, 26, 135: Rock. 147.
6 Uph. II. 27, 164, 166 : Turn. 43, 46, 47: Jour. As. Soc. Beng. VI. 932: Arch. Suru. w. Ind. I. 80 and note, 284: arte, XIII. 34, 87, 88: Si-yu-ki, I. Introd. P. Ivi, oviii.; II. 286.
4 Turn. 71, 78: Uph. I. 7; II. 21 ; III. 112, 113: Man. Bud. 58, 209, 259, 260. (See ante, VII. 250 VIII. 140 XI. 286 : Arch. Suru. W. Ind. I. 129, 188.) 4 Turn. 16. Rom. Hist. Bud. 275. "Uph. III. 118.
Man. Bud. 56, 260.